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IMPORTANT: 2/19 Follow-Up at end of this Article


THE BOB LARSON SAGA CONTINUES
- Ken Smith

==============================================================
NOTE:  Detailed documentation - provided by Ken Smith, and
thoroughly supporting his allegations - is on file with
Christian BBS Abba II's co-sysop, Anton Hein (publisher of the
Christian Press Report).

Abba II is dedicated to Christian Apologetics - a reasonable
defense of the Christian faith.  We do so by providing:

- high-quality text files on Christian doctrines
- articles that teach Christians "how to give an answer" (see 1
  Peter 3:15)
- Information on how to counter and refute cultic and aberrant
  teachings
- Holding aberrant teachers accountable

In addition, Abba II aims to provide up-to-date news and
information of interest to Christians.

Please be assured that we would not have made this article
available for downloading if we did not also have the
appropriate documentation.  Also, while Bob Larson has been
confronted with regard to the issues discussed here (by private
individuals, as well as in major Christian publications) we
consider his failure to respond in a satisfactory manner reason
enough to alert Christians to his behavior.
==============================================================

PRESS RELEASE

THE BOB LARSON SAGA CONTINUES
- Ken Smith


  In 1991, Horizon Broadcasting Corporation owner Garyl Gibson
became concerned about the situation at Bob Larson Ministries,
amid reports that Larson was pawning off pre-recorded shows as
live, using grossly deceptive fund-raising tactics, and had one
of his attractive female assistants write "his" novel for him
on Ministry time.  Other reports surfaced regarding infidelity
and far worse; Gibson took it upon him self to investigate
them.

  Finding cause for concern, Gibson sought the aid of former
Watchman Fellowship staffer Fred Wheeler.  But when they
attempted to confront Larson in accordance with Matthew 18, he
steadfastly refused to meet with them.  Gibson cancelled
Larson's radio program, "Talk-Back With Bob Larson," from his
WHLV broadcast schedule,1 and Wheeler made the fruits of their
investigation available to the media.  (Their efforts
precipitated an article in Westword magazine,2 and provided the
foundation for subsequent articles.)

  I joined forces with the Wheeler group in June of 1992, when
former Ministry vice-president Lori Boespflug furnished me with
compelling evidence that the Westword reports were
devastatingly accurate.  In turn, I forwarded information to
Christianity Today, various radio station owners, and EFICOM.

  Other stories followed, and Larson suddenly found a desperate
need for a scapegoat.  He couldn't attack Wheeler, who has a
simply sterling reputation within the Evangelical community;
as an unbeliever, I was the most obvious candidate.  And Bob
went after me ... with both barrels.  He even hired a private
investigator in the hope of discovering information which, in
his own words, he could use to "put some heat" on me.3

  On his radio broadcasts, Larson accused me of a litany of
criminal acts, refusing to identify me by name upon the
apparent advice of his attorneys.  Those associated with the
Larson investigation knew precisely who he was talking about,
but as I was a private person, with no media access to speak
of, there really wasn't a lot I could do to stop him.  And he
continued this assault in the media, private correspondence,
and in all likelihood, on the Prodigy computer service.4

I finally confronted Larson on radio shows in both Wichita and
Fort Lauderdale -- stating that the allegations against him
were supported by "signed contracts, ...  divorce transcripts,
documents signed under penalty of perjury, ministry tax
returns, and internal ministry memos provided by [his] own
employees."5  But instead of dealing with the issues I raised
honestly and forthrightly, he attacked me personally, accusing
me of harassing him, "fabricating" court documents, and most
notably, "stalking" him.6

          As you might expect, I sued him for libel.

  This statement addresses (1) the public charges against Bob
Larson, and their basis in fact, and (2) the lawsuit
precipitated by his vindictive and cowardly assault upon my
character.


I.   The Charges

  The charges against Bob Larson haven't changed; the only
difference is that evidence supporting them is now absolutely
overwhelming.  Bob can only run from those who would inquire:
When Anchorage television station KTUU recently asked about the
money he had made from the Ministry, he immediately terminated
the interview.7  Not only does Bob appear guilty -- he acts
guilty.

     A.  Ghost-Writing by BLM Staffers

  The most incriminating evidence with respect to the
ghost-writing by former BLM vice-president Lori Boespflug is a
July 8, 1991 letter from Larson's former attorney, Bill Abbott.
Abbott's advice to Lar son speaks for itself: "You will be
required to write more, but after all, it is you who will enjoy
the benefits."8

  Bob Larson has publicly claimed that the letter was
"stolen";9 in and of itself, that is a damning admission.
Theft requires ownership -- which, in turn, demands
authenticity.  And if Bob had written Dead Air, that letter
never would have been written.  Accordingly, Bob did not write
Dead Air.10

  If the "Abbott letter" was the only evidence that Dead Air
had been ghost-written, it would be quite persuasive;
incriminating admissions made in a court proceeding, under
penalty of perjury, are presumed to be true.  But if you add it
to the laundry list of corroborating evidence -- such as time
sheets, internal memos, and rough drafts -- it becomes
compelling.

  If you know where to look, this corroborating evidence can be
found in the most amusing places.  For example, in the
Ministry's 1992 Form 990 -- which Larson signed under penalty
of perjury -- Larson claimed to have worked a herculean 80
hours per week in his capacity as president of the Ministry.11
As a rule, novels take time to write, and because Bob was
working so tirelessly on behalf of his Ministry, he obviously
didn't have enough time left in his day to write Abaddon.

     B.  Misrepresentation of the Ministry's Financial Condition

   When I personally confronted Bob Larson about the charges
against him two years ago, he openly compared himself to Jesus,
claiming that he was falsely accused, and being persecuted.
But in the Gospel tale of Jesus' first trial, others offered
false testimony; by stark contrast, the most incriminating
evidence against Larson is his own public statements.  He wrote
to followers claiming that the ministry had suffered a $213,000
deficit in 1990,12 with constructive knowledge that BLM enjoyed
a profit of over $500,000 for the year.13  His acts speak for
themselves.

  But Larson doesn't appear to be content with merely
misrepresenting the 'big picture'; his deceptive day-to-day
fundraising practices are fast becoming the stuff of comedic
legend.  This Christmas season, in an apparent effort to
increase flagging donations, Larson embarked on a plan to give
money to needy callers in time for Christmas.  But the woman
who supposedly inspired the campaign called him on December 22;
she hadn't received the aid as promised, and Bob had to tell
her that 'the check was in the mail'.14  The very next caller
advised Bob that she made a $500 "Champion" commitment "45
minutes ago" -- even though Bob complained a mere five minutes
beforehand that he hadn't received one.15  Her call is further
evidence that Larson routinely delays the acknowledgement of
large gifts, thereby creating the false impression that the
day's receipts are far less than they actually are.16

     C.  Bob Larson's Compensation from the Ministry

  The claim that Larson is shamelessly profiteering from his
Ministry is supported by equally compelling evidence.  The
cornerstone of that evidence is his own financial affidavit,
signed under penalty of per jury, in connection with his 1991
divorce.  Yet, even though Ministry general counsel Chris
Johnson admitted that the affidavit was authentic,17 and Fred
Wheeler provided me with my copy, both Larson and his
underlings have had the audacity to accuse me of fabricating
it.18

  The only reason Larson could even think of getting away with
such a diabolical stunt is that he managed (in February of
1992) to have his divorce file sealed.19 I recently filed a
successful motion to have the sealing order vacated;20 now I
can prove, once and for all, that he is lying about me yet
again.

  To the world, Bob has claimed that his divorce was a painful
one, but a former Larson confidant assures me that it was he
who inflicted most of the pain.21  Bob was the one who filed --
after ex-wife Kathy accused him of adultery.22  And when Bob
gave her the divorce papers, Kathy "cried & accused [him] of
not having Bible principles & character."23

  For Larson, the only painful aspect of that divorce was that
he had to give 58.5% of their $1.4 million marital estate to
ex-wife Kathy, and pay her $3,700 per month in alimony.24
Indeed, he was so distraught over the break that, less than 48
hours after the divorce was finalized, he was sunning himself
in Orlando with galpal Margo Hamilton.25

     D.  And His Apparent Sexual Escapades

  In the earlier stages of the Larson investigation, I tried to
avoid looking at allegations that Bob was a serial adulterer,
focusing primarily on his financial faux pas.  But as the
Bakker/PTL and Swaggart scandals taught us, whenever a media
minister abuses the power of the pulpit, sexual misconduct
almost invariably follows.

  Evidence from Bob Larson's diary suggests strongly that he
was, in fact, unfaithful to his wife, even prior to his filing
for a divorce.  On January 7, 1991, Bob wrote that he had a
"major confrontation w/ L over where she stands."26  On the
28th, there seemed to be cause for celebration; it was the
"first time in 3 mo [he made] progress with L."27  But the next
day was, in his words, one of the "worst days of life, L & I
[are] apart again."28

  Evidently, the relationship cooled.  On July 11, 1991, Bob
observed that "things improved with L but all personal is
gone"29; thus it is clear that Bob was referring to a personal
relationship.  And on the 14th, he remarked that it was
"strange to be back @ the hotel where 9 mo ago I came w/ L"30;
thus it appears that he did a little personal traveling with
her.

  "L" is almost certainly World magazine's star whistle-blower,
Lori Boespflug.  Bob is known to have traveled with her to
Disney World in November of 1990, and he has, at times, acted
very much the part of a jealous and obsessed lover.31  But at
any rate, we know that "L" was not ex-wife Kathy; she is
consistently referred to as "KL" or Kate."

  To me, the most illuminating aspect of the Larson diary is in
what it says about other Christian leaders.  For instance, it
is reported that, in late 1990 and early 1991, Thomas Nelson
president Sam Moore received two unsigned letters from BLM
employees that asserted, among other things, that Larson had
"had other adulterous encounters."32 According to the diary,
Moore purportedly told Bob that "even if let ter was true he
believed in what I did."33  In other words, Sam Moore could
care less if Bob Larson was a panderer, a philanderer, or just
a good old-fashioned fraud -- as long as Bob's books sold, Sam
was a happy man.  Moore's studied indifference to personal
failings speaks volumes about the modern Christian business
ethic (sort-of makes one respect Michael English).

  The evidence showing that Bob Larson has been raiding his
ministry is absolutely compelling.  The fact that he has used
Ministry airtime to promote his books and novels is beyond
dispute, and the fact that he has countersued me for allegedly
interfering with a contract with one of his sponsors is an open
confession that the time used had substantial commercial
value.  When I asked him about it two years ago, Bob admitted
that he sold books to the Ministry.34  And every other
component of my estimate of Bob's $400-500K compensation
package can be traced to self-authenticating documents -- of
which I have copies.  Larson cannot dispute my allegations; all
he can do is attack me personally.


II.   And the Lawsuit:

  Until this point, I have chosen not to draw attention to this
law suit -- discussing it only when specifically asked to by
journalists.  But now, due in large part to Bob Larson's highly
abusive and exorbitantly expensive campaign of legal
harassment, it has become a story in and of itself.  Thus, I
have decided to go public with the purpose of (1) exposing
Larson's shameless acts and (2) making a public offer that
should give the BLM Board some incentive to adopt a more
ethical course of action.

     A.  Larson's Campaign of Legal Harassment

  Larson supporters have asked why Bob has not sued me for
libel; the obvious answer is that he can't.  He would do it in
a heartbeat if he could -- but even he knows that it would be
futile.  Everything I say about him is documented to the hilt,
and he knows it.

  Bob Larson has gone to extravagant lengths in his attempt to
harass and intimidate me.  The Ministry filed a countersuit,
claiming that I had threatened to "boycott" one of Bob's
sponsors -- Sears, Roebuck & Co.  On the strength of an
affidavit by IBN advertising agent Michael Davis, it is alleged
that I called up Target and Response, a Chicago-based ad
agency claiming that I was the leader of a group of "several
hundred people" who were going to boycott all Sears products if
they did not stop advertising on Bob's programs.35

  Let's put this in perspective: In essence, Bob is suing me
for what Rev. Don Wildmon does for a living!  Wildmon can claim
the allegiance of several hundred thousand people -- and he
still gets doors slammed in his face.  Bottom line, if I had
been so foolish as to pull such a preposterous and utterly
pointless stunt, the Sears Tower would have shaken ... with
laughter!

  I did call Target and Response, but only for the legitimate
purpose of conducting informal discovery related to the
lawsuit.  And perhaps it was 'divine providence', but I decided
to tape the conversation in question.  And as you will notice
by listening to it (and a follow-up conversation with the
person who purportedly relayed the information regarding the
alleged "boycott" to Michael Davis), I didn't even mention
Larson's array of ethical indiscretions.  The reason is
obvious: I didn't want to alienate the guy.

   It is frankly difficult to imagine how my conversation with
Target and Response could have been transmuted into a "boycott
threat."  One regrettably plausible explanation for the
discrepancy is that Larson attorney James Rollin Miller
suborned Mr. Davis' perjury -- by adding the 'magic words' to
his affidavit to justify a fraudulent allegation of tort
liability.  At the very least, Mr. Miller's refusal to with
draw the counterclaim, given the existence of the tape, appears
to be a flagrant breach of legal ethics.  (Unfortunately, the
legal profession has as many 'bad apples', per capita, as does
the world of televangelism, and is almost as reluctant to
police its' own.)

  Larson's brand of no-holds-barred, scorched-earth harassing
litiga tion does not come cheap.  During 1992, the Ministry
spent more than $167,000 in legal fees, nearly 4% of its'
annual revenue.  The Ministry has 'officially' spent $107,000
in the defense of this lawsuit as of September 14;36 and that
bill continues to mount at a rate of $3-6,000 per week.  And
just recently, he added Newport Beach-based psychiatrist Park
Deitz -- who bills a Robert Shapiro-esque $600 per hour -- to
his team.  No wonder he needs Heroes.

  I have made several offers to settle this case, or in the
alterna tive, take it to binding arbitration, but so far,
Larson has refused to even entertain the possibility.  Bob is
willing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of
sacrificially-given money -- simply because the words, "I'm
sorry," just aren't in his vocabulary.

        And who cares?  After all, it's only God's money....

     B.  What It Tells Us About His "Ministry"

  The most tragic part of this whole affair is that those
people who Bob Larson should have been accountable to have, by
and large, over looked his many transgressions.  Thomas Nelson
has known for at least two years that "Bob's" novels were
ghost-written -- and, according to one internal BLM memo,
Nelson even furnished him with a work-for-hire contract.37
Various owners and managers of Christian radio stations have
followed suit, the only notable exception being Salem Broadcast
ing Co. president Ed Atsinger.38  The person responsible for
Bob's "ministerial credentials," J. David Ford of Dave Ford's
Evangelistic Messengers, was absolutely outraged when we
brought these matters to his attention.  And when Fred Wheeler
contacted "Lifeline" (one of Bob's corporate sponsors, which
markets itself as a Christian, "values-based" long-distance
company), the reaction of company president Carl Thompson --
captured on voice-mail for posterity -- was, to put it
politely, unique.39  But by far the most scandalous failure of
stewardship is that of BLM's Board of Directors -- Dr. Jerry
Prevo of Anchorage, Alaska, Dr. Terry Smith of Richardson,
Texas, and retired Rev. Ross Johnston of Clearbrook, British
Columbia.

  The BLM Board has consistently turned a blind eye to Larson's
lavish appropriation of sacrificially-given resources, whether
it be for first-class plane tickets, expensive hotel suites,
free radio advertising time, or the use of salaried Ministry
employees to ghost-write "his" books.  And it didn't bother
them that, even though the Minis try had roughly $1.7 million
in cash reserves and an accumulated surplus of over $2 million,
Bob was publicly claiming that the Ministry was on the ragged
edge of financial disaster.  As far as the Board is concerned,
Bob can do no wrong.

  The latest instance of the BLM Board's scandalous neglect of
their stewardship obligation occurred in this lawsuit.  Several
counts were dismissed, and with them, Bob Larson Ministries'
legal obligation had effectively disappeared.  Still, rather
than do what they should have done -- move to be dismissed from
the case -- they asked me to stipulate to the fact that Bob
Larson was "acting within the scope of his employment" when he
defamed me during the KNSS and WFTL interviews.

  Even though Bob Larson appeared on those interviews to, in
his own words, "talk about my novel,"40 and the Ministry does
not benefit in any material way from the sale of Bob's novels,
the Ministry insisted upon accepting legal liability for his
libelous statements.  As near as I can tell, they were under no
legal or moral obligation to do so; indeed, they had a
stewardship obligation to the contrary.

     C.  And What I Intend To Do About It

  Unlike the BLM Board, I am philosophically opposed to the
wasteful misuse of little old ladies' Social Security checks.
I am appalled by the way the BLM Board has squandered God's
money in an attempt to salve Bob Larson's wounded ego, and have
decided to do what I can to put a stop to it.  Accordingly, I
publicly make this following offer to settle my dispute with
the Ministry:

      I hereby agree to release Defendants Bob Larson
    Ministries and International Broadcasting Network from this
    lawsuit for: (1) a public apology; (2) the withdrawal of
    their counter claims; (3) the promise not to indemnify Bob
    Larson for any further costs or legal fees he incurs in
    relation to this suit, and (4) cooperation with my requests
    for discoverable information in the Ministry's possession.

  I have previously made this offer privately, and now, I do so
pub licly.  It shall remain open until the close of business on
January 3, 1994.  [Please notice that I am not offering to
settle my dispute with Bob Larson; all I am saying is that I
consider it to be a flagrant breach of fiduciary duty for the
Board to enable Bob Larson to misappropriate
sacrificially-given Ministry funds in order to finance his own
bloodthirsty private vendetta.]

  The most amusing part of this whole saga is the incredible
ferocity with which Larson has pursued me.  It is as if he
thinks that if I go away, all would be right with his world.
However, as I have repeated over and over, Ken Smith doesn't
make these allegations ... THE DOCUMENTS DO!  The evidence is
there for all to see.

  Bob Larson intends to destroy me -- his $160,000+ legal
bill41 is a stark testimony to his obsession.  Whether he
succeeds will of course be problematic; I am sorely out-manned
and out-gunned (representing myself, out of sheer necessity),
but remain committed to fighting the good and honorable fight.
But I do not seek his destruction; rather, I desire his
restoration (as do others who are working with me).  If Bob
would repent of his sins, recant his false statements, and
reimburse those he has injured in his obsessively
self-indulgent quest to become a religious tycoon, I will
support him.  We may disagree theologically, but a laborer who
genuinely seeks to help others is always worthy of his hire.

  Bob Larson has been angry at me ever since the Westword
article was published -- according to former BLM vice-president
Boespflug, he was plotting his revenge nearly two and one-half
years ago.42  And while I have, at times, been admittedly
angered by Bob's vengeful response, this is not, and never has
been, a vendetta against him.  I have said it before, and will
say it again: If he can show that anything I have written of
consequence concerning him in any of my articles was materially
in error, I will publicly retract it, and document the reasons
for my retraction.

_____________________________________________________________________

                              ENDNOTES

1Bob Larson Ministries, "'Talk-Back With Bob Larson' Stations"
(memo), 5 Jun. 1992, p. 8 (chronology of the investigation
courtesy Fred Wheeler).

2Michael Roberts, "The Evil That Men Do," Westword, May 27-Jun
2, 1992, p. 10 (hereinafter, "Westword").

3Bob Larson, Memorandum (to Angelo Diasparra), 28 Dec. 1992, p.
1 (copy courtesy Jon Trott; read over the air in its entirety in
School of Debate, note 5, infra.).

4Larson is believed to have used the pseudonym "JP Gallagher."
Under that nom de plume, he revealed strikingly accurate
information about me and those close to me that was not revealed
to anyone else on the Prodigy service (e.g., the fact that my
wife is a pharmacist).  More over, JP revealed information about
Larson that even members of his staff should not have known
(e.g., the volume of advance sales for Abaddon -- which I was
able to confirm covertly through sources at Thomas Nelson).  As
time wore on, and I continued baiting him, Bob finally let his
'cover' slip -- finally giving an accurate first-person
rendition of a confrontation he had with former KKLA talk-show
host John Stewart (except, of course, who won).

5See, "The Bob Larson School of Debate" (an excerpted
compilation of interviews held on radio stations KNSS and WFTL
on 15 Jul. 1993, and other Talk-Back broadcasts -- track 1 of
enclosed tape; hereinafter, "School of Debate").

6Ibid., ibid.

7Bob Larson, "Talk-Back With Bob Larson" (radio broadcast), 2
Nov.  1994; report confirmed by author in conversation with KTUU
news desk on 7 Nov. 1994.

8William T. Abbott, Jr., Letter (to Bob Larson), July 8, 1991.
(The letter was authenticated in court in Bob Larson Ministries
v. Boesp flug, No. 93 CV 422 (Jefferson County (Colo.) Dist.
Ct., filed 4 Mar.  1993, Complaint, p. 3; it was reproduced in
Jon Trott, "Bob Larson's Ministry Comes Under Scrutiny,"
Cornerstone, Vol. 21, Issue 100, Feb.  1993, p. 41.)

9Bob Larson, "Talk-Back With Bob Larson" (radio broadcast), 28
Jul.  1993.

10The Larson diary lends tacit support to Lori Boespflug's claim
that she was the primary author of Dead Air, while Larson
assumed more of an editorial role.  The evidence suggests that
while Larson initiated the project, he lost interest, and
delegated the project to Boespflug and Muriel Olson.  See Ken
Smith, "Sex, Lies, and Audiotape," avail able on Internet.

11Bob Larson Ministries, 1992 Form 990, Schedule I.

12Bob Larson, "Save A Day of Talk-Back On Your Station" (letter
to donors), 4 Feb. 1991, p. 2.

13Bob Larson Ministries, 1990 Stewardship Report, undated,
unpaged (listing total revenue of $5,613,445 and expenses of
$5,103,648.)

14"Talk-Back With Bob Larson" (radio broadcast), 22 Dec. 1994.

15Ibid., ibid.

16Other examples of Larson's litany of fundraising
misrepresentations can be found at Ken Smith, "The Cowering
Inferno," pp. 7-11 and "Sex, Lies, and Audiotape," pp. 15-17,
available on Internet.

17Westword, p. 12.

18E.g., School of Debate, note 5, supra.

19Larson v. Larson, No. 91 DR 226 (Jefferson County (Colo.)
Dist.  Ct., Court's Order Re Sealing of File, order entered 13
Feb. 1992.

20Ibid., Order entered 9 Dec. 1994.

21Lori Boespflug, interview with author, 16 Jun. 1992.

22Bob Larson, Diary (in manuscript), entry for 19 Jan. 1991
(edits in entries, where necessary for coherence, are denoted by
brackets).

23Ibid., entry for 24 Jan. 1991.

24Larson v. Larson, Findings, Conclusions, and Order (and the
Court's supplement thereto), entered 19 Sep. 1991.

25Bob Larson, Diary, entry for 14 Jul. 1991.

26Ibid., entry for 7 Jan. 1991.

27Ibid., entry for 28 Jan. 1991.

28Ibid., entry for 29 Jan. 1991.

29Ibid., entry for 11 Jul. 1991.

30Ibid., entry for 14 Jul. 1991.

31E.g., Lori Boespflug, "Employment Contract" (signed and dated
by Larson), 29 May 1991, p. 1, note #6 (Larson made her stop
seeing "the man who installed [her] carpeting").  Larson's
apparently obsessive infatuation with Boespflug is further
suggested by the fact that he named his child "Brynne Anne" --
hauntingly similar to the names of Lori's first two, Brenna and
Rheanne.  The link is further suggested by the fact that Larson
claimed on one of his radio broadcasts that "Brynne" meant
"defender of the faith"; those baby books I have consulted were
unanimous in indicating that it is a feminization of the Welsh
"Bryn" -- which means "hill."

32Salem Letter #1, p. 7, copy attached (Salem Letter #2 is
referred to in Bob Larson, Diary, entry for Jan. 4, 1991).

33Bob Larson, Diary, entry for 27 Jan. 1991.

34Bob Larson, Interview with author, 17 Oct. 1992 (see also, Bob
Larson Ministries, 1991 Consolidated Financial Statements, p. 8
(note 6).

35Smith v. Bob Larson Ministries, No. 94 CV 121 (Jefferson
County (Colo.) Dist. Ct., filed 21 Jan. 1994), Affidavit of
Michael Davis, pp. 1-2.  But see track 2 of enclosed tape.

36Id., Ministry Defendants' Disclosure Certificate, p. 6.

37Bob Larson, Memo (to "Bonnie"), 3 Jul. [1992], p. 1.

38See, Bob Larson, Diary, entry for 27 Jan. 1991.

39"Talk-Back With Bob Larson" (radio broadcast), date unknown;
Carl Thompson, Voice-mail message (to Fred Wheeler), 27 Sept.
1994 (copied by the author from voice-mail with permission of
Fred Wheeler); track 3 of enclosed tape.

40School of Debate, note 5, supra.

41Our best estimate, based on the amount of work performed.

42Lori Boespflug, Interview with author. (The most sublime irony
of this affair is that I had absolutely nothing to do with the
Westword article; it's almost a pity that I can't take the
credit for it.)
________________________________________________________________

  Copyright 1994 Kenneth L. Smith.  All rights reserved.
Copying is permitted for non-commercial use only.  Please direct
your inquiries to the author at P.O. Box 280305, Lakewood, CO
80228 (journalists can fax me at [phone]).

================================================================

Follow-Up: (Posted Feb. 19, 1995)

Note: In the past two years, much has been written - by secular
      and Christian sources alike - about the activities and
      practices of talkshow host Bob Larson, and questions
      surrounding Bob Larson Ministries.

      Rather than respond to inquiries in an open, Christlike
      manner, Mr. Larson tends to attack those who question him,
      going as far as making derogatory statements on the air.

      One of his favorite targets is Ken Smith, who has
      tenaciously researched and documented the allegations
      against Larson.

      As the above article shows, Ken Smith recently sued Larson
      for libel.  However, a simple fact about this country's
      legal system is that the one with the most money has a
      distinct advantage over the one who does not have the
      luxury of deep pockets.

      The following letter shows, in essence, what a
      quarter-million dollars can purchase.

We received, from an anonymous source, a copy of a letter sent
to Mr. John Stewart, of the Law Offices of John Stewart, in
Orange, California.  John Stewart represents Ken Smith in his
libel suit against Bob Larson.  The letter, which by virtue of
it having been filed in connection with a motion in the suit is
in the public domain, was written by James R. Miller of Hopper
and Kanouff, in Denver, Colorado.

This is the content of said letter:

--- Start Of Letter --------------------------------------------

VIA FACSIMILE [phone]

John Stewart, Esq.
LAW OFFICES OF JOHN STEWART
1122 East Lincoln Avenue, Suite 203
Orange, California 92665

          Re: Smith v. BLM, et al.

Dear Mr. Stewart:

   Please accept this correspondence pursuant to C.R.E. 408.

   The settlement which you proposed on behalf of your client,
Mr. Ken Smith, to Paul Wood, Esq. on December 1, 1994 is not
acceptable to my clients.

   Our Supplemental Disclosure Certificates and expert reports
are due on Monday, December 19, 1994.  At that time, your client
will formally become aware that we have retained as testifying
experts in this matter Park Elliott Dietz, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D.
and Daniel A. Martell, Ph.D.  These well-known doctors are two
of the country's experts on stalkers and stalking behavior.
They are expected to render their opinions, _inter alia_, that
the Plaintiff is a stalker and that it was reasonable for the
Defendants to label the Plaintiff as a stalker.  Their opinions
will be contained either in ther Supplemental Disclosure
Certificate or the expert reports.  Their opinions, coupled with
the total lack of actual damages in this case, prompt the
following settlement offer.

   The Defendant will accept the following in settlement of this
case:

   1. A letter signed by the Plaintiff for distribution to the
public which states that the following statements made by the
Plaintiff have, after further investigation, turned out to be
totally untrue:

          a. That Bob Larson Ministries and Bob Larson solicit
             funds when the funds are not needed;

          b. That Bob Larson Ministries is guilty of criminal
             activity;

          c. That Bob Larson engaged in activities in his
             personal life which were inappropriate for a
             minister;

          d. That Bob Larson is not the author of the books
             that bear his name; and

          e. That Bob Larson is a liar.

   2. The claims of all parties must be dismissed, with
prejudice, each party to pay their own costs and attorney's
fees.  This would include the Ministry's counterclaims.

   3. The settlement would be global.

   4. An order that the parties return all discovery materials
produced to each other and that the Court file be sealed.

   5. Full and complete mutual releases would be executed.
(These releases would cover the activities of the parties from
the beginning of time to present.)

   6. Neither party shall pay to the other monetary
consideration.

   Please consider this an offer of settlement pursuant to the
terms and conditions of C.R.S.  13-17-202

                              Very Truly Yours,

                              HOPPER AND KANOUFF, P.C.

                              (Signed)
                              James R. Miller

--- End Of Letter ----------------------------------------------

Ken Smith has never hidden the fact that he is an unbeliever.
Some may question his actions or motivations, but with regard to
his statements about Bob Larson and Bob Larson Ministries he
does have the support of a number of highly-respected
Christians.

I encourage you to pray for Ken.  Should you wish to contact
him, you can do so by writing to:

   Ken Smith
   P.O. Box 280305
   Lakewood, CO 80228
   (Journalists can fax Ken at [phone]).

or by leaving an email to Ken Smith, on Christian BBS Abba II:

   619-487-6391/7746

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