(RNS) — Former associates of the evangelical Christian musician Sean Feucht are accusing the COVID-19 closure critic and prominent supporter of President Donald Trump of “potential financial crimes” as former staffers say they experienced “spiritual, emotional, and psychological abuse” under his leadership.
Over the weekend, a website titled “Truth and Freedom Stories” filled with written and video testimonies appeared, on which former staffers and associates, many of them making their names public, raised questions about Feucht’s leadership.
A once obscure evangelical worship music leader, Feucht achieved fame during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic for his “Let Us Worship” concerts protesting pandemic restrictions on churches. He ran for Congress from California in 2020 but lost in the primary, but has since forged political connections in Washington, boasting about ties to conservative insiders and right-wing lawmakers such as U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert. He has also emerged as an evangelical leader in Trump’s orbit, having hosted multiple worship services in the White House and at Mar-a-Lago.
But the former staffers on the “Truth and Freedom Stories” website allege that amid his rise Feucht used business credit cards for personal expenses on multiple occasions, failed to pay staff minimum wage and may have used donations to invest in personal properties. They also say he falsely reported on tax forms that two of his nonprofits, Sean Feucht Ministries and Light a Candle, have no volunteers.
The former staffers identify at least six properties owned by Feucht’s organizations or Feucht himself. Among them is “Camp Elah,” a town house near …