Getty Trust head resigns amid controversy
The president of the J. Paul Getty Trust, one of the world's richest art institutions, has resigned amid allegations of improper use of the trust's money for excessive travel and personal benefit.
Barry Munitz, the president and CEO for the past eight years, resigned late Thursday.
In a letter to the board of trustees, Munitz said he considered his work complete following the re-opening last month of the Getty Villa in Malibu after an eight-year renovation.
"I am taking this action, after lengthy consideration, so both the institution and I can move forward," said Munitz in his letter.
Munitz oversaw a $5-billion US endowment, which supports the Los Angeles J. Paul Getty Museum, a research institute, a library, an art conservation program and the Getty Villa, all founded by oil tycoon J. Paul Getty.
The Council on Foundations, the main umbrella group for non-profit foundations in the U.S., placed the Getty Trust on probation in December after examining charges about inappropriate spending.
"It was Barry's decision to get on with his life ..." —John Biggs, Getty Trust board chair
The California attorney general's office also launched an investigation into Munitz's spending habits last June after an investigative article appeared in the Los Angeles Times questioning Munitz's luxurious travel and perks.
"It was Barry's decision to get on with his life and not to have this hanging over him," John Biggs, the board's chair, told the New York Times. Biggs said the board stands behind Munitz and never pressured him to leave.
Munitz will receive no severance package and will pay the Getty Trust $250,000 US, without admitting any wrongdoing, to resolve any outstanding disputes.
The money is what the trust estimates Munitz owed because of costs that should not have been charged to the trust, Getty officials say.
The New York Times reports California investigators are examining instances in which Munitz authorized grants or uses of the trust's money without getting proper approval. The article says some of the money was spent on pet projects that had little to do with the trust's mission.
The resignation is the latest in a series of problems plaguing the Getty. The organization has been at the centre of allegations by Italian officials over 40 artifacts said to have been pillaged from the country. The Getty's antiquities curator, Marion True, quit her job last October and is on trial in Italy on charges of trafficking in looted items.
The Getty has since agreed to return three of the archaeological treasures claimed by Italy.