Private jets, 13 mansions and a $100,000 mobile home just for the dogs

By Nina Golgowski
16:21 EST, 23 March 2012

Two former employees of the world's largest Christian television channel Trinity Broadcasting Network are accusing the non-profit of spending $50 million of its funding on extravagant personal expenses.

Among purchases, the network founded by Televangelists Paul and Jan Crouch, is accused of misappropriating its 'charitable assets' toward a $50 million jet, 13 mansions and a $100,000-mobile home for Mrs Crouch's dogs.

Their granddaughter, Brittany Koper, 26, recently filed her allegations in court after a brief appointment as the network's chief finance director in July.

Accused: Brittany Koper, center, recently filed a suit accusing the Trinity Broadcasting Network, its founders Janice Crouch (left) and Paul Crouch Sr (far right), in squandering $50 million of its funding

She claims she was fired in September after discovering the 'illegal financial schemes' according to the lawsuit obtained by the Los Angeles Times, and consequently reporting them to Mr Crouch.

Her lawsuit follows a second by another former employee and Koper in-law, Joseph McVeigh, the uncle of Mrs Koper's husband, Michael Koper, who detailed the opulent spending by the Christian network.

According to Mr McVeigh's accounts filed in his lawsuit, the network used their collections for side-by-side mansions in Florida, as well as in Texas, Tennessee and California.

The network's $50 million luxury jet was purchased through a sham loan while Mrs Crouch's personal jet, a Hawker, totalled $8 million, according to his suit.

Dog house: Mrs Koper claims she was fired after reporting financial irregularities in their spending which according to one of two suits filed accuses Mrs Crouch of spending $100,000 on a mobile home for her dogs

The 13 properties listed in the suit were also referred to as 'guest homes' or 'church parsonages' while their directors also received $300,000 to $500,000 in meal expenses, as well as the use of chauffeurs.

The suit also accuses the network of using funds to cover up sex scandals according to the Times' review of the suit.

CLAIMED EXPENDITURES

$100,000-mobile home for Mrs Crouch's dogs
$50 million luxury jet purchased through a sham loan
$8 million personal Hawker jet for Mrs Crouch
13 properties listed in the suit as 'guest homes' or 'church parsonages' in Florida, Texas, Tennessee and California
$300,000 to $500,000 meal expenses for network directors, as well as the use of chauffeurs

In a reverse lawsuit filed by debt-collection company Redemption Strategies last year, the Kopers have been accused of forging documents to obtain items such as several vehicles, jewelry, a boat, motorcycle, and life insurance. The debt collection company was registered with the state by a TBN attorney one day before it filed suit against Mr Koper.

They accuse Mr McVeigh of also receiving thousands of dollars from the non-profit without their authorization.

That lawsuit against Mr McVeigh and Mr Koper was later dropped by the court, but not before Mrs Koper and two in-laws were added as defendants.

Mrs Koper countersued, alleging that TBN's attorneys formed Redemption Strategies to retaliate against her for whistleblowing.

Her suit doesn't list TBN as a defendant, but it alleges that Mrs Koper was fired and made to turn over her house, condominium, life insurance policy, car, furniture and jewelry as 'an act of Christian contrition' when she complained about the financial misdeeds at TBN.

In the similar suit filed by Mr McVeigh, he alleges that TBN attorneys also targeted him as part of a campaign of retaliation for his reporting of their lavish spending.

TBN attorney Colby May called the McVeigh's lawsuit a 'tabloid filing' and said the allegations in both cases were 'utterly and completely contrived.'

TBN suspects McVeigh, who claims he received a $65,000 loan from the family empire, was working with the Kopers to steal money from the ministry, Mr May said.

Attacks: The family feud could draw further scrutiny of TBN after its previous trouble with allegations of a homosexual encounter by Mr Crouch and a five-year battle with the FCC

The network's spending is in line with its mission to spread the gospel throughout the world, Mr May said, and the Crouches travel by private jet because they have had 'scores of death threats, more than the president of the United States.'

The ministry keeps large amounts of cash in reserve because incurring debt goes against the Biblical exhortation to 'owe no man any thing,' he said.

'The answer is, there is no fire there,' Mr May said. 'They pay as they go and every now and then one of the things that they pay as they go on is the acquisition of a broadcast facility and that's a multi-million dollar transaction.'

The outbreak of legal skirmish offers a rare window into the secretive world of the sprawling religious non-profit and exposes a family feud that could draw more outside scrutiny of TBN. Attorneys from both sides say they have contacted police and the Internal Revenue Service...Read much more + Pics @Source