Death of the Ayn Rand Scholar by Gray Cavender (classic literature list txt) 📕

”I think their emails mostly square with how you described their texts. And given what you said about the texts, I think that they texted more than they emailed each other. That’s probably not surprising…these days a lot of people are more likely to text. I have friends I almost never email because they just don’t read them…so we text.

He nodded.

“Anyway, there were a few trial balloon-type emails over the last three weeks. He’d send her an email and early in it, there’d be some professional content, but then with an ‘I’m missing you’ comment at the end. Roberts suggested dinner in a couple of emails and also referenced a text that he’d sent. Her responses were what you noted…vague, non-committal, except for the professional component. The text you mentioned, the one that suggested that somehow they were back on track, there’s nothing like that in the emails. Again, I think they mostly texted.”

Wes asked, “If she was giving Keefer the brush-off and wasn’t interested in starting things up again with Roberts, do you have any sense from the emails that there was anyone warming up in the bullpen?”

“Funny you should ask…” Jillian said and smiled.

They reconvened after a quick restroom break. Jillian had sorted her print-outs into three piles. She pointed to them and said, “So, there are three email threads that are interesting.”

Wes nodded, held up his pen at the ready, and smiled.

“OK, the first thread shows us a little more about Professor Siemens’ professional side, and it validates what Miriam Moser told us about how she earned extra income. There’s a whole series of emails along these lines, but one thread in particular that I want to talk about.”

She checked her notes again, then began. “So, there’s a series of emails in an Important File labelled Civism Foundation. Civism is one of the foundations where she was an Affiliate. To begin with, she was paid $5000 plus expenses to present a paper at a conference in late June sponsored by the Civism Foundation in Charlotte, North Carolina, which is also where the Foundation is headquartered.

“That’s some folding money.”

“Yes, it is, but, it gets better. So, this speaking fee was agreed to in advance…it’s all spelled-out in emails between Professor Siemens and a guy named Joseph Holmes who is her contact at Civism. One of his emails contains the actual ‘contract for services.’ There’s another email—from her back to him—where she’s signed the contract. It’s in a PDF.”

Jillian looked up, Wes nodded, and she continued. “After the conference, after her speech in Charlotte, there’s more back-in-forth between Joe and the Professor Siemens. By the way, their emails now are ‘Joe and Nelda.’ OK, in these emails, Joe requests permission to publish her presentation in the Civism Foundation Newsletter. She responds that publication was not included in the original contract, and says that another outlet has expressed interest in publishing her presentation…that’s a quote…’expressed interest.’ But she says that since her paper was presented at the conference, she’s willing to consider Civism’s Newsletter as a higher priority. She adds, though, that the other outlet had mentioned ‘remuneration’…another quote. Joe asks what it will take to get the rights to the paper and to publish it in their Newsletter. She responds: $2000, which she says is less than what the other outlet would be offering. Joe agrees to the $2000, emails another contract, which she signs and sends back to him.”

“So, a cool 7K. For a presentation and publishing a paper? Whew!”

“Yes. But get this…a few weeks later, there’s another email exchange—again, with Joe—inviting Professor Siemens to become a formal Affiliate with the Civism Foundation. As her ‘compensation’ (another quote), the Civism Foundation offers to pay her 20 thousand dollars…and that’s annually, Wes. For this fee, she agrees to attend at least one Civism Foundation event per year, one US Chamber of Commerce event per year, and also to make herself available for interviews. These are even spelled-out in the contract: two NPR appearances a year; one PBS News Hour appearance a year; three Fox Network appearances a year. Another contract follows, she signs and returns it.”

“Man,” Wes said as he jotted down the amounts, “…a few gigs like that and she’s in business. And remember what her dad said about her making good money when she sold her place back east…then about her bargaining hard for her salary at ASU…this explains the condo on the Tempe Town Lake with all the upgrades.”

“Yes,” Jillian answered. For a second, before she continued, she flashed on what Professor Naremore had said about Professor Siemens essentially ‘selling her ideology for money.’

“Is there anything in the emails between the professor and Joe that would suggest any sort of relationship there? I don’t see that having any bearing on our investigation one way or another…just wondering?”

“Not really. Professional at first, then more friendly, but no hint of that, at least not in these emails.”

“Alright.”

Jillian glanced back at the print-outs, then continued, “Anyway, there are emails about other affiliations just like the one with the Civism Foundation. They’re for less money, but still….”

“They do add up,” Wes said, thinking.

“So, I mentioned Civism because it’s a good overview of her extra income, but also because it’s connected to a second thread.”

Wes nodded his interest.

“OK, so Professor Siemens was a keynote speaker at Civism’s Charlotte Conference. There were other speakers, of course…maybe not keynoters, but others. Among the other speakers was…” she paused for affect, “President Jacques Davidos.”

Wes’ eyes opened wide. He placed his pen on the table and leaned back in his chair.

Jillian smiled. “In reading her emails, I came across an exchange between Professor Siemens and President Davidos. Wes, this was after the Charlotte conference. There were some interesting points in their exchange, so, when I took an earlier restroom break, I called Grace Wilson and asked her for some clarifications. She’s already texted me with the info.”

Jillian took a sip of her fizzy water, then continued. ”Professor Siemens and President Davidos took