Cy Twombly Foundation Accuses Attorney of $750,000 Fraud

A lawsuit filed by two members of the Cy Twombly Foundation board allege that a third member fraudulently collected at least $750,000 in fees from the charity dedicated to preserving the late artist’s legacy and works, The New York Times reports.

Foundation attorneys submitted papers Wednesday asking that Ralph E. Lerner, a prominent art-world lawyer and the Twombly board’s secretary, be added as defendant in a suit filed in March by the organization’s president, Nicola Del Roscio, and its vice president, Julie Sylvester. The new filing claims Mr. Lerner charged the foundation unauthorized fees for legal services, including billing for time spent at board meetings, and used wire transfers and multiple addresses to conceal the payments.

Mr. Lerner’s law office said his charges were “in accordance with the practices and procedures established by Mr. Twombly when he was alive” and were disclosed to the board in regular financial statements. The four-member board has been feuding over fees allegedly paid to Mr. Lerner and another director, Thomas Saliba.