A new report reveals how the Roman Catholic Church spent millions of dollars from 2011 to 2018 to stop reforms aimed at making it easier for survivors of clergy abuse to sue for damages.

The report, entitled Church Influencing State: How the Catholic Church Spent Millions Against Survivors of Clergy Abuse, was commissioned by the law firms of Williams Cedar, Seeger Weiss LLP, Abraham Watkins, and the Simpson Tuegel Law Firm. Collectively, these law firms represent more than 300 survivors of clergy sex abuse nationwide.

According to the report, lobbying efforts by the Catholic Church reached across eight northeastern states. In Pennsylvania, more than $5.3 million was spent in an effort to keep the rules that limit the amount of time survivors can pursue legal claims in place. In New York, the Church spent nearly $3 million in a failed attempt to block the passage of the Child Victim’s Act, which broadened the timeframe for survivors of child sex abuse to file claims against their abusers. More than $633,000 was spent by the Church in New Jersey, where the statute of limitations was expanded just last month.

According to an NBC news report, the Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said that the extensive lobbying by the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania against the reforms recommended by the Pennsylvania Grand Jury proves the Church cannot be trusted to police itself. View the press release here.

The attorneys at Williams Cedar are dedicated to giving voice to survivors of clergy abuse and holding accountable all persons and institutions responsible for inflicting suffering and pain. Contact us online or call 856-470-9777 or 215-557-0099 today to arrange a free and confidential consultation with an experienced and dedicated New Jersey clergy abuse lawyer.

From our offices in Philadelphia and Haddonfield, New Jersey, we represent clients throughout the surrounding areas, including those in Camden, Cherry Hill, Metuchen and Trenton, New Jersey as well as those in Allentown, Scranton, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Greensburg, Johnstown, Eerie, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.