A month later, Derek Bok issued a statementthat was supposed to be his final comment aboutthe letter. He said that he approved the letter'sinclusion in the election mailing.

In neither case did Bok say that he intitiatedthe letter.

But several weeks after the formal statement,Bok commented again, acknowledging that he hadasked Joan Bok to write the letter and hadconsidered signing it himself before he waspersuaded that it would be issued moreappropriately by a member of the board.

Harvard Vice President and General CounselDaniel Steiner '54 said the complaint filed lastweek was the second submitted to the attorneygeneral's office. He said the University respondedto earlier requests by the attorney general forinformation.

The University's chief attorney added thatHarvard is prepared for the possibility of alawsuit.

"My office has reviewed what happened and underthe applicable statutes of the commonwealth andthe rules of the governing bodies of theUniversity we think the election process isappropriate and consistent with legalrequirements," Steiner said.

The origin and authorization for the letternevertheless remain unclear. Overseers have saidduring the past week that the letter received theapproval of the board's executive committee. Thatcommittee has the power to act for the boardbetween meetings.

Several members also said that at a Februarymeeting of the full body, when Derek Bok informedthem of the pro-divestment candidacies, manymembers opposed any action in response.

Bok said last night that he did not recallprecisely what transpired at the meeting but saidthe minutes would indicate support for an officialresponse.

As a matter of policy, the University hasrefused to release those minutes.

"Quite a number of us felt that sometimes oneof life's great wisdoms is to do nothing," saidoverseer George N. Leighton, a federal distictcourt judge in Chicago, of the discussion at theFebruary meeting.

Ballotting in the election ended over theweekend, and if the University keeps withtradition, the results will be announced Thursdayafternoon at the annual meeting of the HarvardAlumni Association