Casey Rapetorium

Oh, somewhere in this favoured land the sun is shining bright,

The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light;

And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout,

But there is no joy in Minerva—education has struck out.

The man who established the charity that on Wednesday was revealed to have donated $25 million to Albany Medical Center, William Duker, was a high-flying Manhattan attorney before being convicted for defrauding the federal government in the late 1990s. Duker then resurfaced in the Capital Region about a decade ago as a successful venture capitalist. [...]

No information about William Duker's current professional activities was released by Albany Med Wednesday. Neither Albany Med nor Duker responded to requests for comment.

No financial information could be found for the Bernard and Millie Foundation. A filing for the Bernard and Millie Children's Foundation, which includes Duker, his wife, Sharon, and son, West, as directors, listed its assets as just under $31,000 at the end of 2012. [...]

Duker reportedly earned millions as a Manhattan attorney in the 1990s. He was part of the legal team hired by the federal government to seek damages from junk-bond king Michael Milken, according to previous Times Union reporting. Duker was later charged with defrauding the government by inflating his bills by $1.4 million. In 1997, he pleaded guilty and was disbarred. He served 16 months of a 33-month sentence that was handed down by then-federal Judge Sonia Sotomayor (now a U.S. Supreme Court justice).

Judge Sotomayor claimed to struggle with his sentence at the time, given the benefits of his work to the government, according to a story in the New York Times. But she was swayed by the gravity of his offense and Duker's attempts to cover up his crime, the newspaper reported.

Hughes, Claire. "Albany Med donor's wayward path." Albany Times Union. May 28, 2014. http://www.timesunion.com/business/article/Albany-Med-donor-s-wayward-path-5511202.php

Criminal: What do I have to do in order for the newspaper to downplay my known crimes and not to investigate further?

Newspaper: Well, our publisher is trying to undermine the safety and academic integrity of a certain university he's involved with while also fueling his desire (common among filthy rich white men) to feel like he owns several sports teams and their players, giving our sports section more to cover, and potentially driving more business to the arena we own downtown.

UAlbany announced its athletic program received a $10 million donation from The Bernard and Millie Children's Foundation, set up by 1975 graduate William Duker, his wife, Sharon (Casey) Duker, and their son William "West" Duker. [...]

"This is a great day for UAlbany athletics," said UAlbany Foundation president George R. Hearst III, who is also publisher of the Times Union. [...]

A Times Union story in May 2014 reported William Duker earned millions as a Manhattan attorney in the 1990s. Hired by the federal government to seek damages from junk-bond king Michael Milken, Duker was later charged with defrauding the government by inflating his bills by $1.4 million. He pleaded guilty and was disbarred in 1997. He served 16 months of a 33-month sentence.

The Dukers declined an interview request through a UAlbany spokesman after Thursday's ceremony.

Singelais, Mark. "After $10 million gift, UAlbany names facility 'Tom and Mary Casey Stadium'; Athletic department receives $10 million gift from Bernard and Millie Childrens Foundation." Albany Times Union. October 8, 2015. http://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/UAlbany-names-athletic-facility-Tom-and-Mary-6559019.php

Five paragraphs by the Times Union on Duker's crimes and the lack of financial info for the Bernard and Millie Foundation following a major donation to Albany Medical Center. One paragraph by the Times Union on Duker's crimes and no mention of the lack of financial information for the Bernard and Millie Foundation following a major donation to the university for which Times Union publisher George Randolph Hearst III is the president of the Foundation. Funny thing that. No potential conflicts of interest involved at all there, nope.

Also, as mentioned here previously, UAlbany football coach Greg Gattuso (mentioned in the above article) is a former Penn State football player for Coach Joe Paterno and Assistant Coach Jerry Sandusky, a former assistant coach for Joe Paterno alongside fellow assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, and someone who continues to carry water for Joe Paterno even after his death. Former UAlbany football coach Bob Ford after whom UAlbany's football field is named (also mentioned in the above article), had been an acolyte of Joe Paterno and continued to worship Joe Paterno even after Paterno's support of sexual assault and pedophila became more publicly recognized.

Summers, Nick. "Joe Paterno’s Troubling Attitude Toward Sex Charges." The Daily Beast. November 12, 2011. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/11/12/joe-paterno-s-troubling-attitude-toward-sex-charges.html

How does a $10,000,000 donation to the University at Albany's athletic department benefit education at the university - education being the very reason for its existence? It doesn't.

This, at a university which is notorious for cutting academic departments and losing a whole college.

This, at a university where there's been numerous issues with the athletic department? Issues from NCAA violations...

McGuire, Mark. "UAlbany suspends longtime softball coach; Self-reports NCAA Level III violations." Daily Gazette. September 16, 2015. http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2015/sep/16/ualbany-suspends-longtime-softball-coach/

... to at least one gang-rape by UAlbany football players which UAlbany "Police Chief" J. "Frank" Wiley (an ex-athlete, ex-coach, football fan) chose not to report to the Albany County District Attorney until the media forced him to report it and about which he gloated "there is no protocol." It is revolting.