Diocese of Syracuse insurers reach $60 million settlement with sexual abuse victims
Diocese of Syracuse to pay abuse survivors $100 Million
The settlements are split between multiple insurers, with two major companies that issued polices to the Diocese in the 1970s and 1980s, taking the brunt of the load to pay out to the Committee of Unsecured Creditors, who represented the victims. London Market Insurers settled for $22.5 million, and Interstate Fire & Casualty Company settled for $35 million. Other insurers that recently settled are contributing between $90,000 and $1 million to the trust.
'This breaks the gridlock and the iron wall that these insurance companies have put up in settling these clergy abuse cases in New York and across the country. This is a breakthrough in making them accountable to those they insured, the Catholic bishops and more importantly – the suffering survivors.' Jeff Anderson, a representative of the Committee said.
According to the Committee's release, Travelers Insurance has not settled as of this reporting., but will be negotiating in the coming weeks.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Boston Globe
House ethics panel tells Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to pay more for Met Gala attendance
Advertisement As a guest of Vogue, Ocasio-Cortez and her partner received tickets to the gala valued at $35,000, as well as customized clothing, hair and makeup styling and a hotel room to prepare for the high-society event. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The congresswoman worked with an attorney to comply with House ethics rules and paid for most of the goods and services with personal funds, but the ethics panel found 'the payments were significantly delayed and some payments fell short of fair market value.' In a statement, Ocasio-Cortez's chief of staff, Mike Casca, said: 'The Congresswoman appreciates the Committee finding that she made efforts to ensure her compliance with House Rules and sought to act consistently with her ethical requirements as a Member of the House. She accepts the ruling and will remedy the remaining amounts, as she's done at each step in this process.' Advertisement Representative Mike Kelly Representative Mike Kelly speaks during a hearing on the Secret Service's security failures regarding the assassination attempts on Donald Trump, Dec. 5, 2024, in Washington. Rod Lamkey/Associated Press The House Ethics Committee issued a formal reproval Friday of Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., following a yearslong investigation into an insider-trading allegation over his wife's purchase of stock in a steel company in his Butler-area congressional district. The panel also said Kelly and his wife, Victoria Kelly, should divest of any stock in the company, Cleveland-Cliffs, before the congressman takes any further official actions related to it. While the committee said it 'did not find evidence' that Kelly 'knowingly or intentionally caused his spouse to trade based on insider information,' its report also said it 'did not receive full cooperation from Mrs. Kelly and was therefore unable to determine whether her stock purchase was improper.' However, the report said, 'Representative Kelly's failure to acknowledge the seriousness of the alleged misconduct' and of the investigation itself was a violation of the code of official conduct. The committee did 'not find a clear violation' of conflict of interest. The congressman said in a statement Friday, 'My family and I look forward to putting this distraction behind us.' Kelly noted the investigation has 'unnecessarily' lasted for nearly five years, and in the time since the Cleveland Cliffs Butler Works plant faced an uncertain future. 'Throughout this process, I have fought for the 1,400 workers at the plant, I've spoken with these workers, and they appreciate the hard work we have done to fight for those jobs and for Butler,' Kelly said. The investigation was launched after a July 2021 referral regarding allegations the congressman's wife may have purchased stock based on confidential or nonpublic information he had learned during official duties. Advertisement The Ethics Committee staff reviewed more than 25,000 pages of documents, the report said, and interviewed people including the congressman. It found Kelly had advocated for so-called Section 232 tariffs for the product the plant produced even after Mrs. Kelly held stock in Cleveland-Cliffs. 'He took several actions to specifically benefit Cleveland-Cliffs during the time his wife had a direct financial interest in the company,' it said. Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., speaks at an event, July 7, 2022, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press The House Ethics Committee announced Friday it had unanimously voted to reauthorize an investigative subcommittee to examine allegations involving Florida Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick. In May, the Office of Congressional Ethics referred several allegations to the House Ethics committee, including claims Cherfilus-McCormick, a Democrat, accepted campaign contributions tied to official actions and requested community project funding for a for-profit entity. The south Florida congresswoman has previously faced scrutiny over her campaign activities and the use of her congressional office. And earlier this year, a Florida state agency sued a company owned by her family, alleging it overcharged the state by nearly $5.8 million for pandemic-related work and has refused to return the funds. In a statement, Cherfilus-McCormick underscored that the ethics panel had not reached any final decision and that the further review does not mean she made any violations. 'I fully respect the process and remain committed to cooperating with the Committee as it works to bring this inquiry to a close,' she said. Representative Henry Cuellar Representative Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, speaks during a campaign event, May 4, 2022, in San Antonio. Eric Gay/Associated Press The House Ethics Committee also reauthorized its investigation into Rep. Henry Cuellar over whether he engaged in multiple illegal abuses of his office. The committee launched its investigation into the Texas Democrat last year after the Justice Department indicted Cuellar on numerous federal charges, including bribery, conspiracy and money laundering. Advertisement The committee said in its reauthorization that lawmakers are 'aware of the risks associated with dual investigations' and cautioned that 'the mere fact of an investigation into these allegations does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred.' Cuellar's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Associated Press writers Joey Cappelletti and Matt Brown contributed.
The Hill
a day ago
- The Hill
Ethics panel: Pennsylvania Republican violated code of conduct with spouse's stock trades
The House Ethics Committee 'found substantial evidence' that Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) violated the code of conduct for the lower chamber when his wife profited off stock trades for a company the congressman was focusing on in Washington. The report — which spans 28 pages and has three packets of supporting documents — cleared Kelly of intentionally causing his wife to trade based on insider information and having a conflict of interest, determining there wasn't evidence to prove those two wrongdoings. But the panel found that Kelly, a member of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, breached the House's code of conduct 'by failing to meet his duty of candor.' The committee ordered he and his wife to divest their investments in Cleveland-Cliffs, the steel manufacturer at the center of the report. 'Representative Kelly's conduct with respect to Cleveland-Cliffs and his wife's stock purchase raised significant concerns for the Committee, even if it did not rise to the level of insider trading or clearly violate conflict of interest rules,' the committee wrote, later adding Kelly 'has not demonstrated sufficient appreciation for the harm to the institution caused by the appearance of impropriety.' The panel's investigation focuses on a series of trades of Cleveland-Cliffs stock that Kelly's wife, Victoria, made in the last five years. Cleveland-Cliffs in 2020 acquired AK Steel, which is the sole producer of grain oriented electrical steel (GOES) in the U.S. GOES is produced in Butler, Pa., a town in Kelly's district. In early 2020, Cleveland-Cliffs had said it may have to close the Butler location and lay off employees if the Trump administration did not implement Section 232 tariffs, which would protect the production of GOES in the U.S. Kelly took part in actions in Washington to address the matter. On April 28 of that year, the Commerce Department told Cleveland-Cliffs — and Kelly learned — it would begin a Section 232 investigation for some GOES-based steel products, according to the report. The next day, the panel learned, Victoria Kelly bought 5,000 shares of Cleveland-Cliffs stock for $23,075. The investigation was announced on May 4. The committee said it was unable to determine if Victoria Kelly was made aware of the development before making the trade. But, the congressman was working from home at the time after testing positive for COVID-19 and told the committee 'Mrs. Kelly would've heard any of my conversations,' adding that she 'sits around for most of the time I'm on the phone,' according to the report. The panel said it could definitely determine if she heard the conversation. The Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act, enacted in 2012, prohibits members and staff from engaging in insider trading using information learned in official capacities. While Kelly was interviewed as part of the investigation, his wife 'refused to participate in a voluntary interview or to respond to written questions from the Committee, citing her prior cooperation with document requests as well as health concerns,' according to the report. The Congressman also said his wife did not want to speak to the committee because she felt the process was 'invasive.' 'The Committee did not receive full cooperation from Mrs. Kelly and was therefore unable to determine whether her stock purchase was improper,' the report reads. The panel did, however, find that the investment in Cleveland-Cliffs 'was an outlier' in her portfolio, noting that unlike other trades that were made at her firm's discretion, that transaction 'had to be instructed and confirmed directly by Mrs. Kelly in order for the transaction to be completed because it was not on PNC's investment platform.' The move marked her first purchase of individual stock in a year, according to the report, and was different from the mainly funds and bonds on her account. Kelly said he believed his wife made the transaction because 'she thought the stock was so low priced, it'd be foolish not to… I know that she thought she made a hell of a buy.' In August 2020, however, Kelly's office told a local news outlet inquiring about the purchase that it was made 'to show her support for the workers and management of this 100-year old bedrock of their hometown, where they both are life-long residents.' The second transaction examined by the committee was made in January 2021, shortly after Cleveland-Cliffs in December 2020 acquired a steel manufacturing corporation that caused its stock to skyrocket in value. Victoria Kelly that month sold all her shares in the company for $87,551.06, turning a $64,476.06 profit. 'None of the witnesses interviewed by OCC or the Committee, including Representative Kelly, provided an explanation for why Mrs. Kelly chose to sell her stock at that time. Representative Kelly told the Committee he did not speak with Mrs. Kelly about the sale at any point,' the report reads. Then in June 2024, Kelly disclosed that his wife purchased between $50,000 and $100,000 in shares of Cleveland-Cliffs back in March, as the congressman's office was involved in a matter involving the company and the Department of Energy. In March, the Energy Department made a decision on the matter that protected the facility in Butler. As a result of the findings, the panel recommended that Kelly and his wife 'divest all of Cleveland-Cliffs stock should he continue to take official actions relating to the company.' 'It is rare for the Committee to recommend divestment of stocks where there is a potential appearance of a conflict of interest. As Representative Kelly himself noted, however, he is an 'insider' when it comes to Cleveland-Cliffs, by virtue of his position as the representative for his district,' the report reads. In a statement responding to the Ethics report, Kelly said: 'This investigation has unnecessarily lasted for nearly five years.' 'In the years since this investigation began, the Cleveland Cliffs Butler Works plant faced an uncertain future due to the Biden administration's reckless energy policies. Throughout this process, I have fought for the 1,400 workers at the plant, I've spoken with these workers, and they appreciate the hard work we have done to fight for those jobs and for Butler. My family and I look forward to putting this distraction behind us,' he added.
Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
L.A. Catholic Church to deliver food, medicine to immigrants affected by ICE raids
Amid a wave of arrests and apprehensions of undocumented immigrants, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles announced plans to bolster delivery of hot meals, groceries and prescription medicines to parishioners living in fear of deportation and ongoing enforcement raids. The archdiocese's donation-funded Family Assistance Program seeks to assist some of its 4 million congregants throughout its 288 parishes in Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Immigrants targeted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids are 'good, hard-working men and women' who are 'making important contributions to our economy,' Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez said in a statement. 'Now they are afraid to go to work or be seen in public for fear that they will get arrested and be deported,' he said. Money donated directly to the Family Assistance Program will be funneled to parishes with vulnerable members. Donations can be made online or at a local church. Catherine Fraser, the archdiocese's chief development officer, said every dollar contributed would go directly to helping families in need. Most churches already have programs to serve elderly and home-bound congregants that were developed during the interruptions and limitations of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Yannina Diaz, a spokesperson for the archdiocese. 'We're tapping into what already exists and what already works,' Diaz said. Diaz noted that St. Patrick's Catholic Church in South L.A. boasts a robust program that helps with food, clothing and medicine delivery for homebound individuals. That church's pastor, Monsignor Timothy Dyer, helped come up with the Family Assistance Program. At St. Agatha Catholic Church, also in South Los Angeles, volunteer Azalie Nickleberry founded the St. Agatha's Hands Are Reaching Everywhere, or SHARE, program. The ministry opened in 1980, providing hot meals on Christmas Day, and serves around 2,000 people annually. SHARE typically provides 70 to 80 bags of groceries — containing cereal, pancake mix, canned goods and pasta — to clients monthly. So far in July, that number has already shot up to 150. 'There's a real need for this service, and we're happy for the help,' Nickleberry said. About 2,800 undocumented immigrants have been arrested since ICE began conducting widespread raids in Los Angeles in early June. Those arrests have included hundreds of undocumented immigrants without any criminal record. Some U.S. citizens and immigrants with legal status have also been detained. Many members of the Greater Los Angeles Catholic community are immigrants or have family members who were born outside of the United States, leaving the archdiocese particularly exposed to the raids' impacts. About 58% of people living in the United States who were born abroad consider themselves Christian, according to findings from the Pew Research Center. Of those, 30% identified as Catholics, the largest share of any denomination. In Los Angeles, 28% of all Christians consider themselves Catholic, the highest of any denomination by 12 percentage points, according to Pew. Gomez's announcement of the assistance program comes after Bishop Alberto Rojas of the diocese of San Bernardino issued a dispensation allowing parishioners fearful of deportations to stay home rather than attend Mass. Rojas' decision followed a series of arrests on church property, though the Department of Homeland Security insisted that churches were not targeted — saying those apprehended had fled onto parish grounds. Diaz said she was unaware of any arrests made on L.A. Archdiocese property. She also said Gomez was not considering issuing a dispensation for its congregants. She said she was uncertain if parishes were offering Eucharistic Communion — vital for a Roman Catholic service — to those too afraid to leave their homes. In an open letter, Gomez wrote that he was 'deeply disturbed' by the detentions and called on the government to reform the immigration process. As for the Family Assistance Program, it's already received its share of donations. Businessman Rick Caruso, a former mayoral candidate, donated $50,000 and offered to match another $50,000 in contributions. 'We need to help these families and, working with the archdiocese, we can provide much needed relief at a time when many are struggling to get by,' Caruso said in a statement. The Catholic Assn. for Latino Leadership has donated $10,000, while Vallarta Supermarkets contributed $10,000 in gift cards. The Beverly Hills Teddy Bear Company donated an undisclosed amount, along with stuffed animals for children coping with raids, according to the archdiocese.
