from left, Janice Crouch, Brittany Koper, Michael Koper, and Paul Crouch Sr.
Posted on 03/22/2012 10:15:55 PM PDT by Steelfish
TBN: Televangelists Feuded Over Millions, Motor Home For Dogs March 22, 2012
The Trinity Broadcasting Network, the Orange County-based televangelist ministry that bills itself as the world’s largest Christian network, is embroiled in a legal battle involving allegations of massive financial fraud and lavish spending, including the purchase of a $100,000 motor home for family dogs.
Brittany Koper, a former high-ranking TBN official and the granddaughter of its co-founder, Paul Crouch Sr., was fired by the network in September after discovering “illegal financial schemes” amounting to tens of millions of dollars, according to a lawsuit filed last month in Orange County Superior Court.
“She blew the whistle and got terminated,” said attorney Tymothy MacLeod, who filed the suit on behalf of Joseph McVeigh, the uncle of Koper’s husband Michael Koper, who was himself a high-ranking TBN officer.
“Brittany has done the right thing. It’s admirable that someone on the inside of TBN has come forward and is revealing to the world exactly what is going on behind those closed doors,” MacLeod said. “No good deed goes unpunished at TBN.”
Network lawyers, for their part, alleged in a lawsuit last year that the Kopers used forged documents to embezzle funds to buy trucks, jewelry, a fishing boat, a motorcycle, a Lexus and life insurance, and gave McVeigh thousands of dollars without authorization.
The legal battle offers a rare glimpse into the private affairs of TBN, which is headquartered in an opulent compound near South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa.
The lawsuit alleges that Crouch Sr. obtained a $50-million “Global Express” luxury jet for personal use through a “sham loan,” and that TBN funds paid for a $100,000 motor home for dogs owned by his wife, director Janice Crouch.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimesblogs.latimes.com ...
Say what you will, (and most of those I have seen on that network especially lately; I do not count preaching the real Word of God), but there have been a few shows (and movies) on that channel that over the years have preached Biblical truth, which I have enjoyed.
Brittany Koper- whistleblower?
EWTN- to me, best source for Word of God.
A special place in Hell is reserved for these charlatans....for every soul they may gain, they probably turn off many others from hearing the word of God.
Who do they think they are? The Obamas?
LOL! Best post of the day.
Sounds like they would be perfect for the WhiteHouse.
Considering as how our taxes serve to take care of the poor, and very few church budgets deal with such, and seeing as how these "preachers" are underworked and overpaid (they certainly don't "preach the word"), there's no justification for these whores to parade as "preachers" and get these huge salaries.
It's an absolute travesty.
Never trusted a minister who seemed to be in the business. Attend a relatively small Church with a retired Navy chaplin at a minister. He certainly never used the Word of G_d for the money. Live near Creflo Dollar, he is one of those money ministers.
I have never liked TBN. Televangelists especially of the name it claim it variety really bother me.
Interesting photo at the link. The lights make it look like the place is on fire, with all the palm trees and bushes ablaze in an hideous, raging inferno.
No mention of expenditures for pink hair dye though.
I'm sure it's more than the Gross Domestic Product of many a Third-World country.
In the mid 1980's I was in graduate school and had the habit of staying up late studying, with an hour of television to wind down. I was "scanning the dial" and I happened on the episode of Jim and Tammy Bakker's show in which they successfully countered similar claims of lavish spending and inappropriate direction of ministry resources to their personal aggrandizement. This was the first instance of scandal, months, perhaps a year before the Jessica Hahn stuff hit the fan. But it was enough of an accusation that the Bakkers felt it was necessary to rebut the charges.
In the episode of their show I happened to stumble across, Jim and Tammy were giving a tour of their vacation home in Scottsdale, AZ. Tammy was going from room to room and explaining why this feature or that feature of this pretty luxurious home was necessary for the relaxation of herself and Jim and their family after all the hard work they did "for the Lord". Shortly after I tuned in she shows off a room (I think it was bedroom #6 or #7 on her tour) which featured her doll collection. Apparently she was the Imelda Marcos of doll collecting, as the room was about to collapse under the weight of all these dolls.
I rolled on to another channel thinking that's not a very effective defense of their use of church funds. But to my surprise this was like a Checkers Speech for Jim and Tammy, it diffused the story and snuffed out the nascent scandal, and as far as I can recall, things were quieted until the Hahn accusations blew the roof off of the fundraising Baker was in the middle of (was this Heritage USA?).
You'd think that televangelists would learn to be more discreet, or that the audiences would learn not to throw cash their way, but no.
Are their dogs trained to drive the $100,000 dog motor home? This is way better than that air conditioned dog house that Jim and TammyFaye Baker had for their dogs!
If ‘sowing a seed’ will reap financial benefits maybe all the televangelists should send me a check. They must need the money because they are always asking for it.
The vast majority of televangelists are false. You have no idea where your money goes with them. I only support my local Church. We have rules that all financial decisions are reviewed in the open by the deacons and a statement is published every month. Everything above board
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