Bush in court

DALLAS — A Texan is trying to put a former president under oath and find out what he knew and when he knew it.

But the issue isn’t national security, political skullduggery or a sex scandal.

It’s a property dispute involving George W. Bush’s presidential library at Southern Methodist University.

Gary Vodicka, who was forced out of his condominium by SMU to make way for the project, contends the university coveted the property as the future site of the library even before Bush ran for the White House, and lied about its intentions.

April 17, a Texas district judge ordered the former president to appear at a deposition to answer Vodicka’s questions about the library’s planning stages.

"I was humbled by the ruling,” said Vodicka, 49, a lawyer who is representing himself in the case against SMU. "No one person is supposed to be above the law. And Bush is trying to act like he is.”

"I think his deposition is irrelevant and an effort to make this case more important than it is,” said Mark Lanier, the attorney for SMU.


How it began
The lawsuit centers on SMU’s acquisition of University Gardens, a run-down, 40-year-old condo complex across the street from the university.

SMU decided at the end of 1998 to begin buying up the about 350 units.

The school eventually bought out all but two condo owners: Vodicka, who has four units, and another man with a single unit.

About $800,000 from SMU is sitting in an escrow account for the two men to split if they want it, the SMU attorney said.

Later that year, it became apparent SMU would be the site of Bush’s library. The land upon which the condos once sat will be part of the grounds.

Vodicka alleges SMU officials began angling for the presidential library as far back as 1998 before he announced his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination.

He says the school acquired the condo property with the library in mind.

"Bush floated the idea amongst his family, his close friends, his supporters, for probably a year before he made the announcement,” Vodicka said. "So, yes. They knew.”



by the associated press