Scams are blossoming...Just a week ago we covered a very special con artists trick, and now here comes another sex & money scandal...
So, basically, what's behind Oral Roberts scandal ?
First, the facts:
Richard Roberts, Oral Roberts University President, is accused of lavish spending at donors' expense, like:
1) numerous home remodeling projects,
2) use of the university jet for his daughter's senior trip to the Bahamas, and
3) a red Mercedes convertible and a Lexus SUV for his wife, Lindsay.
Richard Roberts' wife, Lindsay Roberts, is accused of:
1) dropping tens of thousands of dollars on clothes,
2) awarding non-academic scholarships to friends of her children and
3) sending scores of text messages on university-issued cellphones to people described in the lawsuit as "underage males."
Oral Roberts University grew to become one of the most successful evangelical empires in the country, hauling in tens of millions of dollars in contributions a year. The university reported nearly $76 million in revenue in 2005.
Oral Roberts, 89, lives in California. He holds the title of chancellor. Richard Roberts presides over day-to-day operations on the campus.
The allegations are contained in a lawsuit filed Tuesday by three former professors. They sued ORU and Roberts, alleging they were wrongfully dismissed after reporting the school's involvement in a local political race.
Richard Roberts, according to the suit, asked a professor in 2005 to use his students and university resources to aid a county commissioner's bid for Tulsa mayor. Such involvement would violate state and federal law because of the university's non-profit status. Up to 50 students are alleged to have worked on the campaign.
The professors also said their dismissals came after they turned over to the board of regents a copy of a report documenting moral and ethical lapses on the part of Roberts and his family. The internal document was prepared by Stephanie Cantese, Richard Roberts' sister-in-law, according to the lawsuit.
An ORU student repairing Cantese's laptop discovered the document and later provided a copy to one of the professors.
It details dozens of alleged instances of misconduct. Here are just some Oral Roberts Scandal facts:
1) A longtime maintenance employee was fired so that an underage male friend of Mrs. Roberts could have his position.
2) Mrs. Roberts was given a white Lexus SUV and a red Mercedes convertible by ministry donors.
3) The university jet was used to take one daughter and several friends on a senior trip to Orlando, and the Bahamas. The $29,411 trip was billed to the ministry as an "evangelistic function of the president."
4) Mrs. Roberts — who is a member of the board of regents and is referred to as ORU's "first lady" on the university's website — frequently had cell-phone bills of more than $800 per month, with hundreds of text messages sent between 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. to "underage males who had been provided phones at university expense."
5) The university and ministry maintain a stable of horses for exclusive use by the Roberts' children.
6) Mrs. Roberts spent more than $39,000 at one Chico's clothing store alone in less than a year, and had other accounts in Texas and California. She also repeatedly said, "As long as I wear it once on TV, we can charge it off." The document cites inconsistencies in clothing purchases and actual usage on TV.
7) University and ministry employees are regularly summoned to the Roberts' home to do the daughters' homework.
8) The Roberts' home has been remodeled 11 times in the past 14 years.
Richard Roberts appeared on Larry King, and Oral Roberts called in. You can view the clip here:
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