Read the ruling that keeps alive a fraud lawsuit against the LDS Church
Appeals court says “a reasonable juror” could conclude that the faith’s top leaders misrepresented how funds were used to build City Creek Center.
(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Church Administration Building in downtown Salt Lake City is shown in February 2023. A fraud lawsuit against the Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been reinstated.
A federal appeals court has breathed new life into a multimillion-dollar fraud lawsuit against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
On Monday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a lower court’s ruling and revived the case brought by James Huntsman in which the former member alleges he was misled by leaders of the Utah-based faith and seeks to recover millions in tithing donations.
In a 2-1 decision, the majority judges determined that “a reasonable juror” could conclude that top Latter-day Saint leaders misrepresented how tithing was being used with regard to the City Creek Center development in downtown Salt Lake City.
Read the appellate court’s 2-1 opinion here:
[Read The Salt Lake Tribune’s story about the decision.]
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Tony covers growth and development issues for The Tribune. He is a former editor and politics reporter and has been with The Tribune since 1991.