MSU Hires Weinstein-Linked Risk Management Firm

Submitted by FauxMo on

This one boggles my mind a bit, and I really don't have a comment beyond that...

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/02/14/msu-tit…

When asked about MSU hiring a firm that allegedly helped Weinstein discredit his accusers, Engler had this to say:

 

"During a press conference Wednesday, Engler addressed the concerns about Kroll and said he was aware of the firm’s relationship with Weinstein.

“But just as I might disagree with one news network’s coverage of, say, some issue, I wouldn’t blame all news networks for that,” Engler said.

 

In conclusion, if nothing else is to be taken from this, John Engler is terrible at analogies... 

reshp1

February 15th, 2018 at 12:57 PM ^

Why don't you just go ahead and call accusers "fake news" already, John.

Why they hired an ex governor with a record of not taking sexual harassment and assault seriously to be the interim is beyond me, but hey, might as well double down with your PR firm too.

MGlobules

February 15th, 2018 at 7:18 PM ^

that this is what institutions doing damage control have to do nowadays (etc., rinse, repeat). And happily I didn't find it (though no doubt this is the speech upper admin is giving itself over at MSU). 

But I just have to say that doing damage control with one hand while pretending to do a searching let the chips fall where they may investigation with the other is. . . a joke, a contradiction IN TERMS.

Nonetheless, while only jail time, huge fines, and the end of some of MSU's sports programs could approximate "justice" at this stage, in a way that doesn't matter. The ugly will still be seeping out for a long, long time to come whatever these noodles think, and the damage will be profound. 

mgowill

February 15th, 2018 at 11:29 PM ^

It has not been purged from the national media -

http://www.espn.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/22457780/michigan-state-freshma…

This was posted about 7:00 PM EST.  This will not go away as quietly as certain folks at MSU would hope.  Engler threw coals on the fire by calling out ESPN specifically.  While true the local media will likely bury this - MSU just picked a fight with a company that doesn't have a whole lot on their plate right now as far as broadcasting.  Good luck with that.

gustave ferbert

February 15th, 2018 at 2:49 PM ^

John Engler is basically the patriarch of the Republican party in Michigan.  If you notice, he thought that ESPN's expose of Izzo and Dantonio's programs was sensationalized.  Immediately after publishing a letter saying so, Schuette issues the directive that the scope of the AG investigation is limited only to Nassar victims. 

 

Engler basically assuring the Republicans (like MSU grad Peter Secchia) that Izzo and Dantonio are safe, at least from the state government perspective.

The MSU board of ttee's, scoundrels that they are, are politicizing the situation.  Not so much like what Lou Anna Simon warned about, but she had a point. 

Um1994

February 15th, 2018 at 4:06 PM ^

I don't think this has anything to do with political parties and everything to do with MSU alumni/insiders. Let us not forget that Blanchard (D) is also involved. Gretchen Whitmer, former Ingham County Prosecutor and Democrat failed to prosecute, is also running for Governor, and is an MSU alumnae. But hey, if it makes you feel good, I guess you can continue to blame it on Engler.

Mr Miggle

February 15th, 2018 at 4:25 PM ^

and if they controlled the Michigan legislature, that MSU would have hired Blanchard to be the interim president and Engler as his assistant. MSU's board is split among the two parties. Engler does seem to be throwing his weight around with Republicans to protect MSU. He doesn't have to.

Whitmer was prosecutor for 6 months in 2016, brought in to try to clean up the mess in that office when her predecessor was sent to prison.

MGlobules

February 15th, 2018 at 7:50 PM ^

cutting imperatives here. And the whole stinking process touches both (plenty-corrupt) parties, each will be quietly working to salvage what political gain, to minimize whatever loss for its party, too. The fact that the fix is in from both sides where MSU's investigation of itself is concerned (doomed to lack real credibility but par for the course) hardly means it doesn't have many party-political nuances, too. 

I don't think there's too much need to be defensive about this. This a hack clownshow start to finish. 

4yearsofhoke

February 15th, 2018 at 1:08 PM ^

Honestly my politics align with Engler's, but the way Engler and Schuette are handling this boggles my mind and the optics look like complete shit. Whoever is running Schuette's campaign should be worried because potential voters (e.g. me) are seeing him play games with the MSU investigation. Things that are just insane include:

1. Hiring  Jim Blanchard's (who I think MSU brought on with Engler to help run the school) firm (DLA Piper) to investigate their Title IX investigations. DLA Piper is a great firm. However, just the optics of this look terrible. There are literally 99 other V100 firms. Hire one of them. They can do just a good of a job investigating Title IX provedures.

2. John Engler blaming ESPN for their reporting e.g. "sensationalizing" This is self-explanatory and seems very Scott Paterno-esque.

3. William Forsyth (I believe) being the lead State investigator for AG investigation when an MSU lobbyist paid for his retirement party.

4. Engler endorsing Schuette . Self-explanatory COI.

5. Engler having no higher ed or Title IX experience. Granholm (who I am not a fan of) has better credentials to run MSU.

6. Engler having no empathy hiring the Weinstein investigator. Again, shit optics. There are many other firms. Again, he brushes it aside saying "they do great work and looking forward to what they can do" and says nothing about the victims.

This whole thing is even more of a clusterfuck than under Simon. I think Simon was caught in a shit-storm and it would be easy for whoever follows her to basically admit guilt and try to move on. Instead you have Engler playing good ole boys club and politics and not admitting guilt at all.

MSU is a fucking tire fire right now.

MGoArchive

February 15th, 2018 at 7:04 PM ^

That their endowment isn't exactly liquid and they would have a really hard time coming up with the cash unless undwinding some positions at a loss, and that would unveil really really bad cash flow/accounting issues at MSU.

What's $200-300 million in the scheme of things in order to do the right thing if you have a $3 billion dollar endowment? Nothing.That is of course, you don't actually have a $3 billion endowment.

1VaBlue1

February 15th, 2018 at 1:05 PM ^

Looks like the strategy to deny, obfuscate, and ignore is gaining traction.  I'm sure the local media will say nothing about this after the story announcing the hire.

turtleboy

February 15th, 2018 at 1:27 PM ^

A more apt analogy would've been: just because you disagree with one news networks coverage doesn't mean you always will. You're using the same news network, john.

They obviously are still trying to weasel out instead of do the right thing.

FauxMo

February 15th, 2018 at 3:28 PM ^

That is clearly what it was. Engler is throwing as much red meat to the "Izzo and Dantonio are gods" base as he can. It makes me wonder if something big is coming that the MSU community won't like, and he is shoring up support from the sports-diehards segment? 

Everyone Murders

February 15th, 2018 at 2:09 PM ^

I hope that Kroll just as successful rehabilitating MSU's public image vis-a-vis the Nassar PSU-like atrocities and the Dantonio/Izzo Baylor-like atrocities as Kroll has been at rehabilitating Harvey Weinstein's public image.

Mr Grainger

February 15th, 2018 at 2:22 PM ^

Why does MSU need a risk management firm? According to Engler (or as my Grandpa used to call him, Coho Face) nobody has done anything wrong except ESPN.

I can't understand at all why MSU's faculty have no faith in their board.

You Only Live Twice

February 15th, 2018 at 2:34 PM ^

Freep is reporting that Forsythe is not an independent special prosecutor as has been stated publicly by Schuette; he is serving under Schuette's direction.  Schuette is of course seeking to run on the R ticket.  Also seeking the R nomination, Lt. Gov Brian Calley stated that the investigation is not independent, and House Minority Leader Signh called on Schuette to recuse himself.  Mike Cox says that Forsythe isn't going to be controlled by Schuette.  The truth?  Who knows.  Forsythe, in the same article, claims he has complete independence, but wait... he can't say anything publicly without Schuette's approval, and any report also has to be reviewed and approved by Schuette.  My verdict:  less than independent.

News just did an op-ed stating that the election system for choosing the BOT is a failure, and that MSU's "bungled handling of this horrible situation" is placing this system in the spotlight.