Chicago Archdiocese lawsuit alleges group conspired to file false sex abuse claims against defrocked priest
A lawsuit filed by the Archdiocese of Chicago alleges a group of individuals conspired to bring false sexual abuse allegations against convicted child molester and defrocked priest Daniel McCormack to win millions in legal settlements.
The alleged participants — including reputed gang members and a convicted murderer — referred to the false claims as a "lick," which is a street term for theft or robbery, the lawsuit states.
One man was recorded on a phone call while in state prison saying, "I got to get on the money train, man," according to the suit, which was filed Monday in Cook County Circuit Court. The man on the other line responded, "Hell, yeah, I need some ass-free money, too. As long as [McCormack] ain't got to touch me for real, I don't give a - - - -."
The lawsuit is a counterclaim against several cases involving McCormack that were filed in late December and are still pending, according to court records. The allegations in the lawsuit don't address McCormack's past victims.
“We trust and believe people when they come forward with abuse claims. These individuals have violated that trust and have attempted to take advantage of it,” James Geoly, general counsel for the archdiocese, said in a statement. “We have a duty to oppose claims we know are false to protect and stand up for real survivors of abuse who ultimately are the ones harmed by fraud.”
McCormack pleaded guilty in 2007 to sexually abusing five children while he was a priest at St. Agatha's Church in North Lawndale. The archdiocese has paid more than $20 million to settle lawsuits alleging sexual abuse by McCormack.
The defendants in the lawsuit are listed as John Does to comply with various court orders. Many live on the West Side, and some are related to one another. The web of connected individuals includes more than two dozen people, according to the archdiocese.
Beginning about 2012, the two ringleaders of the alleged racket directed conspirators to claim they came into contact with McCormack at St. Agatha's or through a basketball team that McCormack coached, the lawsuit states.
In exchange for "scripts," the men received a cut of the settlements. They did this because they blew through the money they received from their own settlements over alleged sexual abuse claims against McCormack, the suit states.
The men "had a financial motive to identify, select, and assist other persons to bring false claims of abuse for profit," the suit states.
One man who had pursued a false claim was allegedly caught on tape admitting that he was never involved with St. Agatha's or the basketball program.
"I wasn't even in a program, and, you feel me, I got a lick on 'em," the man said, according to the lawsuit.
The settlement money was spent on trips to Las Vegas and Miami as well as for buying cars, including a Mercedes-Benz and an Audi, the lawsuit states. The men showed off their money on social media.
This isn't the first time the archdiocese has taken aim at false claims of abuse. In 2017, it won a lawsuit against a man who was found to have made false allegations of abuse against McCormack.
"False claims make it necessary to investigate all claims more aggressively, which places a greater burden on true survivors," Geoly said. "Our attention is directed toward survivors, not fraudsters seeking to gain financially from others’ pain and suffering.”
The suit seeks damages from the defendants and injunctive relief to stop the false claims from being filed.