A sordid tale of corruption

By Thomas Lifson

This story just about has it all: a six figure rip-off of public money from a public university facing major cutbacks, lying, a cover-up by higher-ups, and playing of the race card. Sex is the only missing ingredient.

John Ellis, a courageous professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has written a complete and concise account of the scandal at the University of California, where senior executives help themselves to public money with insouciant ease.

Higher education is a massive industry, one the largest in America. The old days, when those who chose the scholarly life expected something resembling genteel poverty in return for ample leisure and freedom to pursue their own intellectual interests, clearly are gone.

The misconduct by high officials in this case should be the subject of prosecutorial investigation. I wish I could be more optimistic that justice will be done here.