NOTE: Paul Irwin was the President and CEO of the HSUS from 1975
until 2004, and is generally credited with growing the HSUS into the
largest and most profitable animal rights organization in the world.
The article below refers to a detailed profile of internet
pornographer and convicted felon Richard Gordon that appeared in
Sunday's NY Times. In it, Gordon is linked to Irwin in several
questionable business ventures, as well as detailing his position as a
highly paid independent contractor for the HSUS. The article can be
found at;
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/technology/18gordo.html


The New York Times
Charity's Leaders Suspended As Payments Are Reviewed
BYLINE: By BRAD STONE
May 21, 2008 Wednesday
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/21/business/media/21bible.html?_

The American Bible Society, the Christian charity based in Manhattan,
announced on Tuesday that its president, Paul G. Irwin, and chief
financial officer, Richard B. Stewart Jr., had been placed on paid
temporary leave at the request of the organization's board.

An article in The New York Times on Sunday reported that the
organization paid more than $5 million over the last two years to an
Internet contractor with ties to online pornography.

In a statement, the organization said, ''The board has committed to a
full and independent review of the financial stewardship of the
American Bible Society.''

The mission of the 192-year-old group is to make a Bible available to
every person in the world. The charity received $53 million in
donations during its 2006 fiscal year, which ended in July.

Mr. Irwin hired the same contractor in his previous role as chief
executive of the Humane Society of the United States, which he left in
2004.

A spokeswoman for the American Bible Society said that the suspensions
were not indications of wrongdoing and meant only to ensure a neutral
investigation.

''This is simply a matter of the board wanting to make certain that
they are taking every available step to reassure donors and all
interested parties that they are keeping a very close eye on all
activities, to make sure that there hasn't been any wrongdoing,'' she
said.

The organization said that its executive vice presidents, R. Lamar
Vest and the Rev. Simon Barnes, would assume responsibility for
day-to-day operations of the organization.