Ex-Penn State president Graham Spanier wants charges thrown out

Ex-Penn State president Graham Spanier wants charges connected with the Jerry Sandusky case thrown out. (Lorenzo Bevilaqua/Getty Images)

Former Penn State president Graham Spanier is asking a judge to throw out charges that accuse him of helping cover up abuse allegations against former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, according to a report by the Associated Press.

Spanier's lawyers filed the motion saying that university's former top lawyer, Cynthia Baldwin, violated attorney-client confidentiality when she gave prosecutors information about him. The filing also says that some of the charges were filed after the statute of limitations had run out.

Spanier was charged in November along with former athletic director Tim Curley and retired vice president Gary Schultz.

Sandusky is currently is jail serving a 30-to 60-year state prison sentence after being convicted of 45 counts for the sexual abuse of 10 boys.

More from the AP:

Spanier also has raised "legal issues relating to statutory interpretation. For instance, whether Dr. Spanier could conceivably be considered a supervisor of any of the children who were victims of Mr. Sandusky." The three men face charges of perjury, obstruction, endangering the welfare of children, failure to properly report suspected abuse and conspiracy.

Spanier was forced out as president after Sandusky's arrest but remains a faculty member while fighting the accusations that he and other administrators committed crimes as they responded to complaints about the former defensive coach.