ABOVE: Barry Munitz, now ex-head of the J. Paul Getty Trust in Los Angeles, who yesterday announced his resignation, and a $250,000 payment to the trust.

Boy, the Getty just can’t catch a break. With former Getty antiquities curator Marion True staring down the long maw of the Italian justice system, Greek and Italian investigators still sniffing around their basement for any chunks of marble that may have arrived still caked in pilfered mediterranean soil, and allegations of un-kosher financial deals between senior staff and business partners, the museum has taken an extended thrashing from the press.

The L.A. Times, which has been relentless in shoveling shit around this whole issue, today provides the lowdown on the latest piece of bad news, which is that the head of the $7 billion J. Paul Getty Trust, which oversees the museum, and other educational projects, was resigning amid bad vibes over personal expenses billed to the Trust. Barry Munitz’s resigntation was announced yesterday, with Munitz agreeing to pay the Trust $250,000, forgoing his $1.2 million severance package, but without acknowledging wrongdoing. Both sides say the matter is closed; Munitz has paid his money, the board agreed not to go after him for more. But obviously this is another blow to the credibility of the U.S.A’s third-largest private foundation and one of its most important cultural institutions.

LINK: L.A. Times > Munitz Steps Down as Head of Getty Trust

Dropped the ball this week on a couple days’ worth of posts, for which we are dreadfully ashamed. That’s just what happens when we hyperventilate, pass out, and hit our heads on the coffee table because we’re so excited about the Grammys.

Ok, that’s a lie. No one’s excited about the Grammys. But we’ll be back on the ball next week.