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Report wins backing in media opinions The following are portions of newspaper editorials and TV commentaries that have appeared since Bishop Hubbard was entirely cleared of allegations against him: * The Times Union, Albany: "Mary Jo White's 200-page report on allegations against Albany Roman Catholic Bishop Howard Hubbard comes down to three words: No credible evidence. The bishop's accusers, and those who harbored doubts about his rectitude, must now reconcile their misgivings with Ms. White's impressive examination of what was alleged, what was rumored, and what the facts show. "Her thoroughness and credibility could have been improved only with the cooperation of John Aretakis, the attorney who arranged for two of the bishop's accusers to air their charges. Absent compelling new evidence, it is Mr. Aretakis' credibility that is now in question." * The Daily Gazette, Schenectady: "It's hard to imagine former federal prosecutor Mary Jo White making a more compelling case that Bishop Howard Hubbard is innocent of all the allegations made regarding his sexuality....[John] Aretakis' stance, from the day White was hired by the Albany Diocese's Sexual Misconduct Review Board, has been that she was incapable of conducting a truly 'independent' investigation because, ultimately, she was being paid by the diocese, which had an interest in protecting the bishop. That claim, if it ever had validity, has much less now in light of the apparent thoroughness of White's investigation." * The Record, Troy: "There should be no question about the integrity of the investigation itself. It was no whitewash, and the attempts to undermine Hubbard by charging that he broke his vow of celibacy over the course of 30 years as a priest and bishop have been proven groundless....Any further claims about the bishop's sexual life must be taken with a dose of skepticism from here on." * The Journal News, White Plains: "As one of the more high-profile Catholic clergy to be accused of sexual improprieties,...Hubbard showed both wisdom and practicality as he launched a defense. He did not only vehemently deny the charges and publicly insist that he had kept his vow of celibacy. Hubbard requested a Church review board to hire an independent investigator into the charges....Given the former federal prosecutor's history in successfully probing politically charged cases in the past, it is difficult to question her independence." (7/1/04) |