Frozen Grants Stall Plaza Project
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U.S. Postage PAID Bronx, New York Permit No. 7608 Non Profit Org. Thursday, March 12,1981 Volume 63 FORDHAM UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK Number 8 G.G. Liddy future Uncertain: To Speak At Frozen Grants Rose Stall Plaza Project by Patrick Honan by Herman Eberhardt Washington had indicated that UDC After all the stories of the Watergate The future of the Fordham Plaza project, "should not expect" funding for any break-in, the 18 minute gap, the buggings, a long-awaited office and retail center projects that had grants pending at the illegal campaign funds, and the coverup, the scheduled to be built just south of Fordham's Economic Development Administration this most important question is still unanswered. Rose Hill campus near the Third Avenue year. Furthermore, the Reagan What made Richard Nixon think those gate, seems dim due to a recent freezing of a Administration plans to do away with the actions were necessary to win re-election? request for Federal money to. get the project entire Economic Development Convicted Watergate co-conspirator G. started. Administration next year make it appear as if Gordon Liddy, FC '52, may be able to The decision this week by the * Reagan funding for the project will not be coming answer that question when he speaks to Rose Administration to freeze hundreds of from Washington in the future. "Projects Hill students on March 24 at 12:30 in the applications for aid in economic that were planning to send in applications Rose Hall Gym in an American Age revitalization from cities nationwide includes (for federal aid) were told not to," Amiel sponsored lecture. «, a freeze on an important $2.7 million grant said, downplaying the possibility of future Liddy, Howard Hunt, David Young, and request for the Plaza project by the New Federal funding. Egil Krogh were known as the White House York State Urban Development Ed Logue, the Director of the city's South plumber because it was their job to G. Gordon Liddy Corporation. The grant request was for the Bronx Development Office, which is working investigate leaks to the press and report the acquisition, demolition, and clearance of the with the UDC on the Plaza project source of those leaks to John Ehrlichman. Although Liddy's name will always be site for development and in light of the complained about the freezure of funds, Although that was Liddy's role in the White associated with Watergate, he held other government's decision to hold back funding commenting that "there was a moral if not a House, he was originally hired as general positions before coming to the White House. the entire project seems to be threatened. legal obligation (for the federal government) council for the Committee to Re-elect the Liddy attended Fordham University from Nancy Amiel, a spokesperson for the UDC to go forward (with the grant request) since President on December 11, 1971. He was 1948 until 1952. He served in the Korean War said that while the agency has not given up on the processing delays which enabled the later appointed finance counsel in charge of as a first lieutenant, and after the war he en- the possibility of the federal money being project to get held up were not of the City's legal advice on campaign finances and tered Fordham Law School and received his unfrozen by Congressional action, they are or UDC's making, but rather the Federal contributions. law degree in 1957. In the late 1950s and early currently searching for other sources of government's." Liddy supervised over $100,000 in CRP 1960s he worked for five years with the FBI. funding for the project. "We will have to funds described as a "slush fund of cash" by Liddy is currenly on a promotional tour find funding elsewhere, either from city, Despite Reagan's power to freeze a General Accounting Office investigator, for his autobiography, Will. He will speak to state, or private sources," she said. temporarily EDA funds, however, the which was targeted for Watergate buggings his alma mater free of charge. Amiel said communications from possibility exists that Congressional action and other "intelligence gathering activities." could overturn his decisions in part. Senator According to former Nixon campaign Al D'Amato of New York who is opposed to treasurer Hugh Sloan, in addition to this' the economic development grant cuts said, money, the Nixon administration also gave Committee Reports LC "The fact of the matter is that there will be Liddy $199,000 to be used for'"legitimate no recision of these funds unless Congress intelligence gathering activities." This money approves," adding that, "I fully expect that was used to protect Nixon. In a private we in the Senate will act responsibility to testimony to Judge John Sirica during the Gets Unequal Aid Share review the various EDA projects and Watergate trial, Sloan said he paid this preserve those which have merit. ." money to Liddy on the approval of John by Ed Tagliaferri A spokesperson for Congressman Mario Mitchell, Campaign Director of CRP and Citing the unequal distribution of financial Biaggi, of the 10th Congressional District, in former Attorney General. aid between the campuses, Lincoln Center which the project is to be built, said Biaggi College Council's Financial Aid Committee was "taking steps to have the loanunfrozen issued a report Tuesday calling for more for the Fordham Plaza and other projects." More On liddy money for the downtown school. • However, despite some opposition, the Many of the committee's six proposals to attitude in Congress appears to favor the Soo Pago 9 do this centered around the fact that CLC cutting of the funds. A federal district court in Washington receives only 15 percent of the University's Commenting on the funding freeze indicted Liddy on September 15, 1972, on financial aid. According to the report, CLC's University President James C. Finlay, long a charges of conspiracy, burgulary, and traditional undergraduate population (those major force in pushing for construction of violating a federal statute prohibiting entering directly from high school) make up the Plaza said, "It is too early to determine electronic interception of oral 17 percent of the University's total. With the what impact, if any, this action will have communications. He was later sentenced to adult students added to that figure, the upon the progress of the project." Finlay 6-20 years in prison and fined $40,000. In percentage rises to approximately 22-25 said that while he remains "the optimist" January, 1977 Liddy was transferred from percent. "What that means," said Assistant CLC Assistant Dean Ully Hirsch about the project's future he would have to the medium security prison in Danbury, Dean of CLC and committee member Ully would be reviewed next year. wait until "more information becomes Connecticut to a minimum security prison in Hirsch, "is that almost 25- percent of the Committee member and professor in the available about these recisions and tfcir Allenwood, Pennsylvania. undergraduates receive only 15 percent of the EXCEL program for adults, Dr. Barry actual import" before he would be able to When Liddy was in Allenwood, then- aid." Goldberg feels there is "an inequity in the "assess more accurately the situation and President Carter commuted Liddy's prison Citing these figures, the report's first continued on page 3 respond accordingly." term on the recommendation of Attorney proposal offered three suggestions. First it General Griffen Bell, and he became eligible called for an increased budget for financial for parole in July of 1977. aid at CLC to correspond with the 22- Offered his release on September 7, 1977, 25 percent student population figure. It then if he would pay the $40,000 fine, Liddy suggested that, "a certain amount (of A Morning With Finlay claimed he was broke and unable to pay the money). be set aside for adult entry fine. After taking a pauper's oath he was students and transfer students." Finally, it released from prison after serving 52 and asked that guidelines be set up for the n> Chris Keating one-half months. distribution of this aid to the adult students Fordham is both a university and a Liddy served the longest term of any of the similar to the high school entry students. business. The University is often operated as Watergate figures. While Liddy was awaiting The other five proposals included a request ;i business because it holds rcaj estate in parole during the summer of 1977, convicted that the budgetary allowance set for all Manhattan, the Bronx and Westchester, Watergate conspirator Jeb Stuart Magrudcr commuters be increased by 50-100 percent-. employs neatly 1,800 people and maintains a was working as an executive with a The report asked that this be done to "take $53 million annual budget. The man who nondenominational Christian organization in into consideration the reality makes most of the final decisions on guidinjt Colorado Springs. E. Howard Hunt, another of. commuting expenses." The report the Univetsily and oiiiani/iny the business is convicted Watergate conspirator, was also called for a limited number of Umw-isily PtesidciU Rev. James Chatles holding an art exhibit in Miami Beach. Liddy scholarships lor the Gannon Debate team Finlay. S..I. believed he received an unfairly long prison (similar to those for athletics), a reasonable Last Friday niurniny, Finlay, 5S, travelled term because he refused to talk during the tuition payment plan that would allow for to Manlialliut to try to obtain larger increases trial. tuition to be charged by credit card, and a in the stale Tuition Assistance Program After President Carter commuted Liddy's limited number of scholarships for adult (I A!').