Newly surfaced emails present how Robert Morris — a former religious advisor to Donald Trump — responded to a bid for restitution by a girl he allegedly abused as a baby.
Jun. 24 2024, Revealed 4:00 p.m. ET
Robert Morris, a megachurch pastor and former religious adviser to Donald Trump, as soon as reportedly warned a girl who accused him of sexually abusing her as a baby that she might be prosecuted for searching for monetary restitution, RadarOnline.com has realized.
Cindy Clemishire claimed that Morris molested her repeatedly over the course of 4 and half years, starting when she was 12 years previous. Final week, Morris, who was 21 years previous on the onset of the alleged abuse, publicly confessed to participating in “inappropriate sexual habits with a younger woman” within the early Eighties. He subsequently resigned from his put up at Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas.
Article continues under commercial
Morris, founding pastor of the Gateway megachurch, admitted to “inappropriate sexual habits with a younger woman” within the early Eighties.
The influential evangelical chief, now 62, was by no means criminally charged in connection to the claims. He admitted, nevertheless, to a “ethical failure” in an announcement to The Christian Put up quickly after Clemishire, now 54, went public together with her allegations to The Wartburg Watch, NBC Information, and The Dallas Morning Information.
On Monday, NBC reported that 20 years after the alleged abuse, Clemishire sought compensation from Morris for the trauma he had allegedly precipitated her. She shared “partially redacted emails” with the outlet despatched between Morris, Clemishire, and a former Gateway Church elder, Tom Lane from April to October of 2005 that exposed how the pastor responded to her bid for restitution.
Article continues under commercial
Article continues under commercial
When she was 35 years previous, Clemishire apparently penned an electronic mail that learn, “Twenty-three years after you started destroying my life, I’m nonetheless coping with the ache and harm you precipitated,” including, “I need some kind of restitution. Pray about it and name me.”
Morris despatched Clemishire a response two weeks later, claiming that he had already confessed to her father, and was below the impression that he had “obtained your forgiveness in addition to your loved ones’s.”
He additionally talked about his spouse, Debbie Morris, within the electronic mail, writing, “Debbie and I actually do take care of you and we sincerely need God’s greatest for you.”
MORE ON:
Donald Trump
Article continues under commercial
Article continues under commercial
Nonetheless, his tone shifted as he ended the message with an obvious warning: “My legal professional advises that if I pay you any cash below a menace of publicity, you can be criminally prosecuted and Debbie and I don’t want that.”
“If you happen to want extra data, have your legal professional contact mine,” he added.
Clemishire had beforehand written in emails to Morris that males who “pastor church buildings which have over 100 counts of kid molestation go to jail and pay punitive harm,” including, “You haven’t needed to do both.”
Article continues under commercial
Final weekend, Gateway’s board of elders introduced it had accepted Morris’ resignation. Church officers mentioned they beforehand believed the pastor’s extramarital relationship concerned an grownup, not a 12-year-old little one, and mentioned a legislation agency had been employed to analyze the matter.
Lane, the church elder on the 2005 electronic mail thread with Clemishire and Morris, has additionally since left the church. He mentioned in an announcement to NBC that earlier than the allegations grew to become public, he “didn’t totally perceive the severity and specifics of the sexual abuse she skilled, nor did I do know she was 12 years previous when the abuse started.”
Morris joined the Republican religious advisory board in the course of the 2016 presidential election. After his win, Trump welcomed the pastor to the White Home, and in June 2020, the president visited Gateway Church and referred to as Morris a “nice” particular person.
Article continues under commercial
Trump as soon as referred to as Morris a “nice” particular person.