Munitz finds a solution

After months of bad press over his personal expenses, his extravagant travel and his $650/hour hired-gun PR firm, Getty Trust boss Barry Munitz has waved the white flag. MAN has learned that Munitz will end the controversy over his largesse with this plan: No longer will Munitz be the only Getty-ite flying first class. All Getty employees -- and maybe you too, Michael Sitrick! -- will be flying up front.

OK, it's true that Munitz and the Getty haven't announced this plan yet. But ya gotta figure that it's coming when Munitz says this to the Times of London:

Munitz himself telephones and brushes aside questions about his pay and perks. "This was all approved by an elaborate process. We have policies and procedures." Had he indulged in a few too many first-class flights? "You have to understand life in LA — people find it embarrassing to travel commercial class."

You wouldn't expect Munitz to embarrass his staff, would you? No, no, no. So ya gotta believe it's gonna be first-class flights for the employees. It stands to reason that Mr. $650/Hour, Michael Sitrick, the man Munitz pays to spin damage control for the Trust, is going first-class too, because Munitz wouldn't want to embarrass him either. (Oh, wait...)

This must be tough news for Jill Murphy, Munitz' chief of staff who will be leaving the Getty at the end of the year. She'll be missing out on lots of first-class seats. (The Murphy story has gotten lots of play, many of them (including the LAT story linked above) referring to Murphy's treatment of her fellow Getty employees. Even LA Observed has picked up on the Murphy meme.)

(Aside: The LAT Murphy story includes one of Munitz' priceless 'everything must be groovy because no one told me it wasn't' quotes: "No one ever said to me, 'I'm leaving, and I'm leaving because of her,' " Munitz said. "But people did say to me, 'You need to know I'm having trouble with her.' ")

So in light of this rush of Getty news, here are the new Things I Want to Know:

• Murphy quit about nine months ago and her departure takes effect by the end of the year. That could be 13 months. Why the lag? Does the lag have anything to do with the IRS' audit of the Getty?
• When will the LAT editorial board next weigh in on Munitz? If it's Munitz' "pattern of behavior that's disturbing," that Times of London quote has to be part of that pattern. It indicates that Munitz just doesn't get it. The Getty Trust is a cultural trust, not an expense account trust.
• Does his board? They gotta be getting a clue by now, eh?
• Regardless of what you think of Murphy, her departure continues a massive senior leadership drain out of the Trust. In the last year the Getty has lost its museum director, the museum's associate (and later interim) director, its publications manager, its top communications officer and others. Why can't the Getty, America's third-largest foundation, keep staff? And why hasn't the board noticed?
• Does this vaunted Getty board actually exist? They've been awfully quiet...
• What will Sen Charles Grassley think of that 'commercial class' quote? Will that be the let-them-eat-cake moment that pushes the Senate Finance Committee into the Getty's affairs?