EFTA00806847.pdf

To: Carla Mahnke, OEI Digitally signed by Lawrence Krauss From: Lawrence M. Krauss, August 30, 2018 ii Date: 2018.08.30 15:00:32.0700' Following on my Aug 28th memo regarding New Evidence related to Australian Skeptics Meeting Allegation: New Evidence that ASU covered none of my expenses related to the Skeptics conference, and that it was NOT an ASU-supported trip. I received yesterday a copy of your investigative report from Oct 6, 2017. I note this information: (a) "Respondent stressed the convention was not a science conference, his attendance at the convention was unrelated to his work and activities at ASU, and was not sponsored by ASU. Respondent did not recall if any portion of the trip was paid for by ASU." (b) "Respondent submitted a travel reimbursement request for portions of his trip to Australia, covering dates November 21- 29, 2016. The Conference/Event listed on the travel reimbursement is "Skeptics Convention" and the reason for travel is listed as, "speaking at a series of scientific events at ASU." The travel reimbursement form shows Respondent's airfare from Canberra, Australia to Melbourne, Australia (where the convention was located) was paid for with an ASU purchasing card. In addition, Respondent received per diem reimbursement for November 25 - November 27, 2016, dates with travel in Melbourne." If I had known before the investigation concluded that you needed specific information regarding travel and support I could have provided it. See below: (1) I realize upon reading it that there was a typo in this travel reimbursement request prepared by my executive assistant Jessica Strycker, which she just confirmed for me. The correct statement should have been "speaking at a series of scientific events at ANU", which is clear as ASU has no campus in Australia: On Aug 29, 2018, at 12:37 PM, Jessica Strycker wrote: That does seem to be a typo since you were in Australia and I don't recall you ever doing any series of ASU scientific events in Australia. From: Lawrence Krauss Date: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 at 12:19 PM To: Jessica Strycker Cc: Lawrence Krauss Subject: travel reimbursement Nov 2016 I am looking at the OEI report for the trip in Nov 2016 and the following is stated: ASU Travel Reimbursement Respondent submitted a travel reimbursement request for portions of his trip to Australia, covering dates November 21— 29, 2016. The Conference/Event listed on the travel reimbursement is "Skeptics Convention" and the reason for travel is listed as, "speaking at a series of scientific events at ASU." The travel reimbursement form shows Respondent's airfare from Canberra, Australia to Melbourne, Australia (where the convention was located) was paid for with an ASU purchasing card. In addition, Respondent received per diem reimbursement for November 25— November 27, 2016, dates with travel in Melbourne. EFTA00806847 Was this a typo.. ? This presumably should have been speaking at a series of scientific events at ANU? (2) My itinerary was as follows: Nov 21Portland-LA-Melbourne, arriving Melbourne Nov 23 900 AM Nov 23 Melbourne - Canberra departing 1030 am arriving 11:35 am Nov 25 Canberra-Melbourne Departing 11:25- arriving 12:35 pm Nov 28 Melbourne to Brisbane departing 1220 pm, arriving 230 pm Nov 29 Brisbane-LA-Portland departing at 1100 am arriving back at 1140 am Nov 29. The Melbourne-Canberra round-trip was for the purpose of visiting ANU in Canberra, where I was meeting with colleagues, giving a lunchtime seminar and participating in an Mt. Stromlo evening event, while working in my office at Mt. Stomlo. The Skeptics had agreed to pay for my USA to Melbourne round trip business class airfare. In addition, as the attached email thread demonstrates I convinced them to also pay for half of the Melbourne-Canberra roundtrip, thus saving ASU money, by demonstrating they wouldn't have to cover hotel for the days I was in Canberra. In an effort to review this itinerary for the purposes of this note, I uncovered the attached email thread with the organizer of the skeptics conference. Not only does this explicitly confirm the above description of my travel, which I tried to explain to you during our interviews. Please note in particular the sentence from Ken Greatorex's email regarding the Melbourne-Canberra- Melbourne portion of the trip: "We have always assumed that your return flights Melbourne to Canberra would be paid for by you as they have no relation to the Convention." It could not be clearer that did not cover any of my travel expenses related to the Skeptics meeting. Rather, I got the Skeptics meeting to cover some of my ASU-related travel to Canberra as a courtesy to me, and to ASU. My hotel in Melbourne was paid by the Skeptics. Regarding the food per diem from ASU, it covered some of the costs of some of my meals while in Melbourne (including the dinner I ate downtown at my hotel instead of staying for the late dinner after the Skeptics reception at the Zoo). In Melbourne I talked with colleagues at the University of Melbourne, with whom I had written two research papers in previous years, and with whom I was discussing possible further collaborations with me and my Australian student Jayden Newstead, who had come from Melbourne to study at ASU and has continued working with colleagues in Melbourne since then, and also with my postdoc Thomas Jacques, who also came to ASU from Melbourne. EFTA00806848 ASU did not support my attendance at the Australian Skeptics Conference in any way. Nor was the Skeptics Conference supported by ASU in any way. Begin forwarded message: From: Ken Greatorex Subject Re: Flight itineracy for Dr. Krauss Date: September 9. 2016 at 11:19:18 PM PDT To: Lawrence Krauss Would you be happy to go halves on that? It turns out that the Brisbane people are very keen to have you on Monday evening November 28, so the Monday flight looks like the best option. live looked at the Qantas offerings (or Melbourne to Brisbane on Monday November 28. I'd suggest the most convenient flights leave Melbourne at 0920, 1020, 1120 and 1220. There will be a number of people from Brisbane Skeptics at Convention, and it might be a good Idea to organise at least one of them to accompany you on the flight; local knowledge, transport etc. at the Brisbane end. Well pay for your flight, BSS will provide accommodation, etc at the other end. Part of the agenda behind all this is that Queensland Skeptics and Gold Coast Skeptics have become somewhat moribund. Brisbane Skeptics are the activist 'new kids on the block' and could benefit greatly from having a guest speaker with your CV. Ken From: Lawrence Krauss c > Sent: Saturday, 10 September 2016 10:05 AM To: Lawrence Krauss Cc:Ken Greatorex; Lawrence Krauss; Jessica Lee Subject: Re: Flight Itinerary for Dr. Krauss Here are the flights just booked: Wed 10:30 Metourne Duration: lh 11:35 Canberra Stops: 0 CIF1528 Economy 23 05m Nov 16 Fri 11:25 Canberra Duration: lh 12:35 Melbourne Stops: 0 ilf 3 Economy 25 10m Nov 16 On Sep 9, 2016, at 4:38 PM, Lawrence Krauss a. wrote: EFTA00806849 The qantas flight times have been changed.. I arrive at 9 am. No worries, I thought you were covering the flights to canberra because it would save hotel costs for 2 nights.. ( I will stay with friends there).. RT is probably less than or equal to that, but if it Is an issue I will book.. In fact I will book now, and you can let me know your thoughts on that later if you feel like covering It. Re brIsbane.. No, I found out a few months ago that Q&A will be finished for the season at that point, so happy to go up to Brisbane on the 28th and stay there, and give a talk if they want.. or stay in Melbourne, or whatever works best for you let me know your thoughts. On Sep 9, 2016, at 3:55 PM, Ken Greatorex wrote: That's good. Now in regard to the rest of your Itinerary. We have you arriving in Melbourne on Qantas Flight 96 at 10.00 am on Wednesday 23rd You then opted to take the first available flight to Canberra. You have since offered to return to Melbourne early enough on Friday 25th to appear at the afternoon "Skepticamps being organised by Uni students. You are booked Into Quest Carlton on Finlay, where you've stayed with us previously, along with Edzard and Danielle Ernst, Harriet and Kirk Hall, Michael Marshall and Dr Melanie Thomson. In Friday 25, out Monday 28. We then have you leaving Brisbane on Qantas Flight 15 at 11am on Tuesday November 29. We have always assumed that your return flights Melbourne to Canberra would be paid for by you as they have no relation to the Convention. We are happy to book them. In regard to the Melbourne - Brisbane link, the actual arrangements depend on what you wanted to do with your time. You were talking about lining up your own speaking engagement(s) / Pi appearances on the way.If you Just want a direct Melbourne-Brisbane flight and accommodation in Brisbane, we'll arrange and pay for that. Brisbane Skeptics may want to organise a talk for you on Monday night, if you're up for that. Warmest regards, Ken EFTA00806850