Armed with reams of financial records and genuine Hillsong Church board documents he received from a whistleblower, Andrew Wilkie, an independent member of the Australian Parliament, accused Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston and other leaders, including the newly appointed Global Senior Pastor Phil Dooley, of money laundering, tax evasion and shopping sprees that would "embarrass a Kardashian."
Records from the cash cow Evangelical megachurch network also showed popular American televangelists like Joyce Meyer and T.D. Jakes being paid tens of thousands of dollars in honorariums for engagements with the church. Meanwhile, others like Chris Hodges, founder and leader of Church of the Highlands, received "curious payments."
"Last year a whistleblower provided me with financial records and board papers that show that Hillsong is breaking numerous laws in Australia and around the world relating to fraud, money laundering and tax evasion," Wilkie alleged during his presentation in Parliament Thursday.
He then pointed to a document showing that in 2021, as the world grappled with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, four members of the Houston family jetted off with friends to Cancun, Mexico, for a luxury retreat lasting three days and billed the church $150,000 for it.
"These other documents show former leader Brian Houston treating private jets like Ubers — again, all with church money. For example, in one three-month period, Brian Houston's trips cost $55,000, $52,000,...
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