Tom Lee's Going Away Present

The International Executive Board, including outgoing officers Bradley, McGrew and Linneman, has awarded outgoing President Tom Lee with a three month consulting contract for over $30,000.

On June 24, 2010 — the last day of the Convention — the IEB, with nobody absent, adopted a motion to retain President Lee for three months at his current salary (see meeting minutes here).

Three weeks later on a conference call (minutes here), the IEB discussed President Lee's consulting agreement further, with Vice President Bradley, Vice President Skolnik, Secretary Folio, and officers Parente, McGrew, Price and Linneman present. President-elect Hair was absent due to local negotiations.

On the conference call, President Lee himself provided "general background comments and information" regarding consulting agreements previously provided to former AFM officers.

Also on the conference call, two efforts to amend the motion were made. Secretary Folio introduced an amendment requiring that the compensation period be reduced from three months to one month. Only Folio and Price voted in favor, and the amendment failed. Next, over the opposition of Folio and Price, the IEB decided that the consulting agreement would not be subject to the approval of the IEB-elect.

The IEB then directed general counsel to draft the consulting agreement. A check for over $30,000 was drawn and will be distributed to Tom Lee on a monthly basis until October 31, 2010, administered by Parente, McGrew and Linneman.

Financial chaos, broken locals, a collapsing MPF, dwindling membership, and now a $30,000 reward for its ousted leader, who was even given the opportunity to make a self-serving presentation on the going away presents given to former officers — thus the failed administration of Tom Lee and his rubber stamp IEB inflict a further, and hopefully final, insult upon the crippled AFM.

Postscript: A source at this weekend's IEB meetings in Dallas, TX has heard that Tom Lee's consulting fee will be "frozen" and not released, pending further investigation.

UPDATE (8/25/2010): Although the consulting fee was not "frozen" as reported above, the newly elected IEB took action on this issue at their recent meeting. There will be an update here when the minutes are published.

UPDATE 2 (8/27/2010): A reliable source reports that the newly elected IEB has canceled Tom Lee's consulting agreement.