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Suit: ‘Cover-ups of sexual and criminal scandals’ at TBN

Writer: Teri Sforza | 23 February 2012 | taxdollars.ocregister.com

Jaw-dropping details about alleged financial digressions at Trinity Broadcasting Network were made in a lawsuit filed Thursday – including the purchase of a $50 million jet through "a sham loan to an alter ego corporation" for the personal use of the Crouches; a $100,000 motor home purchased by Trinity as a mobile residence for Jan Crouch's dogs; "multiple residential estates" falsely reported as guest homes or church parsonages to avoid income disclosures; meal expenses of up to a half-million dollars per company director; "personal chauffeurs compensated with Trinity funds under the guise of medical payments;" and "multiple cover-ups of sexual and criminal scandals."

The suit was filed in Orange County Superior Court by Joseph McVeigh against Trinity Christian Center of Santa Ana (which does business as Trinity Broadcasting Network, the largest Christian broadcaster in the world), its International Christian Broadcasting arm, attorneys Davert and Loe (who do legal work for Trinity) and others.

McVeigh accuses Trinity and its lawyers of malicious prosecution in connection with a loan he received through Trinity companies.

So who is McVeigh? He is the uncle, by marriage, of Crouch granddaughter Brittany Koper — who sued Davert and Loe in federal court last month. Koper accused the world’s largest Christian broadcaster of unlawfully distributing charitable assets worth more than $50 million to its principals — and of firing her as its finance director, and beginning a campaign of "malicious retaliation" against her and her family (including McVeigh), for refusing to go along with the scheme.

Trinity paints a very different picture — saying it was Koper and her husband who committed financial misdeeds at Trinity.

'Absurd and Contrived'

While Trinity has not been served "with this absurd and contrived suit, it is nothing more than a tabloid pleading," said Trinity attorney Colby M. May in an email. "No matter how hard Ms. Koper and her husband try to divert attention from their embezzlement and misappropriation of money, it won't work (regardless of how many Uncle McVeighs they marshal). As I previously reported to you in the context of Ms. Koper’s suit against Davert and Loe (of which neither TBN and ICB are not parties), the outrageous, false, and unsubstantiated assertions about TBN and ICB, which are embellished in Mr. McVeigh’s suit, are untrue. The claims are nevertheless being echo-chambered in the continuing vain attempt at diversion.

"I simply remind you of the following:

(1) Ms. Koper has admitted several times to having embezzled and misappropriated money;

(2) the IRS was months ago informed of Ms. and Mr. Koper’s conduct, and they face considerable fines and excise by the IRS;

(3) in recognition and admission of their misconduct and dishonest acts, Ms. and Mr. Koper have made partial restitution, but that stopped when they fled to New York, and

(4) at no time have any charitable assets of the Trinity Christian Center of Santa Ana Inc. or International Christian Broadcasters been 'diverted' to any director, period (except, of course, whatever Mr. and Ms. Koper diverted and embezzled)."

Update: To which Tymothy MacLeod, attorney for Koper and McVeigh, said this by email:

"TBN's spokesman, Colby May, continues to throw stones recklessly inside TBN’s crystal cathedral, but Mr. May needs to be reminded that all of the so-called ‘embezzlement’ allegations against Ms. Koper and her family were dismissed in both state and federal court, with no finding of liability or wrongdoing whatsoever by Ms. Koper. Nor has Ms. Koper ever admitted to embezzlement, as Mr. May has repeatedly and falsely asserted …. Quite to the contrary, it is Ms. Koper who is blowing the whistle on massive allegations of financial improprieties by TBN’s directors. TBN and Colby May’s childish ‘I know you are, but what am I?’ reaction in the press to these allegations is simply evasive of the real legal questions involved in the legal malpractice and malicious prosecution lawsuits that have been filed thus far. We look forward to meeting TBN in court on these charges." [For MacLeod’s full statement, click here.]

Salacious Details

McVeigh's suit says that Koper was promoted to finance director because Trinity wanted somebody within the family who would keep its "financial 'skeletons' safely in the 'closet.'"

The suit then delves into much more detail regarding the "unlawful and unreported income distributions to Trinity Broadcasting's directors" than Koper's suit does, including:

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