But an exclusive Crimson interview with Lee, as well as Cassidy's report, might provide some insight into the defense' strategies.

In an interview with The Crimson last summer, Lee said he had decided not to make a donation to the fund. He said the money had to be used instead to pay off longstanding debts and other expenses, which amounted to $50,000.

"This year, I decided to forego the donation," Lee said at the time. "When I decide to forego the donation, I didn't think about them. Instead, I was thinking about getting the show going."

Lee apologized at the time for not notifying the Jimmy Fund about his decision.

"I didn't communicate clearly to them," he said. "That's my fault."

Some of the unpaid debts included money owed WGBH-TV which had supplied a producer, Susie Dangel, for the show, Lee said.

Lee also said at the time that the $160,000 number sounded "a little high." He said donations made by An Evening With Champions had been declining because of higher costs.

Lee also said he informed Kolodner and Morrison of his decision to forego the payment that spring.

Kolodner and Morrison have said that they discovered the money was missing only upon assuming check signature power over An Evening With Champions bank accounts in the spring of 1993.

Every Nickel, Dime and Dollar"

The Jimmy Fund provides monies for research and treatment of children with cancer at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Regina Vild, a spokesperson for Dana-Farber, says that all contributions from the fund are desperately need.

"We count on every nickel, dime and dollar," she says of the Jimmy Fund.

But the lost money from the Evening With Champions show is particularly unsettling, Vild says.

"This comes from revenues that we count on year in and year out, knowing that Evening With Champions is a favorite in the New England region," Vild says.