Wednesday, April 1, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

James Simon at jamessimon500@comcast.net

Former FBI Chief Presents Overlooked Evidence of Research Fraud

Against Professor Ward Churchill

April 1, 2009 ? In public appearances near Atlanta, Georgia, Former FBI Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Joseph H. Trimbach presented what he said was clear evidence of research fraud and deception on the part of Ward Churchill, the embattled ex-professor fired from his teaching job at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Churchill has recently testified in a Denver courtroom in a legal suit to get his job back after the University terminated him for what they found to be plagiarism and falsified research.

Trimbach and his son are authors of American Indian Mafia, a book billed as a needed correction to the historical record of the Pine Ridge reservation and the American Indian Movement (AIM). Known as ?The History Book They Do Not Want You To Read,? Mafia takes issue with other historical references of the same period, some of which appear to be politically motivated distortions. In their presentations of March 24th and 25th, the Trimbachs displayed photographs to show that Churchill employs deception and dishonesty when writing about AIM leaders of the 1970s. One passage analyzed by the Trimbachs was from Churchill?s book, The Cointelpro Papers. The photograph in question shows a young militant from the 1973 AIM-led occupation of Wounded Knee village. Trimbach pointed out five separate falsehoods in the caption which describes the death of Frank Clearwater, one of two occupier casualties during the 10-week standoff. Along with four false allegations against the FBI, the most obvious mistake was that the young militant pictured was not Frank Clearwater.

?Churchill shows that he really doesn?t care about honest research,? said co-author John Trimbach, ?because he has a political agenda that supersedes any genuine interest in educating his students.? Trimbach defended this assertion by showing photographs of dynamite transported by AIM leaders, evidence Churchill claimed didn?t exist. Trimbach explained, ?We can draw three conclusions from his dishonesty. First, the deception of suggesting that there was no evidence of dynamite. Second, Churchill?s knowledge of the truth in order to craft the deception.? Trimbach said that Churchill intentionally falsified the location of where the dynamite was found in order to make a false statement sound true. ?He uses this tactic when he wants to distract or misinform his readers,? said the younger Trimbach, who did much of the research for Mafia. ?And third, Churchill expects his readers to accept his version of history without question or challenge. Unfortunately, many of his colleagues and students have done just that.? Trimbach concluded by saying that the issue is not about academic freedom, but rather academic fraud.

The Trimbachs also said that none of the examples they showed were considered or even known to the investigating committee that fired Churchill. ?Had they read our book, they would have had a lot more evidence,? said Joe Trimbach. The most serious allegation against the former professor has to do with his close relationship to AIM leader Russell Means. The Trimbachs claim that much of what the professor writes about AIM is intended to insulate his friend from being implicated in serious crime, such as the 1975 pre-mediated murder of AIM member Anna Mae Aquash. As stated in the Trimbachs? book, Means was involved in the cover-up, if not the planning and execution of the crime itself. ?Aquash?s death was ordered by AIM leaders because they thought she was one of our informants,? said the former FBI SAC. Churchill has claimed that the FBI was responsible for the murder. Said the younger Trimbach, ?This charge from Churchill shows that not only is he a liar, he is also a party to covering up a murder involving his associate. Why would any University want to have someone like that on their payroll??

The Trimbachs reminded attendees that the alleged triggerman, AIM member John Graham, will stand trial for the murder of Aquash on May 12. Also on trial is Russell Means? former bodyguard, Richard Marshall, accused of providing the gun used to shoot Aquash in the head. Marshall has already served time as the admitted murderer of Martin Mountileaux in 1975. Means was with Marshall when he shot Mountileaux in a bar in Scenic, South Dakota.

Joseph Trimbach presents other evidence against Peltier in his book, American Indian Mafia, An FBI Agent?s True Story About Wounded Knee, Leonard Peltier, and the American Indian Movement (AIM). He may be reached through his public relations service found at ExpertClick.com (keywords: AIM Myth Busters) and his web site, americanindianmafia.com. For a book summary, see outskirtspress.com/americanindianmafia.