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By then, the diocese had commissioned an Ernst & Young audit that accompanied the letter.63 Insurers do not usually pay a settlement to a financially victimized client without a verdict. Insurers will, however, in some cases pay legal fees as part of a settlement, since it takes legal work to prove theft. The church later issued statements saying it had been paid a claim, but did not say how much.64 By the agreement, AIG relinquished its right to sue guilty parties to recover the insurance loss, according to Smith. If AIG launched discovery depositions against Smith and Zgoznik, the two defendants would seek church documents by subpoena in return. Steve Sozio, wisely, did not want that.

FBI investigations of complex financial transactions often move slowly. Gathering documents is laborious; investigations on different cases can overlap. Federal attorneys want a full grasp of evidence before bargaining plea agreements (if such are to be) or distilling documents into a story line for a jury. A jury can better grasp Olympian greed if the documents fit neat patterns.

On February 27, 2004, Judge Corrigan denied WJW TV’s motion for the grand jury documents on the 145 priests, ruling that without a legal proceeding to compel the evidence, he lacked the authority on a media request.65

The next day Bishop Pilla, looking sad, held a news conference to provide data on the diocese’s handling of abusive priests. Pilla produced numbers in accordance with the national bishops’ conference youth protection charter as adopted in 2002. That very morning in Washington, D.C., the National Review Board for the Protection of Children and Young People, made up of twelve prominent lay Catholics (including Leon Panetta and Washington attorney Robert Bennett) who had been commissioned by USCCB to research the crisis, released their report. The USCCB president, Bishop Wilton Gregory, made headlines in saying, “The scandal is history.”66 The bishops released data on perpetrators, victims, and financial losses as tabulated by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Pilla was giving a local report with numbers already reported to the John Jay researchers. Pilla announced that 117 priests and one deacon had been accused of sexually abusing youngsters since 1951.

Bill Sheil of Fox 8 asked Pilla how many priests with accusations he had sent to new assignments. Since 1989, said Pilla, “about three.” (Berthiaume left in 1988.) Haltingly, the bishop added, “I don’t want to misspeak.”

“He’s lying,” Charlie Feliciano told Cleveland Free Times. “He transferred them out of state and within the diocese.” At least fifteen priests, he said.67

Quite a story lay in the numbers. The Boston archdiocese had agreed to an $85 million settlement for 542 victims. The Cleveland diocese, for 285 people making abuse charges, said it had paid $14.4 million for “compensation, treatment and legal costs.” Three million dollars had gone to legal fees; the church did not say how much of the $11.4 million was absorbed by clergy treatment costs. Compared with the Boston abuse survivors, the Cleveland survivors received a pittance.68

Plain Dealer columnist Regina Brett drew a bead on the 117 unnamed priests and one deacon trailed by allegations.

Where are those men now? Diocesan spokesman Bob Tayek gave me a breakdown:

• 20 are on administrative leave waiting for a ruling on whether they can return to ministry.

• 20 are in active ministry.

• 28 are deceased.

• 18 have resigned.

• 19 are priests from religious orders not under the diocese.

• One was a diocesan deacon who has resigned.

• Eight are priests not identified by their accusers.

The remaining four priests are from outside the diocese or returned to ministry when allegations could not be substantiated. That accounts for all 118 accused. Except the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason came up with a different number: 145. Tayek doesn’t know who those 27 are. Mason knows but by law can’t tell him.69

The cover-up under Quinn, Wright, and Pilla had recycled predators, kept most of them unprosecuted, saved