Buffalo Slapped With RICO Lawsuit, by Stephen Wynne

By Stephen Wynne, Church Militant, August 16, 2019

Suit alleges diocesan ‘racketeering enterprise’ facilitated sex abuse

BUFFALO, N.Y. (ChurchMilitant.com) – The scandal-plagued diocese of Buffalo is now the subject of a RICO lawsuit.

Acting on behalf of almost two dozen predator priest victims, on Wednesday, Buffalo-area attorney Kevin Stocker filed suit against the diocese, alleging “a pattern of racketeering activity” that concealed and facilitated clerical sex abuse.

The lawsuit also names as defendants Bp. Richard Malone, Bp. Emeritus Edward U. Kmiec, Christ the King Seminary, the USA Northeast Province of the Society of Jesus, various diocesan-affiliated funds as well as multiple Buffalo-area priests, parishes and high schools.

Enacted in 1970, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) was designed to combat organized crime. Owing to “the number of priests involved, the extent of the cover-up and the transferring around to unsuspecting parishes and parents,” RICO is undoubtedly applicable to the Church, Stocker told Church Militant on Friday.

https://youtu.be/MbrLhUosj3k

“When you take a step back and look at all the dioceses in this country, all the priests, and all the victims involved — and then also worldwide — it’s a problem,” he said. “It comes across to me as an organization that has criminal activity and is making money based on that activity. This is the RICO definition.” ….

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