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Author Questioned By CBS '60 Minutes' To Skip Mass. Appearance

BOSTON (AP) -- Best-selling author and philanthropist Greg Mortenson has canceled a scheduled appearance in Massachusetts in the wake of allegations of financial mismanagement and literary fraud.

Officials with the Massachusetts Conference United Church of Christ, a group sponsoring the May 3 event, say they were told that Mortenson was having surgery in Bozeman, Mont., to repair a hole in his heart and couldn't make the Worcester speech.

Mortenson is co-author of "Three Cups of Tea." CBS' "60 Minutes" and author Jon Krakauer claimed that Mortenson lied about events in several parts of his book and may have financially benefited from money donated to his charity to build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Organizers said they will provide refunds for tickets sold for $51.50.

 (© Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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