Follow the Money

The world is atwitter, atwitter, Eli says, and reads, with news of the Va State Attorney General being told that he can't sue the state (aka UVa) for Michael Mann's Emails.  Details all about, but the important thing being missed is that the decision was with prejudice, meaning go away and don't come back Ken

For the foregoing reasons, we affirm the judgment of the circuit court setting aside the CIDs, but, unlike the circuit court, we set aside the CIDs with prejudice, on the different ground that the University of Virginia, as an agency of the Commonwealth, does not constitute a "person" under the Fraud Against Taxpayers Act and therefore cannot be the proper subject of a CID. Accordingly, we enter final judgment here in favor of the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia.

So on to the next which Eli will explain to all, the seemingly crazy suit brought by Charles Koch against the Cato Institute (nee the Charles Koch Institute), Kathryn Washburn, the widow of William Niskanen, former President of Cato, and a Director herself and Edward Crane, a shareholder and current President of Cato, essentially for control of the Institute.  Makes no sense whatsoever.  Cato has been on the Koch teet like since the day dot.  They win this suit and the music stops.

Now you would think that Ed Crane would not be biting the paw that feeds Cato, but you would be wrong.  Today he told the world

"Charles G. Koch has filed a lawsuit as part of an effort to gain control of the Cato Institute, which he co-founded with me in 1977. While Mr. Koch and entities controlled by him have supported the Cato Institute financially since that time, Mr. Koch and his affiliates have exercised no significant influence over the direction or management of the Cato Institute, or the work done here.

Mr. Koch’s actions in Kansas court yesterday represent an effort by him to transform Cato from an independent, nonpartisan research organization into a political entity that might better support his partisan agenda. We view Mr. Koch’s actions as an attempt at a hostile takeover, and intend to fight it vehemently in order to continue as an independent research organization, advocating for Individual liberty, limited government, free markets and peace."

Ah, dear bunnies, to understand this, follow the money, Cato is sitting on total assets of 51,969,477 as of December 31, 2010, (see the 990) and it looks like they might have banked an additional tidy sum in 2011.  That may be chicken feed to the Kochs but not to the Widow Niskanen or Crane.

Oh yes, Pat Michaels has a paw in this, his New Hope Environmental got $203,500 in 2010