The Ave Herald is reporting that Ave Maria University has issued a statement responding to the Cardinal Newman Society on the Tom Golisano controversy. In the statement, AMU says that the Cardinal Newman Society is "mistaken" and that the evidence, including Golisano's own statement, indicates that Golisano has never been pro-choice. Some excerpts from the AMU statement:

The foundation of the CNS concern over the Golisano gift is that Mr. Golisano is a "publicly pro-choice individual." What is the evidence for this? The principal evidence cited is an article in the N.Y. Times from 1994 that purports to quote Mr. Golisano as saying, "I am pro-choice." As we have told the CNS, Mr. Golisano disputes this and says he was misquoted. We accept him at his word.

It is interesting that subsequent N.Y. Times articles note that Mr. Golisano is not pro-choice after all . . . . . Significantly, when Mr. Golisano ran for governor of New York on his own Independence Party the platform did not contain a pro-choice plank. So Mr. Golisano has never run as a pro-choice politician.

As we told the CNS, Mr. Golisano has personally assured both Chancellor Monaghan and President Healy that he is pro-life, and authorized us to publicize this. Just last week the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Michael Timmis, had lunch with Mr. Golisano. In the course of their discussion Mr. Golisano stated:

"I am pro-life. I have never been pro-choice, although the NY media has misrepresented me as pro-choice."

He has authorized us to publish these comments verbatim.

In view of the foregoing we believe that Mr. Golisano cannot fairly be said to be "publicly pro-choice." He is publicly pro-life, and maintains that he has always been pro-life.

Mr. Golisano has also shared with us that he has a mentally impaired son. He is a passionate advocate and philanthropist for those with mental disabilities, who are among the main victims of abortion. For this alone he deserves our honor and respect.

Unfortunately, AMU's statement doesn't address Golisano's donations to NARAL-approved NY politicians, the millions to the Bill Clinton Foundation, or the $1 million to last year's Obama coronation at the Democratic Party Convention. I suppose AMU is following Roberts Falls's advice: simply ignore any element of Golisano's past that is contrary to AMU's mission.

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