Cardinal Mahony under federal fraud probe over abusive priests, sources say [UPDATED]

The U.S. attorney in Los Angeles has launched a federal grand jury investigation into Cardinal Roger M. Mahony in connection with his response to the alleged molestation of children by priests in the Los Angeles Archdiocese, according to two law enforcement sources familiar with the case.

The probe, in which U.S. Atty. Thomas P. O’Brien is personally involved, is aimed at determining whether Mahony, and possibly other church leaders, committed “honest services fraud” by failing to adequately deal with priests accused of sexually abusing children, said the sources, who requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly about the investigation.

One federal law enforcement source said such a prosecution could be brought under a federal statute that makes it illegal to “scheme ... to deprive another of the intangible right of honest services.” In this case, the victims would be parishioners who relied on Mahony and other church leaders to keep their children safe from predatory priests, the source said.

-- Scott Glover and Jack Leonard

Read the full story on the federal probe at latimes.com.

Updated at 10:10 a.m.: Listen to a KNX radio interview with Mahony here.

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Comments

[Allen Chromiak]

I think it is horrible that the Church did all they could to stonewall law enforcement and delay any investigation into the monsters that are abusing children. They fish rots from the head and it is time to clean house and start fresh, Why would anyone cover-up such a sick and perverse act against children? Why refuse to supply any and all names to aid in a Police investagation? I hope no one has forgotten the delay that Cardnal Mahony felt he needed to put in place to protect the priests that were guilty of horrific crimes against children. I hope his judgement day is just!

~ Allen

[Taggart]

About time. This pious pervert-protector should have been behind bars years ago.

[Michael Ross]

This staggering and far reaching case is embelmatic of the legal maxim that the bigger the crime, the less likely you'll get punished. The Un-D.A. Cooley has dragged his heels like a dog to protect this menace to society (recall that Mahoney deigned to perform mass at Cooley's own church a few years back).

Mahoney has long since abandoned his primary duty: protect your flock.

And Cooley should be disbarred for rank dereliction of his duty to protect those in our society least able to protect themselves. Despicable.

Thank God the U.S. Attorney has the courage to go after The Pope of L.A. and expose him for what he is: the enemy of the people.

[Mike Drabik, Toledo, Oh]

FINALLY! Somebody got the courage to do what should have been done long ago. That cowardly prosecutor in L.A. wouldn't do it. So, perhaps the Feds will and the Most Reverend Archbishop Mahoney will soon be fightin' off Bubba who'll want get "to know" him reeealllll well. That's be ironic wouldn't it? The 'good' Archbishop sent priests like Oliver O'Grady in parishes, over and over again, who then continued to rape and sodmonize children. Then he ends up getting sodomized while serving a prison term for his crimes.

I do wonder, however, if it gets real hot and indictment seems inevitable if the 'good' Archbishop would suddenly disappear only to emerge in the Vatican under the protection of Pope Benedict XVI. Cardinal Law is still sitting pretty in the Vatican, after all - and nobody seems to want to indict and extradite him back here. I would make an educated guess that his 'escape' from the USA was certainly a backroom deal - fer sure!

[Kmbold]

Well said, mmd, above. I don't use the totalitarian term "hate speech" but I do recognize a dismaying piling on not just of Cardinal Mahony but the Catholic Church in general. What is behind this? Not just child molestation, because more occurs in public schools than anywhere else. Perhaps each of you should reflect on your attitude.

[Rick Britton]

This guy deserves prison.............He allowed this to go on and on. That is just criminal

[Ed]

Mahoney needs to be investigated. He is a crook and the public needs justice. Put all Catholics out of his misery and put him in jail. He is as bad as Law who, I suppose, is still hiding at the Vatigan. Investigate him and bring justice to not only him but the offending preists as well. Yes te Pope is helping to continue this problem .

[Buckwheat]

Wisconsin has ruled that what the catholic church has been doing is fraud. Why should anyone tolerate this fraud. Put Baloney and the rest of his ilk behind bars. That should include the mayors, judiciary and police who did nothing to stop this fraud. Let them all go to jail together.

[Mother Mary's Child]

Padre Pio had a dream one night the details of which he told his confessor as it seemed so real to him. In this dream, Jesus was staring down at the top hierarchy of the Church with tears streaming down His face. The Lord was very very angry. Mother Mary is also shedding her tears, telling us we are on a wrong path.
What is a church if not the mirror of God's Holiness? As the Lord criticized the hierarchy of the Jews of His time, He now condemns the hierarchy of what used to be His own church. Wake up, people!

[Vic Ferra]

When was the last time the news media ever said anything good about the church? Shameless bias! Why don't they ever mentioned the 99% good priests that are out there working tirelessly for the kingdom of God?

[Anonymous]

Actually, I heard the Vatican has finially implemented a tough new policy regarding the sex abuse scandel. Very simply, "Three Strikes and you're a Cardinal".

That was a joke there...

[Frank Granata]

This enabler of pedophiles belongs in jail... the letters between he and the Archbishop of the Mexic City Diocese concerning this issue are evidence enough for excommunication and defrocking before going to prison... I worry that his boss will find some excuse to call him to Rome before trial concludes...Transfering this scum to other parishes thereby subjecting their unsuspecting members to have their lives ruined is unpardonable; they are supposed to be the guardians of these people not their betrayers... Voltaire said, circa 1760, "For 1700 years The Christian Sect has done nothing but harm"... So continues the format of this brutal saga.... Imagine the tears that must be flowing from its Crucified Author???

[Kenneth Kafoed]

The cops had best watch the Cardinal closely as every Cardinal is a DUAL CITIZEN of their home country and the Vatican State.
Given his past criminal behavior its reasonable to assume he will skip out given the chance.

[Dan S]

Amazing how all the hateful sexual deviants here try and put the blame on a church and not themselves. Churches don't promote this stuff, you do.

[RICHARD RODRIGUEZ]

NO WONDER WE CALL HIM CARDINAL MCPHONEY. THIS GUY REMINDS ME OF THE SMILING MAYOR, MR. "I CHEAT ON MY WIFE"VILLARAIGOSA. WHEN THERE IS A ISSUE THAT MAKES THE CHURCH LOOK GOOD LIKE GIVING AMNESTY TO ILLEGALS, THIS GUY IS ALL OVER THE MEDIA. WHEN IT IS SOMETHING LIKE THIS, HE HAS A SPOKESPERSON TALK FOR HIM.
WHEN IS THE CATHOLIC CHURCH GOING TO GET OUT OF THE DARK AGES & LET PRIESTS MARRY. THIS WON'T CUT DOWN ON ALL THE PERVS BUT IT WILL CERTAINLY HELP TO EASE SOME OF THE TEMPTATION OF MOLESTING BOYS OR GIRLS WHEN HE HAS A WIFE HE CAN GO HOME TO & DO WHAT HE WANTS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. COVERING THE TRUTH IS LIKE A BANDAID FOR CANCER.

[What took so LONG!]

PARENTS continue to offer their children to the church knowing that they molest the kids!
Imagine taking your kids to visit a child molestor and then give that molestor 10% of your income!
Does any of this make sense to you?
I just don't understand how people can be so ignorant!
What a shame that our public is so blind to the truth.
HOPEfully we will see this man go to jai!
If you are one of the people still offering your kids to the church you might want to think about the TRUTH for one second before it's too late and your kid comes home screaming about what happened at CHURCH today!
A child can't be repaired he will be ruined for life so that you can I'm a church going citizen of god.
Mahony laughs in the background as you drop your kid off to visit his priests!

[Anonoymus]

I think some people are out of touch on the matter. The assignment of priests come from the highest level. Someone mentioned in a previous thread about what he has done for the Archdiocese for three decades. His Eminence has only lead this archdiocese for 24 years. Some of this abuse occurred well before he was even here! Cardinal Mahony has implemented programs to prevent this from as early as 1987. Of course, he doesn't get credited for this. He implemented Virtrus Traning for individuals both religious and layperson who serves in ministry in the Church. Los Angeles was the first archdiocese in the country to require ALL parishes to undergo this mandatory training. Of course, he doesn't get credited for this either. If the public is so worried about sexual predators in the church, then why is the public not worried when His Eminence was assaulted on the streets of Downtown Los Angeles. To me a crime is a crime no matter who happens to. For the victims of this scandal, I can understand their frustration but there has been much harm done to everyone. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is trying to correct this matter. Give them an opportunity to do so.

[JCS]

The Catholic Church is one of the most vile, corrupt organizations on the planet and should be held accountable for their 50 year (or longer) practice of shuffling priests around after accusations and admissions of abuse. Each and every bishop and cardinal, whether active or retired, should he hauled before a court and made to explain themselves.

Hurrah for the US Attorney, at last someone has the ballz to confront this organization.

[Michael Higgins]

Cardinal Mahony continues to get battered and beat up. Now, the federal government is getting into the act. When are people finally going to let this poor man alone? He's been vilified over and over again more based on people's mean-spirited prejudices than anything else. He's apologized for not adequately responding to the crimes of some of the clergy but, if truth be told, more often than not his path was recommended or at least supported by the medical community. It turns out that their advice was dead wrong. More victim s and an immense amount of suffering were the result. Still, Mahony tried to be responsible and based his decision on the best advice available. I resist thinking that the Federal Government is anti-Catholic but this constant badgering of the whole Church makes one wonder. Now the U.S. Government is going to define the role and responsibilities of a Cardinal. Are there definitions going to apply to all Cardinals anywhere in the world. Talk about hubris. It's time to get reasonable about these issues.

[Adam]

The Catholic Church covers for hundreds of pedophiles each year, this man Mahony has been the root cause of many of LA's molestations as he helped hide the priests. The Lutherns banned lesbians from their schools today. Is this a free country? One where the clergy is free to commit crimes and spread hate? Jesus showed us what to do to false temples to god.... they must be destroyed. Will any Christian soldiers do god's work and stop these men who claim to be holy but breed sin and hate across our nation?

[thunddn]

Question: Why is it that only Catholic church leaders are being so vigorously pursued...while school teachers across the country are molesting children with no prosecution for school board leaders at any level. Just wondering?

[J. Cully]

The catholic churches response to the last 18 years of sexual abuse cases has
been to throw money at it as quietley as they can for the victims. It's ridiculous already to even look at Mahoney any more in his pious costume giving political speeches about goverment policy on abortion, while his church gets a tax free
ride from the goverment. Look, the bottom line is if this guy (Mahoney) values the life of the unborn so much, where the hell has his public outrage been for all the
children whos' lives have been ruined by the sexual abuse of his preist.

[Kmbold]

To continue the aside, Frank Granata, "Voltaire, though often thought an atheist, did in fact partake in religious activities and even erected a chapel on his estate at Ferney". (Reference.com)

[frisca]

@Rose who complains about the new administration closing gitmo (which has nothing to do with this article btw), and speculating that they gonna target evangelist etc, you do realize that this cardinal might be guilty of assisting pedophiles right?? let him be investigated, and if he is innocent, he has nothing to worry about. but if he is guilty, then let him be punished for his disgusting assistance to pedophiles priests.

[ceebee]

I write this as a life-time, trusting Catholic, but one that recognizes the deep problem with priests that the Mother Church is undergoing on a continuing basis.

Cardinal Mahoney, in his position of great authority, has the responsibility to preserve the safety and wellbeing of his parishiners, and to REMOVE any priest that interferes with that. By ignoring the problem, Cardinal Mahoney becomes part of the problem and should be removed himself.

Any priest that has abused children in his parish should be removed from any further contact with children. Rather than worrying about losing a priest, Cardinal Mahoney should be worrying about the long term effects of the abuse on that child, plus the trust issue with the faith of that child's parents.

Pedophilia is a crime that people go to prison for. Why priests are merely slapped on the wrist and transferred to another parish to do it all over again, is unacceptable. It shows that: 1) The Cardinal will attempt to cover up any wrongdoing so that damages will not have to be paid; or, 2) The Cardinal feels that the sexual abuse was not wrong; or 3) No crime merits getting a priest fired from his job.

There are many dedicated priests that make their vocations their lives with no blemish whatsoever. The trust of the faithful diocese diminishes concerning ALL priests each time a suit is brought to light, therefore each case should be handled with alacrity, honesty, and perseverance, as not to encompass the reputation of every Catholic priest.