What a delight to read your coverage of "The Imperial Presidency" ["Journal Ethics", August 1994]. I am the author of the would-be article that caused Tom Gaughan so much trouble. You might be interested in a follow-up.

The American Library Association executive board, for the first time in the association's 125 years, now has a conference-spending budget and guidelines. From my perspective, it is mission accomplished. No more librarians in limos at the membership's expense. A further result of my efforts was the creation of a self-study committee to examine the structure, power, and relationship of the board to the ALA's goals. The committee recommended a substantial decrease in the role of the board. So, as far as I am concerned, the issue is over. Tom and I are still friends.

To clarify the information you based your article on, let me add some detail. No one from the board ever told me that I might be sued. I told Tom that I would welcome a suit and was looking for the headline in USA Today that shouts "ALA sues member for criticizing them." Recall that this took place just as the United Way scandal broke. Since I was so obviously anxious to be sued and take the issue public, the board decided to focus on the weak link. They went after poor unsophisticated Tom Gaughan. He buckled under quickly. Even though I was an elected member of the ALA governing council, sat on the publishing committee of ALA, and had contributed a $25,000 scholarship to the ALA, no one was willing to stand up for my intellectual freedom in this instance. I never intended to get Tom sued.

The board's reference to the untruthfulness of the document in question was due to an insignificant error in questionable spending by board members (less than $500 in a three- year span covering nearly $125,000). So truth was not really the issue and the board was guilty of pressuring, coercing, and intimidating an editor and the staff. They had been caught with their hands in the cookie jar and would have gotten away with it had I not faxed my summary of the events to many other council members.

How do I feel about "journalistic integrity" now? I think the term is almost an oxymoron. Most of the mightier-than-thou journalists who decry business people's interest in money sure give up their principles in a hurry when it's their money that's involved.

Tony Leisner
Tarpon Springs, Florida