by FranklinCase Admin » Tue Apr 18, 2006 1:34 am
There is a fresh story that has been brewing here in Omaha for the last couple of months. I was eager to see what new reports might surface, unfortunately the story seems to have subsided so I’ll fill you guys in with what I know. <br><br>The story begins in the summer of 1989 when the Franklin investigation began to really warm up. In July of 89’ a group was formed named Concerned Parents, which held multiple meetings throughout the course of the Franklin investigation and trial. The group’s membership included several prominent Omaha citizens, including the Mayor’s wife Ann Boyle. One of the group’s co-founders was democratic activist, Trish Lanphier. The group seemed to be extremely informed, and came under heavy attack for their work; the following are a few excerpts from the Omaha World Herald:<br><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>(8-9-1989) A group called Concerned Parents is looking into whether lawsuits might be filed by children who were allegedly abused by persons linked to the failed Franklin Community Federal Credit Union, a founder of the new group said Wednesday.<br><br>Children have identified at least four adults as abusers, Mary Lyons-Barrett said. Those persons, whom she declined to identify, could become defendants in civil lawsuits, she said.<br><br>The lawsuits would not name the girls and boys believed to be abuse victims, most of whom are in their teens, she said.<br><br>"We would do everything we can to protect them and support them," she said.<br><br>Concerned Parents was formed last month to press for continued investigation of possible physical and sexual abuse as a part of the probes into the collapse of the Omaha credit union.<br><br>Members of the group have said they are worried that the focus of the Legislature's special committee on Franklin will shift away from child abuse.<br><br>Two committee members and two staff members have resigned, saying that they believed comments by State Sen. Loran Schmit of Bellwood, committee chairman, had harmed the investigation into child abuse. Schmit said he had not intended to downplay the child-abuse allegations.<br>Ms. Lyons-Barrett also said:<br><br>Some persons associated with Concerned Parents have employed a private detective on a short-term basis in connection with the group's inquiry into child abuse. She declined to name the detective and said Concerned Parents itself hasn't retained a detective.<br><br>The group is checking into the possibility of circulating petitions for calling a Douglas County grand jury to <br>investigate child abuse.<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>(6-28-1990) A group of people who support alleged victims of child sexual abuse Wednesday defended a legislative committee's work on such matters, saying the committee "has not overstepped its boundaries."<br><br>The group, Concerned Parents, was responding to statements made earlier by Lincoln attorney Pamela Vuchetich and Omaha attorney J. William Gallup.<br><br>Mrs. Vuchetich and Gallup said in separate interviews that the committee has improperly assumed a judicial function in its investigation of the 1988 failure of the Franklin Community Federal Credit Union and related sex-abuse allegations.<br><br>In a press release, Concerned Parents noted that a legislative resolution creating the committee in late 1988 gave the committee a broad mandate, allowing it to examine a wide range of agencies and individuals.<br><br>Concerned Parents said the legislative committee, whose chairman is Sen. Loran Schmit of Bellwood, may be able to do things outside the scope of two grand juries in Omaha.<br>"The legislative committee needs to continue because it can look into those areas not covered by the grand juries," the press release said. "With a problem this complex, the more bodies investigating, the better.<br><br>"The people of Nebraska need to know that everything feasible was done and that problems in the various agencies involved will be corrected so that a situation like this does not happen again."<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>(7-29-1990) Rumors of wrongdoing and cover-up in the Franklin case were rampant last winter. Based on the conclusions of the Douglas County grand jury, it now appears that the rumors resulted from the fantasies of liars, hoaxers and opportunists who wanted to pay back their perceived political enemies.<br><br>Because of the rumors last winter, however, the faith of much of the public in its institutions was shaken. At one time, there seemed no way to determine the truth.<br>How fortunate Nebraska was to have the grand jury system to help it get to the truth.<br><br>Now, however, the grand jury system itself is under attack. The grand jurors who constituted the Douglas County body are being insulted. Doubts are being cast upon their integrity.<br><br>Trish Lanphier, a co-founder of the Concerned Parents group, said: "This grand jury report is chock-full of flaws, it's chock-full of opinion, it's chock-full of innuendo with absolutely no factual backing." Referring to the grand jury's special prosecutor, she said the report "is Sam Van Pelt's opinion, and that's all there is to it."<br><br>These insults are intolerable.<br><br>Grand juries aren't for sale. They belong to the people. They are the voice, sometimes the last best voice, of ordinary citizens in time of impassioned outcry. As Nebraska Attorney General Robert Spire said, they are part of the cherished American system of checks and balances. They provide a means to give the people direct control over a major criminal investigation.<br><br>No criminal investigation could be more independent, more objective or more conscientious than one that is directly controlled by a cross-section of ordinary citizens with the time and resources to get at the truth.<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>(8-12-1990) An article in a magazine founded by political extremist Lyndon LaRouche says two young boys were killed at sex parties, other youngsters "were reportedly sacrificed in satanic rituals" and law enforcement agencies "are engaged in a systematic cover-up" of those crimes.<br><br>The article, headlined "FBI covers up child abuse, murder in Nebraska," discusses sexual-abuse allegations that grew out of investigations of the 1988 failure of Omaha's Franklin Community Federal Credit Union.<br><br>Trish Lanphier, a founder of Concerned Parents, a child advocacy group formed in the wake of Franklin's failure, said the article distorts the truth and, she said, is "awful."<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>Now for a little op-ed, as far as I’m concerned Trish Lanphier seemed to be beating the right drum. She understood the truth behind the abuse allegations, but was also weary of the LaRouche publication and other disinfo. So where is Trish these days? Funny you should ask, it seems she was recently fired from the Nebraska Treasury for circulating a greeting card for an employee named Fred Cappellano who embezzled $120,000 from the treasury. But the story doesn’t stop there. <br><br>Lanphier who was a long time democratic political activist finally decided to run for office in 2006. Lanphier’s political bid is a run at the Douglas County District Court Clerk, which has a long history for being a Republican post. The following is the Omaha World Herald’s report regarding Lanphier’s goals if she becomes clerk: <br><br><!--EZCODE IMAGE START--><img src="http://franklincase.org/pix/LanphierTrish.jpg" style="border:0;"/><!--EZCODE IMAGE END--><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>(2-7-2006) Lanphier said she wants to use her experience with Douglas County government and her knowledge of technology to establish electronic filing, electronic access to public documents and to create Web-based systems for filings.<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>I find this extremely interesting considering the fact that it is much harder to gather public information in Nebraska than practically any other state in my research. Connecting the dots it would seem the Republican strongholds in Nebraska are frowning on Lanphier’s candidacy. Lanphier’s knowledge regarding the Franklin matter and her aspirations to create an access to public documents could damage credibility, and more importantly damage strongholds of some of the most powerful persons in Nebraska and beyond.<br><br>The person responsible for Lanphier’s pink slip is Douglas County Treasurer Julie Haney, who has held office in Nebraska for years, and is a fundamental Republican. The Omaha World Herald reported that Haney has said there is more to the story. But that she declined to give specifics. Interestingly enough Haney had claimed days earlier in another Omaha World Herald article that the firing had nothing to do with a political vendetta. Additionally Haney was quoted by WOWT TV News saying: <br><br><!--EZCODE IMAGE START--><img src="http://franklincase.org/pix/HaneyJulie.jpg" style="border:0;"/><!--EZCODE IMAGE END--><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>"It is beyond me that this issue is even newsworthy. But, I guess it's been made that way."<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--> <br><br>I seriously doubt anyone made it newsworthy more than her suspicious firing.<br><br>Currently Lanphier is still running for county clerk and has appealed her dismissal. However, this was nearly a month ago, and nothing has surfaced in our media circles. It looks as though another one may have gone to the fish. <p></p><i></i>
