A Catholic archdiocese has filed a lawsuit accusing a group of men of submitting dozens of false sex abuse claims against a defrocked priest to get millions in settlement payments.
“I got to get on the money train,” a man said during a phone call in state prison in 2013 to an unnamed man involved in the scheme, according to the lawsuit. He also asked the man how much money he got from a settlement payment from the archdiocese, the suit said.
The 38-page lawsuit, filed by the Archdiocese of Chicago on March 24, cites more recorded phone conversations between different men talking about how “easy” it would be to bring claims against the Catholic Church. The men are all referred to as John Does in accordance with court orders.
Associated by gang affiliation, friendship or family, the web of men was recruited, bribed, paid and coached on how to successfully pursue false claims of sex abuse in exchange for a part in the anticipated settlement, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit says the false claims have diverted “resources devoted to real victims” and reduced the ability to “expeditiously resolve claims by real victims.”
“We trust and believe people when they come forward with abuse claims,” James Geoly, general counsel for the archdiocese, said in a news release. “These individuals have violated that trust and have attempted to take advantage of it.”
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