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Lawyer In Wisc. Church Abuse Fund Suit Hopes To Question Dolan

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan might get dragged back to his days in the Milwaukee diocese, where he was in charge from 2002 to 2009.

A lawyer representing people who claim priest sex abuse said he wants to question Dolan about missing assets in the sex scandal, charging that the diocese could be hiding as much as $130 million in assets to protect against lawsuits.

Joe Zwilling with the New York Archdiocese told WCBS 880 said he believes it's just something the lawyer said to a reporter.

A spokesman for the archdiocese issued the following statement to CBS 2: "Archbishop Dolan would welcome the opportunity to cooperate with any law enforcement people who are investigating the matter. Any allegation that there was an attempt to shield money is preposterous. It is simply not true."

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported that the lawyer, Jeffrey Anderson, claimed the church in Milwaukee moved $75 million off its books in 2004, and moved $55 million more to a cemetery trust, just after a court gave victims the right to sue.

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