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The CIA plans to declassify hundreds of documents that detail a quarter century of the agency’s worst illegal abuses, including assassination attempts, domestic spying and wiretapping of journalists. (Washington Post)
Former Attorney General John Aschroft testified behind close doors yesterday in front of the House Intelligence Committee. According to the Committee chairman, Ashcroft corroborated previous sentiments from James Comey that a “robust and enormous debate” had occurred around the potential illegality of a warrantless wiretapping program. (Associated Press)
The House voted overwhelming to revive the Iraq Study Group and to seek new recommendations. Washington insiders suspect that former Mayor Giuliani will again be unable to join the ISG, as he will be picking up his laundry that day. (Washington Post)
Earlier this week we reported the threat of cyber terrorism faced by the Department of Homeland security. Yesterday, the Pentagon was hit by a cyber attack that took 1,500 computers offline. Thankfully, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was unaffected by the strike, claiming, “I don’t do email.” (WSJ’s Washington Wire)
In the midst of the recent buzz about Karl Rove sending over 140,000 emails through non-government accounts, CREW wants to make sure you don’t forget about the 5 million White House emails that have gone missing.
As part of the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast region following Katrina, many contracts offered by FEMA, the Air Force and the EPA are structured as cost-plus-fixed-fee. This method of contracting, which guarantees the owner a profit on a project, means that contractors have no incentive to rein in the cost of projects. (Center for Public Integrity)
Four current or recent congressional appropriators are under investigation for matters of corruption, though appropriators don’t believe there is a particular culture of the office that encourages corrupt behavior. (The Politico)
Gen. Pace defended U.S. actions in Iraq amid an increase in violence against American soldiers, saying that the rising number of troop deaths is the “wrong metric” to assess success or failure. (Washington Post)
Former Minnesota U.S. Attorney Thomas Heffelfinger speculated in front of the Senate on what might have caused his firing last year, claiming that his focus on Indian affairs might have cost him his job. (Star Tribune)
Comments (3)
Martin F. Abernathy wrote on June 22, 2007 2:01 PM:Mitt Romney Backer Named In Sexual Abuse Lawsuit:
"The suit, filed last year and now moving through the court system, contends students were forced to eat their own vomit, clean toilets with a toothbrush and brush their teeth afterward, were chained or locked in dog cages, kicked, beaten, thrown and slammed to the ground and forced into sexual acts."
The Salt Lake Tribune
June 21, 2007 Thursday
SECTION: LOCAL
LENGTH: 823 words
HEADLINE: Utahn stays on campaign despite abuse allegations
BYLINE: By Thomas Burr The Salt Lake Tribune
WASHINGTON - A Utah man remains on presidential candidate Mitt Romney's state finance committee despite his ties to an organization that a lawsuit alleges abuses children.
Robert Lichfield, who helped launch the Worldwide Association of Specialty Schools (WWASPS), held a fundraiser for Romney in southern Utah earlier this year that raked in more than $300,000 and has been a top financial supporter of the former Massachusetts governor and other Republicans in recent years.
Lichfield, meanwhile, is named in a federal lawsuit alleging that students of the schools associated with WWASPS were subjected to "physical abuse, emotional abuse and sexual abuse." An amended complaint in U.S. District Court in Utah lists 140 plaintiffs.
The suit, filed last year and now moving through the court system, contends students were forced to eat their own vomit, clean toilets with a toothbrush and brush their teeth afterward, were chained or locked in dog cages, kicked, beaten, thrown and slammed to the ground and forced into sexual acts.
Defendants in the suit deny any wrongdoing. Program officials say the plaintiffs don't have sufficient knowledge of the operation to claim such abuses and that neither WWASPS nor Lichfield operates or owns the schools involved. (Lichfield does act as landlord for some schools.)
Romney's campaign - which has accepted nearly $15,000 from the Lichfield family so far this year - says the campaign's "finance effort is done according to strict rules and is fully transparent."
"It's my understanding that these complaints are part of a civil lawsuit between two parties," Romney spokesman Kevin Madden said. "Questions regarding the nature of those civil lawsuits should be directed to the parties involved in adjudicating them."
Utah was the second-biggest state for Romney's first-quarter fundraising efforts. The former head of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City drew nearly $3 million from the state in the first three months of the campaign.
Lichfield did not respond to a request for an interview through WWASPS, but the president of the organization, Ken Kay, says the lawsuit is bunk.
He called the allegations "ludicrous," adding, "We don't condone any type of child abuse and it's highly unlikely that any of the incidents ever happened."
Kay says the lawsuit - like those before it that were unsuccessful - come out of "opportunist" lawyers goading former students telling stories and also from students who want to hurt the schools because they were forced to go there.
The troubled teens making the allegations "are the trouble," Kay says. "They have a history of fabrication and out-and-out lying."
Kay, who said he was unsure where Lichfield was now, heralded Lichfield as a community-oriented person who gives more to education and health care than to political races. "He is a great man, and he does a lot of very good things," Kay said.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of 17 former students and their parents, contends differently. The suit says Lichfield "directly or indirectly, owned, operated, or otherwise directed the conduct and activities of each and every other" defendant, including various schools in the United States and other countries.
The suit claims that minor children were subjected to abuse, and that "such abuses were inflicted on some children for several years."
"In many instances, the abuse could be accurately described as torture of children," the complaint says.
Thomas M. Burton, a lawyer in California and Utah who has sued WWASPS seven times unsuccessfully, says the "tough-love" programs are unconstitutional. He says he got involved in lawsuits against the schools when he saw two young girls, shackled hand and foot and taken to a house with blacked out windows. "There's something really, really wrong with that," Burton said.
"It appears to me that no one has a right to lock up a kid who has not been adjudicated for breaking the law," he said.
Romney and Lichfield also made the news in Maine recently when the Portland Press Herald reported that an organization affiliated with Lichfield was the top donor in the governor's race there. RECAF Inc., the paper reported, gave $250,000 to a political action committee set up by the Republican Governors Association to buy television time to support Republican Chandler Woodcock.
Romney was chairman of the RGA when the PAC was set up. WWASPS has no affiliated schools in the state.
tburr@sltrib.com
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http://www.isaccorp.org/wwasps.asp
World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools
WWASP founder Robert Lichfield and former President of WWASP Karr Farnsworth met while working at Provo Canyon Boys School.
According to news reports, authorities closed Provo Canyon in the late 1970's due to abuse, neglect and mistreatment of children. Robert Lichfield had been the director of residential living at the school. The facility did reopen and is still in operation today.
Lichfield then moved to La Verkin, Utah where he and partner Brent Facer opened Cross Creek Manor, Inc., (now Cross Creek Manor, LLC) an all-girls facility, in 1990.
In 1991, Robert Lichfield created Teen Help, Inc. (now Teen Help, LLC) to market the school.
After associates of Lichfield began opening more schools around the country and abroad, the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools was incorporated in 1998.
Robert Lichfield is now a consultant and director for WWASP.
Brent Facer is a trustee.
The current president is Ken Kay.
ISAC Note: During sworn testimony in the August 2004 case of WWASPS vs PURE, Ken Kay stated that in his opinion, sexual activity between staff members and students is "not necessarily" abuse.
Ken Kay met Lichfield while working at Brightway Adolescent Hospital, in St. George, Utah.
Brightway was a WWASP/Teen Help facility that closed after authorities discovered many of the patient care plans were identical and the staff had failed to report a case of abuse.
WWASP operates as an "umbrella organization," and appears to only endorse facilities that operate according to its guidelines.
Promotional packets obtained by ISAC describe each school as offering "all of the services and components required to be a member of the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools."
According to the Utah Department of Commerce, WWASP is listed as a "grantmaking and giving service."
The web site for the organization states, "All the Programs and Schools are independently owned and operated, yet follow the same successful Program model that has been developed and refined over numerous years of experience."
Robert Lichfield and J. Ralph Atkin, along with business associates and various members of their families, are very involved in the operations of WWASP.
The accounting firm for WWASP, the property managers, referral agencies, "escort" services (companies who physically remove children from their homes and deliver them to the "schools,"), real estate agencies, and the individual programs - which claim to be independently owned and operated - are also easily connected by family ties.
Teen Help
Teen Help, LLC is a principal component of the WWASP organization. They raise funds, promote the individual schools, process tuition payments and admissions paperwork, and make political contributions.
Robert Lichfield of Utah, brother of Narvin Lichfield (Dundee Ranch director) is the founder and partner.
J. Ralph Atkin of Utah (Owner of Skywest Airlines, Eurosky Airlines and Jet Acquisitions Group in Arizona) is also a partner.
Former director of Dundee Ranch, Joe Atkin, is his son.
Brent Facer of Utah is a partner and former vice president of Teen Help.
Teen Help was the top contributor during Utah state elections in 2001-2002 with donations totaling $215,290.
Teen Help was the third leading "soft money" donor during Utah state elections in 2001-2002 with donations totaling $175,500.
Source: www.opensecrets.org
The internet has been flooded with web sites that promote WWASP/Teen Help programs.
Many of the sites are operated by parents of children in WWASP facilities who earn a free months tuition for each child they refer to WWASPS facilities.
ISAC has found 110 such web sites to date.
Facilities Known or Thought to be Affiliated with WWASPS
* Royal Gorge Academy, Colorado - Randall Hinton, who admitted to repeatedly pepper-spraying a teen at Tranquility Bay, is an administrator of the facility.
* Red River Academy, Louisiana.
* Sky View Christian Academy, Nevada.
* Horizon Academy, Nevada - Jade Robinson is the director. Robinson was previously an administrator/owner of Bell Academy and Casa by the Sea.
* Respect Camp, Mississippi - Formerly known as Eagle Point Christian Academy and Bethel Boys Academy. The facility is owned by the Fountain family. Abuse allegations at Fountain-owned programs date back more than 20 years.
* Woodland Hills Maternity Home, Utah
* Darrington Academy, Georgia - Directors Dusky and Dace Goulding previously supervised Casa by the Sea.
* Majestic Ranch Academy, LLC, Utah - Dan Peart, brother-in-law of Robert Lichfield, is the owner.
* Cross Creek Manor/Center/Academy LLC, Utah - J. Ralph Atkin is the registered agent. Karr Farnsworth is the former director.
* Carolina Springs Academy, South Carolina - Narvin Lichfield is the owner.
* Tranquility Bay, Jamaica - Jay Kay, son of WWASP President Ken Kay, is the owner and director.
* Academy at Ivy Ridge, New York - Jason Finlinson is the Director. He is thought to be the brother-in-law of Robert Lichfield.
* Midwest Academy, Iowa -Brian Viafanua is the Director. Viafanua was also the director of Paradise Cove when the facility closed under allegations of abuse.
* Spring Creek Lodge Academy, Montana - Cameron Pullan is the Director. Dan Peart, brother-in-law of Robert Lichfield, is the Vice President.
* Pillars of Hope, Costa Rica - Narvin Lichield, owner of Carolina Springs Academy and brother of Robert Lichfield, is the owner.
Facilities Affiliated with WWASPS/Teen Help (and/or persons known to be involved with WWASPS/Teen Help) that Have Closed
* Bethel Girls Academy, Mississippi - closed following an investigation into abuse in February 2005.
* Casa by the Sea, Ensenada, Mexico - raided and closed on September 10, 2004. Dace Goulding was the Director. Goulding was also employed at Paradise Cove.
* Dundee Ranch Academy, Costa Rica - raided and closed on May 22, 2003 after authorities confirmed child abuse. Director Narvin Lichfield and his wife were arrested. Many of the children were transferred to Tranquility Bay.
* Brightway Hospital, Utah - closed by authorities in 2002 for providing inadequate care and abuse of teenagers. To the best of our knowledge, children "evaluated" at Brightway were placed ONLY at WWASPS/Teen Help facilities.
* Morava Academy, Czech Republic - closed in 1998 after authorities confirmed abuse and arrested the directors Glenda (aka Glenn) and Steve Roach. Many of the children were transferred to Carolina Springs Academy in South Carolina. Was owned by J. Ralph Atkin.
* Sunrise Beach, Cancun Mexico - closed in 1996 after authorities alleged abuse. Glenda (aka Glenn) and Steve Roach were directors.
* High Impact, Mexico - closed after an investigation into abuse. Mexican police videotaped children being held in dog cages. The facility housed children who would not comply at Casa by the Sea.
* Paradise Cove, Samoa - closed after an investigation into abuse. Many children were transferred to Cross Creek Manor/Center/Academy.
bajajazz wrote on June 22, 2007 3:38 PM:* Bell Academy, California - closed after state officials demanded that it comply with state laws. Although WWASPS claims this facility was not "theirs," children were transferred to Midwest Academy and Academy at Ivy Ridge. Owners were Karr Farnsworth, Dace Goulding and Jade Robinson. Bell Academy was also discussed on the private WWASPS message board. The phone number for the "school" was identical to that of Casa by the Sea.
Jesus God, Romney is in bed with some of the world's lowest forms of human life. It really sickens my soul to read scurvy shit like this.
Barbara Sjelin wrote on July 2, 2007 2:28 PM:My son is in Carolina Springs.He has been there for 9 months. He hate sit the personal are not teachers there are no books or computers like they said.All they do is drop you from a higher level to level one so you have to stay there and they make more money. The food is horrible my so
has acne and the kitchen is filty.I just reported them to the board of health.I'm taking him out next month.I want to get in a class action lawsuit
against this group. can't believe Mitt Romney would take money from a murder.That politics.Do you have a web site that I can e-mail him.I am a
republican but refuse to vote for him if he gets the nomination.school.