Agony in Albany - The Roman Catholic Faithful

Roman Catholic Faithful, Inc. / AMDG May 2004 Albany newsletterposition, Bishop Hubbard was not arrested but wasadvised to leave the area and to have the young personleave his car.“My husband told me this in 1977-78 whenit happened and repeated the story many times overthe course of our marriage. My husband passed awayten years ago.”Aretakis said that the more Hubbard retaliatesagainst him for bringing statements such as thoseby Zalay, Bonneau and now Berben forward, themore people contact him to provide more information.For example, he said, he has heard fromother former male prostitutes who worked in WashingtonPark at the same time as Bonneau to substantiateBonneau’s story, giving additional and credibleevidence, such as that Bonneau, who was 14 at thetime he allegedly had sex with Hubbard, “lookedabout 10, and was a favorite of men who liked youngboys.”Aretakis also claimed that other police officers,including a State Police officer who allegedlycaught Hubbard engaging in sex with another prieston the New York State Thruway, have corroboratedthe Berben story.Aretakis’ claims that Albany Police CommissionerJohn Nielsen and District Attorney PaulClyne are protecting Hubbard were summarily dismissedby spokesmen for both offices, as well as bythe Diocese of Albany’s spokesman Fr. Ken Doyle.Speaking for Commissioner Nielsen, DetectiveJames Miller told Capital News 9 that Aretakis’charges “ are baseless and false,” reported Schneider.“He would not speak on camera, saying hedidn't want to even justify the remarks. He said as ofnow, there are no criminal investigations into BishopHubbard, and no reason Albany police would ever beinvolved, much less look to protect Hubbard.“District Attorney Paul Clyne,” continuedSchneider “also wouldn't speak on camera, sayingthere was nothing to respond to. He said Aretakis hasn'tnamed any specific instances where Clyne avertedthe law to protect Hubbard, so he said the claims byAretakis are baseless.”Likewise, the Diocese of Albany issued astatement attacking Aretakis, saying he “has no credibility...Helost every court case he brought against theAlbany Diocese because he had no facts to back hisfalse claims. He has been threatened with contempt ofcourt. He is the subject currently of multiple ethicsinvestigations. This is not a man whose public statementsdeserve serious consideration.”Aretakis refuted Doyle’s statement, tellingThe Wanderer:“My primary role in all of these matters is toprotect children and make the community safer. I’vehad a major role in the removal of well over a dozenpriests from active ministry in the past year and a half– from the Diocese of Albany alone. That doesn’tinclude priests from Rochester, Syracuse and themetro New York City areas.“I don’t care what kind of scorecard Fr.Doyle is using. All I know is that he and his bishopare working very hard at continuing to keep predatorypriests in the active ministry. Fr. Doyle, Bishop Hubbardand Sister [Anne Bryan] Smollin and Hubbard’slawyer have initiated at least six ethics investigationsagainst me and none have been found to have anymerit. Although all of the ethics investigations aresubject to confidentiality, I have waived confidentialityin order to expose Hubbard and his staff as maliciousand mean-spirited for attacking the messenger.“These charges of ethics violations are ludicrousand frivolous and have cost me tens of thousandsof dollars,” he said.LONG-RUNNING FEUDAretakis also told The Wanderer his highprofilemedia assault on Hubbard is intended to exposethe $770-per-hour (plus expenses) investigationof Hubbard by former federal prosecutor Mary JoWhite as a “colossal waste of money” and a “selfserving,non-independent investigation by a lawyer ofher own client” – an investigation that is supposed toinclude circumstances surrounding the death of Fr.Minkler.“Mary Jo White’s investigation,” Aretakistold The Wanderer, “in and of itself, is a conflict ofinterest. Number one, being paid almost $800 perhour by one side to a two-sided dispute gives the appearancethat she is going to favor or benefit her clientwho is paying her. As importantly, a lawyer has afiduciary, contractual and legal duty to represent theirclient. Mary Jo White is not allowed to waive thoseduties a lawyer has to a client. Third, Mary Jo Whitewants me to compromise my representation of myclients; she wants me to come forward, open my files,and let her talk to my clients and my witnesses in an10