Louis Freeh was appointed Monday as the lead investigator of Penn State in relation to the Jerry Sandusky case. But Freeh, a former FBI director and current judge, has connections to the charity Sandusky founded, The Second Mile.
From Sept. 2001 to Jan. 2006, Freeh served as vice chairman of law and government affairs and ethics officer, general counsel and corporate secretary of MBNA Corporation, a credit card company.
While there, Freeh worked under Richard Struthers, an executive vice chairman of MBNA. Struthers is not only a Penn State graduate, but also served on the State Board of Directors for The Second Mile, according to the charity’s annual report. In 2010, The Struthers Family Foundation donated more than $50,000 to The Second Mile.
According to the grand jury presentment, Sandusky met the young boys he sexually abused through The Second Mile charity.
When appointed as the lead investigator of Penn State by the Board of Trustees Special Committee, Chairman Ken Frazier said Freeh has no connections to Penn State or Pennsylvania in general.
A spokesperson for the Special Committee and the investigation said Freeh did not report directly to Struthers and that their relationship can be labeled as “business acquaintances.” The spokesperson said Freeh and Struthers have not discussed matters related to the investigation of Penn State.
As the lead investigator, Freeh will investigate the facts that have arisen after the grand jury presentment of Sandusky was released Nov. 5, and the investigation as a whole will include a review of events dating back as early as 1975. Freeh vowed to conduct a fair investigation and review.
