Robert Morris, former Texas megachurch pastor and Trump adviser, indicted for child sex crimes | Salon.com
By: Robert Downen
gee, what a surprise ...
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Robert Morris, the Dallas-area megachurch pastor who resigned last year amid sexual abuse allegations, has been indicted in Oklahoma for child sex crimes that date back to the 1980s.
Morris is a former spiritual adviser to President Donald Trump, and Gateway — one of the nation's largest megachurches — has been particularly active in politics. In 2020, Trump held a "Roundtable on Transition to Greatness" there that was attended by then-U.S. Attorney General William Barr and other prominent Republicans.
Morris faces five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child, the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office said in a Wednesday evening press release.
The indictment comes less than a year after Morris resigned from Gateway Church in Southlake after an adult woman, Cindy Clemishire, said Morris repeatedly sexually assaulted her while she was a child in Oklahoma in the 1980s. Morris was at the time working as a traveling preacher.
In a Wednesday text message, Clemishire said through an attorney that she was grateful for the indictments.
"After almost 43 years, the law has finally caught up with Robert Morris for the horrific crimes he committed against me as a child," she said. "Now, it is time for the legal system to hold him accountable. My family and I are deeply grateful to the authorities who have worked tirelessly to make this day possible and remain hopeful that justice will ultimately prevail."
Clemishire's disclosure came as the Dallas religious community was still reeling from a handful of recent sex abuse scandals. Since then, at least a dozen Dallas-area churches or pastors have been accused of committing or concealing sexual misconduct — allegations that have ensnared some of the area's most prominent leaders and institutions.
Few, if any, were more high-profile than Morris, who steadily involved himself in state and national politics after founding Gateway in 2000. In 2017, Morris was tapped by Gov. Greg Abbott to help support the so-called "Bathroom Bill" that sought to ban transgender people from using their preferred bathroom — in part by arguing that it would allow children to be sexually abused.
During Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, Morris was among at least three other Dallas-area religious leaders who served on Trump's evangelical advisory board. And in 2021, Morris was part of an effort to mobilize conservatives and evangelicals ahead of Trump's 2024 presidential bid.
As Morris' national political spotlight grew, so did his church's local footprint. For years, Morris and Gateway would show slates of local school board candidates on the church's massive screens in the lead up to elections — potentially in violation of federal rules that prohibit overt political activity by churches.
"Many of you see what Satan has been trying to do even in our school systems," Morris told some of the church's roughly 25,000 members in 2023, before showing a list of Republican candidates.
Those tactics have since been replicated at nearby congregations such as Mercy Culture Church. The Fort Worth church was founded with financial support from Gateway, and has become a staple of local Republican circles, often hosting local elected Republicans and the chair of the Texas GOP.
Rep. Nate Schatzline, R-Fort Worth, is also a pastor at Mercy Culture. Schatzline was among numerous Republican lawmakers who called on Morris to resign after Clemishire came forward last summer.
Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Dallas, joined those calls, and vowed to use this legislative session to pursue bills that would give more rights to victims of childhood sexual abuse — including extending the time period that victims have to file lawsuits against their attackers or those who enabled them.
This session, multiple bills have been filed that would broaden civil statutes of limitation, allowing those like Clemishire to sue those responsible for their attacks and be compensated for the hundreds of thousands of dollars in lifetime costs associated with childhood abuse.
In a Wednesday text message, Clemishire's attorney Boz Tchividjian said she has been working behind-the-scenes with advocates for such reforms. "I don't know if they have gotten to the point of testifying committees," he said. "But I have no doubt she will do so when that time comes."
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looks like xtian nationalism and sex ed classes will be combined in goober public schools now ...
Add him to the list...
What? Not a drag queen? Again? Another MAGA...
No doubt God gave him permission to diddle any child he wants. Thats the bonus of being able to communicate with God in a way nobody else can hear.
people always seem to forget that fun-duh-mental xtianity is based upon pedophilia and incest ...
As they say - it’s a feature, not a bug.
No, that's not the way it works. To his followers he's now a "flawed" man of God who just got tempted by Satan but now has prayed and been forgiven so Christians everywhere can rejoice at the redeemed sinner amongst them! Praise Jesus! Praise our Church! Bring your kids and drop them off for free daycare Monday through Friday, 7 am to 5 pm...
funny how maga xtians are the only ones eligible to be forgiven ...
Exactly, if you're not a white rightwing conservative Christian singing the praises of their lord and savior Donald Trump, then any forgiveness dished out by anyone is unacceptable. But if Charlie Manson were still alive and claimed he had been forgiven by God and started singing Trumps praises you'd have a flood of MAGAites demanding he be released as soon as possible.
get on your knees for geezus,
and bend over for the lord.
trump is here to save us,
and end all of our discord.
Actually, in the bible he does give permission.
of course, wasn't mary like 12 or 13 when she became impregnated?
Amongst others yes.
well, at least she wasn't a blood relative, technically ...
You wait until I get this guy in hell. He's going to be stuck in shit head down while tiny little demons poke him in the butt with a red hot poker
If he tries to sneak a sip of water Roy Cohn slams the lid on his head!
Is it me or does that look a little like Elon...
lol
He sounds like a future Trump Cabinet appointee.
the dept of education slot has already been filled, too bad ...
Meanwhile these guys must use the lady's room in the US Capitol...
they look like maga interns in congress ...
And the sign says "long hair freaky people need not apply"
So I put my hair under my hat and I went in to ask him why
He said you look like a fine outstanding young man I think you'll do
So I took off my hat I said "Imagine that Huh Me working for you"
Five Man Electrical Band
yeesh. back in the very early 70's I worked at a tire shop and that song played on top 40 radio like every 10 minutes it seemed. I still know the words to it, despite all the post drug use in an attempt to forget them. ugh ...
This guy in the lower left hand corner? He used to be a woman? Frankly, he doesn't belong in the women's restroom. Not that I think he's dangerous but he would freak everybody out
If you do a Google search of the picture, you will see that these people aren't all Trans. There are non-binary transmasculine in there as well..........He's probably one of them
Oh good, it’s ok then.
I don't even know what that is. I find it ironic that you do
I don't either but that was the caption under the photo........
sure
If they were classified female at birth they must now use the lady's rooms in the United States Capitol under new MAGA rules.
Like these guys...
They don't want to risk a person born female getting a peek at their tiny Trump mushroom.
CO rep lauren blowbert has had a mouthful of kid suck ever since the inauguration ...
they need to be sure that when they go into little girls restrooms that there's only little girls in it ...
They should follow MTG or Boebert into the bathroom to see their response...
I'm quite certain that MTG has the biggest dick in the maga house, according to the blowbert sizing metric ...