The Cason Foundation, which had donated $5 million to LC to fund the school, announced that it will no longer financially support the college because of "actions of President Aguillard which we believe to be unethical and potentially illegal." Edgar D. Cason and his wife, Flora Jean Caskey Cason, of Coushatta in Red River Parish, who established the foundation, informed LC trustees by letter on April 15, 2013, that the foundation was terminating its ties to LC. A probe conducted by a law firm in New Orleans claims that Aguillard had improperly diverted nearly $60,000 in divinity school donations to LC projects in Tanzania, Africa. A committee of five LC board members, however, defended Aguillard and maintain that he did not act improperly regarding the funds. Cason, a wealthy timber operator, farmer, and cattleman, has supported conservative Republican candidates, including Santorum for President, and issues, such as the Louisiana Values Political Action Committee. Cason questioned why the LC trustees did not permit him to address the board at its March meeting. In a private executive session of the trustees on March 18 and 19, 2013, two motions regarding Aguillard were defeated. One called for his outright removal; another proposed administrative leave. Aguillard submitted a statement to the "Alexandria Daily Town Talk" in which he declared the executive session to have been "productive. I am looking forward to leading Louisiana College into the best days God has prepared for us." It was subsequently revealed that the special committee of the trustees had voted four-to-three to clear Aguillard of wrongdoing regarding the diverted Cason funds. One of the dissenting votes was cast by Tony Perkins, a Republican former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives and the president of the Family Research Council. Perkins subsequently in an email to the Reverend Kris Chenier, the pastor of the Trinity Heights Baptist Church in Shreveport and the chairman of the special LC panel, questioned why the committee had implied that the decision to clear Aguillard had been unanimous, rather than by the margin of a single vote. In March 2014, "The Alexandria Daily Town Talk" reported that a taped recording from late May or early June 2012, released by former LC vice president Charles L. "Chuck" Quarles, indicates that Aguillard spoke personally with the Casons about the diversion of funds to the Tanzania project. On May 21, 2013, however, Aguillard told "The Town Talk" that he had not spoken to the Casons but had received confirmation from Quarles that the couple had agreed that some of the funds could be used for the Tanzania project.