Trinity President Ole Anthony explains the scope and the reasons behind the foundation’s investigations into religious fraud around the world.
Televangelist Todd Coontz Begins Prison Term for Tax Evasion
Televangelist William Todd Coontz is finally serving a five-year prison sentence for filing fraudulent tax returns and failing to pay his federal income taxes.
On April 3, 2019, WSOC-TV investigative producer Michael Stolp tweeted,”It appears Todd Coontz is officially a prison inmate, but maybe not for long. Per court documents he was scheduled to voluntarily surrender to the Bureau of Prisons yesterday. His attorneys filed a motion for release pending trial, which a 3 judge panel approved 2-1 yesterday.”
Coontz served one day and was then released. Coontz would appeal his tax conviction all the way to the United States Supreme Court, which denied the final appeal on February 22, 2021.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator reports that Coontz is now serving time at the Pensacola Federal Prison Camp, a minimum security prison in Pensacola, Florida. Coontz is scheduled for release on June 3, 2025.
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James MacDonald’s Walk in the Word Failed to Report Donations to IRS
In response to the infamous Jim Bakker/PTL scandal, Congress held a hearing in 1987. Pastor D. James Kennedy testified, “I would think that if a person is going to give money to something, that they have … a responsibility to learn where it is going.”
But how can donors make responsible decisions if charities and churches are not transparent about their finances?
James MacDonald’s ministry Walk in the Word (WITW) reported to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that it received $0 in donations for a three-year period encompassing July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2014. A Trinity Foundation investigation has determined the ministry failed to report donations from non-profit charitable foundations.
In 2012, WITW received $16,000 from Mitchell Swaback Charities and $11,563 from the National Christian Charitable Foundation.
In 2013, WITW received $2,000 from the Everett D & Geneva V Sugarbaker Foundation, $600 from the Fish Family Foundation of Maine, $10,000 from Mitchell Swaback Charities, $13,590 from the National Christian Charitable Foundation, and $5,000 from the Overbeck Family Foundation.
In 2014, the National Christian Charitable Foundation gave WITW $257,638, but it is difficult to determine if the money was given throughout the year or after the fiscal year ended on June 30th.
The failure to report at least $58,000 to the IRS should serve as a red flag for supporters of James MacDonald. Where did the money go?
For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2014, WITW switched from filing the Form 990-EZ to the Form 990-N, which does not disclose total revenue or total expenses.
Although the Form 990-N is restricted to organizations normally receiving $50,000 or less in revenue, WITW used the form while receiving more than $270,000 from foundations in 2015.
More recently, the National Christian Charitable Foundation donated $82,696 in 2017.
The Same Name Game
When two separate organizations operate with the same name or similar names, it creates an opportunity for multiple bank accounts with the same name and opportunities for financial abuses. Trinity Foundation calls this “the same name game.”
While MacDonald served as pastor, Harvest Bible Chapel registered the tradename Walk in the Word Ministries and transferred more than $2 million in assets from WITW to the church.
It is possible that all the charitable foundation donations were transferred from WITW to the church. However, the 990-EZ and 990-N documents do not show such transfers.
Furthermore, many of the charitable foundations giving donations to WITW identify the recipient not just by name, but also by Employer Identification Number (EIN) 36-4218233. Clearly, their goal was to support the media ministry of MacDonald rather than the church.
Continue reading “James MacDonald’s Walk in the Word Failed to Report Donations to IRS”
Suspicious Financial Dealings and Sexual Abuse at Christian Camp
MinistryWatch recently reported, “An analysis of the financial statements by MinistryWatch, with the assistance of the Dallas-based Trinity Foundation, reveals what the Trinity Foundation calls a ‘suspicious’ pattern of self-dealing between Kanakuk and founder ‘Coach’ Joe White and his family.
Kanakuk Ministries is one of the largest Christian camps in the United States. Each summer, it serves more than 20,000 children from around the country. Its fiscal year 2017 revenue topped $35-million.”
Self-dealing occurs when non-profit executives operate a for-profit company which does business with the non-profit organization. This is not illegal unless the for-profit company excessively profits off the non-profit entity.
Self-dealing may represent a conflict of interest. Independent board members should carefully vet such transactions and only approve them if the costs are based on competitive, fair market prices, which Kanakuk Ministries claims to have done.
Kanakuk Ministries rented property from Kukorp LLC and K-Land One LLC of which both are owned by White family members. Kanakuk Ministries also provided a $310,000 loan to Kukorp.
The MinistryWatch investigation revealed, “If you add up all these numbers, Kanakuk Ministries paid the Whites, or entities wholly owned by the Whites, $572,132 in 2017.”
MinistryWatch has published two articles concerning sex crimes allegedly committed at Kanakuk Ministries.
* Website Documenting History of Sexual Abuse at Kanakuk Kamps Goes Live
* Knew of Abuser’s Behavior At Least 6 Years Before Finally Firing Him
MinistryWatch reported, “A civil complaint alleges that there were at least 57 victims, but the prosecutor in his case estimates that the real number could be in the ‘hundreds.'”
Kanakuk Ministries was not on our radar until Warren Cole Smith, president of MinistryWatch reached out with questions. In fact, that is how many of our investigations begin: A journalist, concerned donor, church member or employee calls or emails us with questions or tips.
According to an Association of Certified Fraud Examiners 2020 report, “43% of occupational frauds were detected by a tip.”
If you have a question or inside information about a ministry or church, please share it with us. We are especially interested in tips about fraud (which involves deception – and we are not accusing Kanakuk Ministries of fraud), theft, abusive behavior or excess (such as extravagant spending on homes, vehicles, clothing and private jets).
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Video Blog Investigates TV Preacher Jet Flights
Have you ever wondered where televangelists travel on privately owned and ministry owned jets? We take a critical look at televangelist flights in the first episode of our new 30 minute long video blog Air Traffic Out-of-Control.
For almost twenty years, Trinity Foundation has tracked televangelist aircraft and we’ve discovered TV preachers often travel after the Christmas holiday season ends. January 2nd was a busy day for televangelist and ministry aircraft.
We will also show you how to search for aircraft in the Federal Aviation Administration registry and track televangelist aircraft on the website ADSB Exchange.
Our first episode also features sermon clips in which televangelists Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar and Jesse Duplantis talk about their use of jets. Duplantis claims that 99% of the time he travels alone. Is this good stewardship?
Our next episode of Air Traffic Out-of-Control will explore the operating costs of private aircraft. We are hoping to publish it in April.
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IRS Finalizes Tax on Non-Profit Organizations with Million Dollar Salaries and Parachute Payments
Correction:
Following the publication of this article, Trinity Foundation was informed that it included a factual error: An exemption existed in the tax code preventing ministers from being subject to the excise tax. After more research and visiting an IRS office, we have an update.
Before publication, we contacted an IRS spokesperson and were told the excise tax on excessive compensation applied to churches based on Section 3401. While asking follow-up questions, a misunderstanding emerged regarding the role of Section 3401.
Congress authored and adopted Section 3401 as part of the tax code. It defines terms such as wages and employer, while creating a list of exemptions from other tax rules and regulations for income earned from specific jobs. Definition number 9 exempts “services performed by a duly ordained, commissioned, or licensed minister of a church in the exercise of his ministry.”
A church will be subject to the excise tax only if it pays more than $1 million in wages to an employee that is NOT a minister and NOT an independent contractor. Trinity Foundation has investigated several churches that have paid attorneys more than $1 million. However, attorneys typically work as independent contractors and pay their own taxes directly rather than being paid as a payroll tax by the church.
The excise tax on parachute payments will not be applied to ministers either.
We are sorry for all confusion created by the original article. The updated version of the article features includes a strikethrough of two sentences and three additions in bold text.
The IRS has finalized its rules on an excise tax to discourage excessive compensation at non-profit organizations. In its February 16th Bulletin, the IRS announced an update to section 4960 of the Internal Tax Code taxing non-profit organizations and churches that pay “covered employees” who are not ministers more than $1 million in wages or provide excessive parachute payments.
The Bulletin explains that a covered employee “is one of the five highest-compensated employees of the organization…” These individuals are typically listed on a Form 990 filed with the IRS. Churches, synagogues and mosques are exempt from filing the financial disclosure document.
When covered employees (non-ministers), who are often executives, receive more than $1 million in wages or excessive parachute payments, the non-profit must file a Form 4720 Schedule N. Then the non-profit organization must pay a 21% tax on the excessive compensation.
In 2018, the IRS modified the Form 990, revealing if organizations have paid an excise tax on payments of more than $1 million. Excise payments are indicated on page 5, line 15 of the Form 990.
Trinity Foundation examined MinistryWatch’s list of highly paid compensated ministry leaders and determined that Inspirational Network, High Point University and Educational Media Foundation (K-Love) pay the excise tax.
Hillsdale College and Glory of Zion International (Chuck Pierce) so far do not report paying the excise tax even though both feature an executive receiving more than $1 million in compensation. This is not proof of wrongdoing because some compensation is exempt from the excise tax such as an organization carrying liability insurance on an employee. Pierce also serves as a minister and his compensation is not subject to the excise tax.
This excise tax penalizes excessive wages, not fees. If a pastor is paid to perform a wedding, the income is considered a fee and would not subject to an excise tax.
Besides excessive wages, the IRS also treats parachute payments as a form of excessive compensation.
After Jerry Falwell Jr. resigned from Liberty University last year, journalists reported the disgraced university administrator could receive $10.5 million in parachute payments.
According to The Wall Street Journal, “Mr. Falwell is due his $1.25 million salary for two years, followed by a lump-sum payment of about $8 million, because of a clause in his contract that allowed him to resign with full pay if his responsibilities were curtailed.”
Trinity Foundation estimates Liberty University will pay a tax penalty of $1,530,383 on golden parachute payments of $10.5 million.
Future Form 990 filings by Liberty University will show whether or not an excise tax is paid on the parachute payments.
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Court Case Updates
The Covid-19 pandemic has delayed the courts from hearing numerous court cases. A year ago, Trinity Foundation shared a list of eight court cases we are monitoring. Our list is growing as more lawsuits have been filed against religious organizations.
In May 2020, we reported that a panel of judges upheld televangelist Todd Coontz’s conviction of tax evasion. Then justice got delayed again. Coontz appealed his conviction to the United States Supreme Court which finally denied his appeal on February 22, 2021.
In 2018, Mail America Communications sued Benny Hinn, alleging the televangelist’s World Healing Center Church owed the publisher almost $3 million. Oral arguments are scheduled for April 7, 2021.
National Outreach Foundation Inc. (NOFI), one of the few non-profit organizations to have its tax-exempt status revoked by the IRS in 2020, has sued the federal government in US Tax Court.
NOFI is operated by a husband-and-wife team with no additional independent board members or employees. Therefore, no oversight is available for the organization.
In 2017, NOFI generated $62,185,730 in revenue and spent only $425,125 in grants to charitable organizations. Therefore, less than 1% of revenue was spent on charity. If NOFI were a private charity it would be required to pay out at least 5% annually of its total assets.
Governance Project: Documenting Financial Transparency and Board Governance in Church and Ministry Leadership
Two of the most dangerous trends in Christianity are the growing rejection of financial transparency and removal of leadership oversight in megachurches and ministries. Such actions create an environment where wolves in sheep’s clothing turn the Church into a marketplace and victimize an undiscerning flock.
To document these trends, Trinity Foundation established the Governance Project, a database providing information on how religious organizations are governed.
While looking at amended articles of incorporation for televangelist churches, Trinity Foundation investigators discovered that many televangelists were eliminating church member voting rights. Church legal documents frequently used the phrase “the corporation elects to have no members.”
By vesting all decision-making power in a board of directors which are often hand-picked friends or employees, pastors consolidate power in their organizations and eliminate church member oversight.
As a result, congregations are denied the opportunity to approve church spending or to vote on the removal of abusive pastors. Continue reading “Governance Project: Documenting Financial Transparency and Board Governance in Church and Ministry Leadership”
Trinity Foundation Investigation: $78.6 Million in Government Guaranteed Loans Given to Televangelists
For months, Trinity Foundation has investigated televangelists receiving Paycheck Protection Program forgivable loans. Our findings:
- At least $78.6 million in loans were given to religious TV networks, independent religious TV stations, TV preachers, and churches/media ministries with national TV programs. The total would exceed $82 million if we include churches with 24/7 streaming channels in the same class as television.
- Trinity Broadcasting of Texas received a loan of $3.3 million even though its parent organization may have close to $500 million invested in securities.
Inside Edition Examines Vacation Use of Televangelist Jet
Daystar Television — An exposé of Marcus and Joni Lamb’s usage of Daystar Television Network’s Gulfstream V business jet aired this afternoon on Inside Edition with a little help from Trinity Foundation. A small portion of our extensive database of televangelist ministry aircraft and flight log data came in handy. The program showed a couple of Lamb family social media posts—one talking about “our amazing fam on Vacay” and another “memories made on their family beach vacation”.
In a brief, brisk walking interview with reporter Lisa Guerrero, Marcus Lamb told Lisa that yes, there was a vacation but that they had several meetings with ministers while there. After being approved for a Corona Virus related paycheck protection (“PPP”) loan guaranteed by the US government, Daystar purchased the Gulfstream jet; however, Mr. Lamb stated that none of that PPP money went toward the purchase of the jet.
Investigative Reporters Examine Religious Fraud Across Latin America
An ambitious investigation of religious fraud cases shows that religious leaders are rarely prosecuted, and churches are increasingly participants in money laundering.
The Cross-Borders Data Project at Columbia University has partnered with journalists across Latin America to investigate religious fraud. Journalists examined more than 60 investigations and court cases where churches or religious leaders were suspected of committing crimes. Continue reading “Investigative Reporters Examine Religious Fraud Across Latin America”