ame church corruption

Powell, who was a bishop in the church, was charged with one count of mail fraud and, both he and Quintana were indicted on various counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. Officials from the AME Churchs retirement services office in Memphis, Tennessee, didnt respond to questions sent by the Tribune. By Popular Demand The Sinister Bryant AME Connection. In 2021, however, the New York state attorney general sued Church of God in Christ pastor Kevin Griffin, saying he had allegedly received $900,000 from Vahdat, including $450,000 from the sale of Childs Memorial. There are more than 500 AME churches in Georgia alone, according to church officials. You can unsubscribe at any time. Although the Council of Bishops is empowered by the positive law of the church to act on behalf of the Connectional Church membership between regular sessions, accused bishops within the Council of Bishops arein essencepart of the leadership and not just an oversight body. All rights reserved. In his 1960 book, The Semisovereign People, the political scientist Elmer E. Schattschneider argued that economic inequality was a form of voter suppression. That condemnation came after the settlements, which were signed in 2021, were made public in late August, according to the bishops. The African Methodist Episcopal Church has sued a former executive who oversaw its pension plan's investment portfolio, charging that he and others embezzled money and defrauded its clergy and. In light of the above, it is the expectation of those concerned or affected members that structures conferred with authority, in terms of the positive law of the church, should take concerns raised very seriously. A 55-year-old female church bookkeeper embezzled a modest $3,000 dollars but was sentenced to eight years in prison. at 523. The AME Church does not appear to have taken an official stand on the Equality Actor other issues regarding non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people. According to the Religious News Service (RNS), on August 31, the AME Church released a statement that condemned "the inappropriate practices of our colleague and the former presiding elder in the . Reverend Dunn's complaint links the circumstances of his contractual rights and alleged breach to the circumstances surrounding his ecclesiastical status and/or endorsement by the Church, as well as the policies and practices of the AME Church. 2326, 2331, 60 L.Ed.2d 931 (1979), which helps to assure that RICO is not expanded to provide "a federal cause of action and treble damages to every tort plaintiff." More than $90 million missing from AME pension funds, lawsuits claim. Quintana and Powell allegedly falsified bank statements, left out pertinent information and created fraudulent documents to prove that the congregations agreed to the new mortgages. As to the civil RICO claim, the plaintiff has failed to plead specific facts, and has instead supplied the Court with mere conclusory allegations as to the injuries he has sustained as a result of the defendant's alleged fraudulent behavior. Your Money, Your Life, LATEST LISTS This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 1998). They "did not inform the private lenders of the true facts, and they did not inform the local congregations of the new mortgages using the local church properties as collateral," prosecutors said. To state a valid civil RICO claim under 18 U.S.C. The scheme reportedly unraveled in 2019 when the loans on the churches began to default. The Rev. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". On the program the host Dion Evans made []. Pastor Troy Venning greets parishioners after an Easter service on April 17, 2022, at Quinn AME Chapel in the South Loop. Yesterday, the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AMEC) General Counsel Douglass Selby confirmed that lawyers hired by the church filed a lawsuit against former AMEC Department of Retirement. Express, Inc., 829 F.2d 1201; Nodine v. Textron, Inc., 819 F.2d 347; Morast v. Lance, 807 F.2d 926; see also Sedima S.P.R.L. It was officially formed in 1821 in New York City, but operated for a number of years before then. A plaintiff, however, must plead specific facts, not mere conclusory allegations, to avoid dismissal. See, e.g., Hafner v. Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, 616 F. Supp. Brenda Lamothe against First AME of Los Angeles Rev. A class-action lawsuit was filed later in March by a retired Maryland pastor who claimed that risky investments made by a former pension head resulted in a nearly $90 million loss in pension fund savings. Id. South Carolina Congressman James Clyburn, the House Majority Whip, says a white supremacist who targeted an African American congregation at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C., in 2015 . In the instant case, the plaintiff alleges inter alia that his "pastoral career has been destroyed as a result of Defendant's actions," that he has "lost Pastoral income past, present, and future as a result of Defendant's actions," and that he has suffered mental anguish and damage to his reputation. The pension problem has certainly crossed Bishop Whites mind, as he prepares for the end of his ministerial career that began in his native Florida and lasted more than 40 years. The church is among the largest U.S. Protestant denominations and its retirement plan covers about 5,000 participants, including ministers and bishops. The Rev. That loss must be an actual "concrete financial loss of the plaintiffs own money." 1994)). Wake up . Bryant, 32, then spent . denied, 506 U.S. 1020, 113 S.Ct. By BET Staff January 28, 2022 / 3:52 PM pastorscott Two former leaders of the. 1988) (citing Pujol v. Shearson/Am. . The plaintiff has not been assigned a Church appointment in the five years since he has filed suit, which he believes is due to his disapproval of and opposition to the pre-offering program. The Human Rights Campaign, All Rights Reserved. But the story of the AME Church commands more than a simple definition. The Human Rights Campaign uses cookies to improve your site experience. The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, or the AME Zion Church ( AMEZ) is a historically African-American Christian denomination based in the United States. Norman P. Stein, a professor at Drexel Universitys Kline School of Law and an expert on pensions, explained that church pensions as well as those for church-affiliated entities such as hospitals, were exempt from federal law that sets standards for most voluntarily established retirement and health plans in private industry. When the elaborate scheme reportedly was first. Nashville, TN 37212, Toxic Leadership in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. AME Exposed John Hunter Takes on Major League Baseball?! Plaintiff Reverend Albert Dunn, an ordained Itinerant Elder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church ("AME Church"), filed this action against The Board of Incorporators of the AME Chruch; Bishop Donald George Kenneth Ming, Chairman; The Council of Bishops and Bishop John Richard Bryant. They all have been charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images. His crime led to eight years in prison and the requirement to pay the money back. The action was initiated by reports earlier this year that a substantial number of congregations and clergy in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo had joined with the AME Zion Church due to a lack of Episcopal supervision over several years. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Pastor Troy Venning greets parishioners after an Easter service on April 17, 2022, at Quinn AME Chapel in the South Loop. In August 2003, after an article in USA Today incorrectly stated that the African Methodist Episcopal Church ordained gay ministers, Bishop Richard Franklin Norris issued this statement refuting that position and instructed all AME pastors to read it to their congregations:The official position of the African Methodist Episcopal Church is not in favor of the ordination of openly gay persons to the ranks of clergy in our church. It does not store any personal data. When the elaborate scheme reportedly was first initiated, the churches involved had little to no debt. The African Methodist Episcopal Churchhas traditionally established no formal policy onissues that affect LGBTQ people. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune), Weve got some other issues that need to be resolved when we get through with this process to make sure this would never happen again, White said. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune). Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact According to the AARP Foundation, which recently joined the suit on behalf of about 5,000 church employees and retirees, participants in the AME Church retirement plan had been told for years that contributions from individual local churches were invested in a conservative life insurance company and that the plans were covered by federal pension protections. Kaloma Smith, the pastor at University AME Zion, said, We are grateful to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for bringing this case forward. News of the pension crisis has spread to AME churches across the country, including in Chicago, where church leaders say theyre waiting to receive more information about the pending investigation. But not his teammates. Bethlehem AME Church 2200 Bethlehem Church Lane La Grange, Texas 78945 979-247-5010. The court filing is the most detailed public account from the AME Church of troubles at its retirement-services department since the .css-1h1us5y-StyledLink{color:var(--interactive-text-color);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1h1us5y-StyledLink:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}institution notified ministers last fall that it had discovered irregularities. The actions of Dr. Harris and others are also the subject of an ongoing law enforcement investigation. The Episcopal Church is the American iteration of the Anglican Church or Church of England. Vahdat also has signed a settlement with the attorney general, offering to make good on his companys promises to the churches or allow them to back out of their deals. Third, and probably most important, is whether the individual "engaged in activities traditionally considered ecclesiastical or religious." The AARP Foundation has joined as co-counsels in a Maryland lawsuit against the AME Church, filed on March 22 in U.S. District Court in Maryland by the law film Kantor & Kantor. however, a study conducted more recently reveals that :the relationship between gender and corruption differs by institutional context,; that is to say, where corruption is stigmatized, women will be less tolerant of it:because gender discrimination makes violating institutional norms a The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". New Orleans, compared to other cities, was a greater mix of cultures (Spanish, French, English, etc.) According to the settlements, any sale must be approved by a state court or by the attorney generals office. In a 2017 Lifeway Research survey, a majority (66%) of Americans ages 23-30 said they stopped attending church on a regular basis for at least a year after turning 18 . The decision marked the first vote on the issue of marriage rights for same-sex couples by a predominantly African-American denomination. According to the settlement, Ingram misused his authority because he authorized or caused to be authorized what were supposed to be arms-length sale transactions to the Developer with full knowledge of the personal financial benefits he was receiving from the Developer at the same time.. Richard Allen and Rev. However, the First Circuit concluded that the plaintiffs allegations that he was fired, slandered, and otherwise injured because of the actions he took to report and stop the illegal schemes were not proximately caused by the predicate acts allegedly committed by his employer, which included securities fraud, mail fraud, and wire fraud. Other defendants named in the complaint are cross-defendant Symetra Financial Corporation, and third-party defendants Robert Eaton, Jarrod Erwin, Randall Erwin, Financial Freedom Group, Inc., Motorskill Asia Venture Group, Motorskill Asia Ventures 1, LP, Motorskill Venture Group, Motorskill Ventures 1, LP, and Rodney Brown & Company. 1964 (c)). Yesterday, the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AMEC) General Counsel Douglass Selby confirmed that lawyers hired by the church filed a lawsuit against former AMEC Department of Retirement Services Executive Director Rev. He also supposedly paid off an existing mortgage. Cedric V. Alexander, a retired pastor with the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Inc., has filed a proposed class-action lawsuit alleging that the denomination lost some 70% or nearly $100 million from its retirement plan through "foolish . It is itself part of the leadership that members would expect it to oversee, which could be seen as a conflict of interest. AME Zion Church leaders demanded that Powell relinquish the property deeds to their respective churches. The loss cited cannot be a mere "injury to a valuable intangible property interest," such as the one cited here. 1999); McClure v. Salvation Army, 460 F.2d at 558-559 (matters such as a minister's salary, his place of assignment and his duty are matters of church administration and government, and are beyond the purview of civil authorities). Moreover, the plaintiff references the Minister's Bill of Rights, the alleged guarantees of which include an Itinerant Minister's salary and a parsonage, two benefits that are generally conferred upon those whose activities are considered ecclesiastical or religious. AME Exposed John Hunter Sexual Harassment Lawsuit: It is Resolved, Black Church Protest of FAIR Education Act Typifies Hypocrisy and Misguided Leadership. As a preliminary matter, however, a plaintiff must establish that he has standing to sue. By toxic leadership, I mean ongoing, deliberate, abusive, abrasive, demeaning, unreasonable, demanding, destructive, and intentional actions by leaders to undermine the sense of dignity, self-worth, and efficacy of pastors and lay members of the church. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". With the help of our legal team, the AMEC community is committed to holding those responsible accountable and recovering embezzled funds.. AME Exposed John Hunter Sexual Harassment Suit Settlement 3 MILLION DOLLARS! Now, 145 years later, that cornerstone has been unearthed. Litig., 51 F.3d at 523. SistersInc. First, the Court must consider whether employment decisions regarding the position at issue are made "largely on religious criteria." The African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church is rooted in the Methodist tradition and, while largely African-American, welcomes all races, nationalities, and cultures. 1994) (quoting Oscar v. University Students Co-op Ass'n, 965 F.2d 783, 786 (9th Cir.) "The indictment alleges that Powell and Quintana conspired to defraud AME Zion Church congregations in Oakland, San Jose, Palo Alto, and Los Angeles by re-deeding the local congregations' properties in the name of WED Inc.," prosecutors said. Privacy Policy The church is no different were not exempt from the process.. As mentioned supra, in order to qualify for RICO standing, the plaintiff is required to demonstrate that he has suffered a "loss to his business or property." 1990). v. Imrex Co., et al., 473 U.S. at 496. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune). A group of New York clergy took more than $1 million from a real estate developer who sought to turn distressed Black churches into lucrative properties, according to settlements with the states attorney general. The word episcopal refers to the church's bishop-led form of governance. Authorities allege the two took control of congregations' properties and used them to secure loans to benefit themselves in a scheme that ran from around October 2016 to late July 2021, according to the indictment, which was filed Jan. 6 and unsealed Tuesday. A lifelong AME member, Bishop Mitchell has led the 12th District (Oklahoma and Arkansas) since 2016. AMEC immediately engaged experienced legal professionals and forensic experts to conduct a comprehensive and independent investigation. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Established by Reverend Richard Allen, a former slave and . The pair used false statements, omitted information and faked documents to manufacture evidence that local congregations agreed to the new mortgages. Express, Inc., 829 F.2d 1201 (1St Cir. 1992). R. Civ. The complaint details a complex scheme perpetrated over more than two decades by Dr. Harris in his role as Executive Director of the AMEC Department of Retirement Services. Even if that materializes and, of course, nobody knows (if) these lawsuits are going to succeed or not.. All Rights Reserved. Founding: Established by Richard Allen in 1816 as Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the AME national convention in July 2004, delegates voted to forbid ministers from performing marriage or civil union ceremonies for same-sex couples. 1996). Dr. Along with Robert Eaton and Financial Technologies, LLC, who were retained by Dr. Harris as the AMECs exclusive broker, and other parties, Dr. Harris is alleged to have used his position to among other things, defraud and steal from AMEC., As part of this scheme, Dr. Harris repeatedly represented to the AMEC a deceptive, false, and grossly inflated value for the Annuity Plan. The discrepancy between the value of Annuity Plan funds invested in Symetra reported by Dr. Harris versus the actual value of the plan was significant. The settlements show that a bishop, two pastors and a pastors wife sought to conceal the kickbacks from congregations that owned the buildings, as well as from state officials. Full title:REVEREND ALBERT L. DUNN, Plaintiff, v. THE BOARD OF INCORPORATORS OF THE, Court:United States District Court, N.D. Texas, Dallas Division. Litig. Casetext, Inc. and Casetext are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice. The complaint states, AMEC learned that only about $37,000,000.00 of Dr. Harriss previously reported $128,000,000.00 valuation of the Annuity Plan was held by Symetra. There is no evidence that the total value of the retirement fund reported by Rev. Baker, 75 F.3d at 196; Spivey v. Robertson, 197 F.3d 772, 774 (5th Cir. The Doctrine and Discipline of the AME Church outlines processes and procedures required to elect church leadership. The effects of a deepening pension scandal that has rocked the nation's oldest Black church group are still being assessed by local church officials, though they're hopeful that a federal. This program was implemented by Defendant Bishop Bryant at AME Churches in the Tenth Episcopal District (the plaintiffs home district) for ten years. I think this has been a real disaster and I think were just starting to see a lot these plans start failing. When John Wesley started Methodism, he was an Anglican minister, and . A lot of anti-slavery advocates were members of . Box 1857 Memphis, TN 38101-1857 Phone: +(800) 992-6327 [office] +(800) 992-5285 [fax] E-mail: amec_des@bellsouth.net AME Church Department of Retirement Services African Methodist Episcopal Church The Christian Recorder Visitor Count: #220 They are scheduled to appear in a Northern District court in California via Zoom on February 2, 2022. Two pastors face 20 years in prison after allegedly defrauding the federal government of $14 million in loans. OAKLAND A former bishop and lay leader of an historically African American church have been charged in a scheme to defraud Bay Area congregations by obtaining $14 million in loans and . Particularly, this lawsuit is going to have to take a lot of time to be successful. I know theres still some uncertainty to it Im not privy to every single detail and the investigation is still underway but I know the church bishops, including our folks who are in position to effect change in a real way, are doing everything in their power to make the church whole, he added. Feb. 15, 2002). 1985) (assuming that the specific allegations of the amended complaint constitute the plaintiffs best case). Those buildings would then be demolished and replaced by multistory structures, which would contain a sanctuary for the church to worship in, with the rest controlled by the developer. Next, the plaintiff alleges that as an individual member of the AME Church, he has suffered damages to the extent that the alleged diverted funds acquired as a result of the "pre-offering" program could have been used to fund the various ministries, programs, colleges, or other goals and functions of the AME Church. A History of the African Methodist Episcopal Church: Being a Volume Supplemental to A History of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, by Daniel Alexander Payne, D.D., LL.D., Late One of Its Bishops: Chronicling the Principal Events in the Advance of the African Methodist Episcopal Church from 1856 to 1922. 1962, a plaintiff must allege: (1) the conduct (2) of an enterprise (3) through a pattern (4) of racketeering activity. P. 12(b)(6) is viewed with disfavor and is rarely granted. Jeff Cooper We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. How should bishops in their various Episcopal districts be held accountable, whether at the conference level or Episcopal meeting? Contact 1987); Nodine v. Textron, Inc., 819 F.2d 347 (1St Cir. 1992). The global membership of the AME is an estimated 2.5 million members. John Hunter. He also said he might receive finders fees from the developer for other church sales. Over 1600 delegates met as the church's supreme governance body to review and change the denomination's laws and policies, receive reports from its agencies, and elect denominational . In his view, this happened because economic inequality allowed the affluent and wealthy to set the terms of the debate and so get the outcomes that serve their . In re Taxable Mun. We encourage comments and suggestions regarding the content or appearance of The Christian Recorder Web Site and our social media presence. Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 45-46 (1957); Blackburn v. City of Marshall, 42 F.3d 925, 931 (5th Cir. Listen to Nerd-O-Rama with MoKelly and Tawala! on Spreaker. The A.M.E. is . INFORMATION ( en banc), cert. Born out of a desire to right racial inequality, oppression and social injustice, the AME Church is a . The plaintiff alleges that the funds collected by the pre-offering were diverted to maintain a lavish lifestyle for Defendant Bishop Bryant. When 21-year-old Dylann Roof opened fire at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church in Charleston, South Carolina on Wednesday night killing nine worshippers, including its pastor, Reverend Clementa Pinckney, he struck at the very heart of black America. The AMEC has also committed to restoring the full initial investment plus interest to each retirement plan participant. Suits against AME officials in Tennessee and Virginia have also been filed. See Jacquez v. Procunier, 801 F.2d 789, 792-93 (5th Cir. With the exception of the above-mentioned allegations regarding adverse employment decisions made by the AME Church and its officials, which is a matter that must be pursued in other areas of the law, Mr. Dunn has failed to provide this Court with any valid indication of tangible financial loss. Before Powell and Quintana's actions, the congregations had little to no mortgage debt, prosecutors said. United States District Court, N.D. Texas, Dallas Division. I am compelled to indicate that this approach of governance is not unique to our beloved Zion only but it does pose some serious challenges concerning oversight and accountability. Plaintiff's Third Amended Complaint, p. 10. AARP Foundation attorneys have joined a class-action lawsuit as cocounsel on behalf of about 5,000 African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church former and current clergy and other employees, whose fiduciaries allegedly mishandled and lost nearly $90 million in retirement funds. employees of tens of millions in retirement funds managed by the This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Harris, without the knowledge (and accordingly, without consent) of AMEC General Board, the AMEC Commission on Retirement Services, or any other AMEC bodies or officers, used Department and/or Annuity Plan funds to make payments to himself and other individuals., Dr. Harris deposit[ed] funds from the [AMEC] Ministerial Retirement Annuity Plan into his, Dr. Harris invested millions of dollars from the Annuity Plan into high-risk investments,, Dr. 1999), cert. Bethel AME Church - Shiner 605 West Third Shiner, Texas 77984 210-594-3016. The pastors, who were leaders of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (AME Zion), served as officers of the governing Episcopal district churches in the Western part of California or Western Episcopal District (WED). You'll receive email updates from HRC. 1995) (quoting 18 U.S.C. Id. DUNN v. BOARD OF INCORPORATORS OF AME CHURCH, Civil Action No. Id. Pastor Anthony Morris, his wife and daughter of the St. Paul's AME church have all been arrested. Staccato Powell, 62, of Wake Forest, N.C., and Sheila Quintana, 67, of Vallejo each face two counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, according to the U.S. attorney's office for the Northern District of California. Nashville, TN 37203. Starkman v. Evans, 198 F.3d 173, 175 (5th Cir. Bryant's father, John, now an AME bishop, was Reid's predecessor at Bethel, the church of Baltimore's black establishment and the city's oldest African-American parish. AME Zion Church leaders voted to relieve Powell of his financial and administrative duties on Aug. 7 that year, according to the indictment. Background: The A.M.E. Church evolved out of the Free African Society at the end of the 18th century in Philadelphia. Lowrey, 117 F.3d at 247. In a statement released late last month, officials with the churchs Department of Retirement Services admitted that new leadership of the pension plan uncovered possible financial irregularities in certain retirement fund investments, and that retirement plan participants may have been the victim of a financial crime., Out of an abundance of caution, we immediately engaged outside legal counsel and forensics experts to conduct an independent and comprehensive investigation, the statement read. In an affidavit filed in February, Griffin, who denies any wrongdoing, said he took no part in the vote to sell the church. The US was so outraged at the corruption in the Freedman's Bank that it sentenced . Map. In reviewing a Rule 12(b)(6) motion, the court must accept all well-pleaded facts in the complaint as true and view them in the light most favorable to the plaintiff. The plaintiff further alleges that Bishop Ming and the Council of Bishops have knowingly allowed this fraudulent activity to continue in the AME Church. Id. We continue to actively work with federal authorities who are investigating this matter and recover any misappropriated funds.. BLACK ENTERPRISE is the premier business, investing, and wealth-building resource for African Americans. The AME Church has filed suit against Pleasant Spring Church "seeking judicial declaration that only those still affiliated with the AME denomination had any right to use the church. Of all the problems to address [], For those who were listening to MoKellys interview on Issues After Dark, the subject of MoKellys series on the corruption of the AME church was a central topic. The findings of the investigative team led to AMECs decision to bring this lawsuit against Dr. Harris and other defendants. v. Imrex Co., et al., 473 U.S. 479, 496, 105 S.Ct.3275, 87 L.Ed.2d 346 (1985). It also said church members had been approached "for donations and or the purchase of life insurance." The Christian Recorder is the oldest existing periodical published by African-Americans in the United States whose existence dated before the Civil War. As a result of the findings of the Attorney General of New York and the signed agreement of the two AME clergypersons, the Council of Bishops of the African Methodist Episcopal Church expresses our disappointment and condemns the inappropriate practices of our colleague and the former presiding elder in the New York Conference, who currently pastors in the New Jersey Conference, the Council of Bishops said in a statement dated Aug. 31. AME Church defends it's not at fault, and sues former retirement services director over "sophisticated scheme". For RICO purposes, the plaintiff alleges that the AME Church constitutes an enterprise affecting interstate commerce through activities associated with the Defendant's National Publishing House, which circulates books and literary materials for sale throughout the country and abroad. That case is pending in federal Bankruptcy Court. As a result of the AMEC investigation, and as stated in the complaint, AMEC has learned among other facts: The lawsuit filed by AMEC also brings claims against Symetra Financial Corporation for approving requests from Dr. Harris to electronically wire Annuity Plan funds to Motorskill Entities without confirmation that Dr. Harris had the authority to do so. As stated in the complaint, from 2005 to 2021, Dr. Harris via Department and/or Annuity Plan funds paid about $37 million to Motorskill Entities. In addition, the lawsuit includes claims against Rodney Brown and Company, an independent certified public accounting firm retained by the Department to audit the financial statements of the Department, including as recently as 2020 and 2021. Im not fighting it Im ready to retire.. The suit is the .