California-based Trinity Broadcasting Network is the world's largest Christian TV channel and it's currently involved in a massive financial scandal. Former employees, who also happen to be relatives of the company's founders, allege widespread embezzlement. Brittany Koper, granddaughter of TBN founder Paul Crouch, claims that hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations have been spent on luxury homes and just generally luxurious living.
Brittany Koper was also the finance director, so she was in a position to know what was coming in, know what was going on, and figure out what was happening. She is suing for wrongful termination over her spilling the beans on the financial wrongdoing, so evidence about this is likely to play a role in he court case.
Details of the claims are contained in cases filed with the California courts by McVeigh, who says he was targeted by the network, and 26-year-old Koper, who was fired in September.
According to the lawsuit, reported in US newspapers, Paul Crouch Sr obtained a $50m luxury jet for his personal use through a "sham loan", while church funds - many of which come from donations during events like its "Praise-a-thons" - paid for the dogs' mobile home.
McVeigh's lawsuit makes the most damning allegations, claiming "unlawful and unreported income distributions to Trinity Broadcasting's directors" with "multiple jet aircraft, including a $50m Global Express luxury jet aircraft purchased for the personal use of the Crouches through a sham loan ... as well as an $8m Hawker jet aircraft purchased by Trinity Broadcasting for the personal use of director Janice Crouch".
It also describes the purchase of "multiple motor vehicles, including a $100,000 motor home purchased by Trinity Broadcasting as a mobile residence for director Janice Crouch's dogs". ...
Source: The Guardian
Trinity Broadcasting Network was founded by Paul and Jan Crouch with Jim and Tammy Fae Bakker, another Christian televangelist couple who ran into serious financial and personal scandals. So I guess the current problems with the Crouches shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, right?
The fact that they stopped their membership with the National Religious Broadcasters association in 1990 probably should have been a warning sign. That TBN is not a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability or any official financial oversight group should be an even bigger warning sign.
Trinity Broadcasting Network pushes the "prosperity gospel," a Protestant theology that promises God will provide material rewards to those who give generously to the network. Gee, who would have thought that a ministry which preaches a gospel of financial and material rewards might become embroiled in allegations of financial greed?
I wonder how far this case will continue. It's possible that there could be an out-of-court settlement and that would be in the interests of TBN if it means keeping financial details secret. Paul Couch reportedly paid $425,000 to someone in 1998 to keep quite about allegations that he and Crouch has a gay relationship. Paul Crouch has denied the allegations saying that he only paid to avoid a costly and embarrassing public trial.
The same excuse would surely work here, too.
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