ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) – A priest was found dead two days after meeting with Albany Bishop Howard Hubbard over a 1995 letter alleging the bishop was part of “a ring of homosexual Albany priests.”

The Rev. John Minkler, 57, was found dead in his home in Watervliet, Albany County. Watervliet police have not said how or when Minkler died.

“He was very disturbed that his name was associated with this letter and he wanted to assure me that he was not its author,” Hubbard said.

“He was the one who requested the meeting,” Hubbard said in an interview. “He said ‘I just wanted to look you in the eye so you could see me tell you face-to-face, man-to-man, that I was not the author of the letter.””

“What was said in that letter was not true,” Hubbard said after he was interviewed by WROW-AM in Albany.

Minkler was ordained in 1972 and had been chaplain of the Stratton Veterans Administration Hospital in Albany for about 20 years.

“This is a tragedy no matter what the circumstances,” Hubbard said. “A priest has died and I have great sympathy for his family and they will be very much in my prayers.”

A copy of the 1995 letter to the archdiocese in New York City surfaced following a press conference. The Albany Diocese issued a statement saying Minkler was identified as the letter’s author in a television news report.

“The purported letter” to the late Cardinal John O’Connor was denied by Minkler in a written statement and no such letter was found in the files of the archdiocese, according to the Albany Diocese statement.

Andrew Zalay recently came forward to say Hubbard had abused his brother, Thomas Zalay, 30 years ago. Thomas Zalay committed suicide in 1978.

Hubbard has maintained he has never broken his vow of celibacy and has denied ever sexually abusing anyone. He also says he has handled all claims of abuse by clergy seriously and notes he has dismissed several abusive priests.

The Albany County district attorney declined to investigate the 30-year-old claim against Hubbard, saying the allegation didn’t represent a crime. The Albany Diocese said it will hire its own investigator to look into Zalay’s claim.