Museum Director Commissioned Portrait of Himself
posted 10:55 am Sat January 05, 2008 - Washington
Richard West, who retired from the Smithsonian Institution last month, tells The Associated Press a member of the museum's board of trustees proposed the portrait. West says he resisted but eventually went along with the idea of hanging a portrait of the museum's founding director. He says he never would have approved the funding if he thought it would draw scrutiny.
Smithsonian spokeswoman Linda St. Thomas says no other museum directors have commissioned portraits of themselves.
Two U.S. Senators have asked for an independent investigation of West's spending. And the Smithsonian Board of Regents has removed West from the committee to select the next secretary to lead the Smithsonian.
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