From Paterno's suspicious property transfer to Sandusky's damning interview and McQueary's potentially perjurious testimony, the Penn State scandal grows murkier by the day
Reuters
Exposed to the first glimmers of sunlight, the rats of the Penn State University rape scandal are scurrying for cover. And so far they are proving to have been more adept at the alleged cover-up than they are at minimizing their own legal exposure now that the matter is out in the open. It's only Wednesday, and so far the week has been riddled with questionable moves by these suddenly questionable men.
Former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, accused of child rape, doomed himself Monday night during a powerful interview conducted by NBC's Bob Costas. Coach Mike McQueary, who reportedly saw one of Sandusky's alleged rapes, appears to have contradicted himself over who he told about what he saw. And The New York Times now reports that Joe Paterno himself, the legendary coach, transferred the deed to his home to his wife for $1 this summer, a move his lawyer said was routine estate planning but which raises legitimate questions about pre-litigation protective transfers.
These are all the actions of men who know that things are likely to get much worse before they ever get better. You can bet that the potential jurors in the criminal and civil cases to come will gleefully be shown the Sandusky interview -- by far one of the creepiest television moments in legal history. You can be sure that investigators and prosecutors are renewing their efforts to nail McQueary's story down to a definitive account. And Paterno's transfer will be subject to judicial scrutiny if, as expected, he is successfully sued in a civil case by one or more of the alleged victims.