Timothy Cardinal Dolan’s lawyer viewed church program to compensate sexual abuse victims as a hedge against legislation: report

NEW YORK (NY)
New York Daily News

By Larry McShane

January 14, 2021

https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-cva-transcript-church-fund-20210114-fiu2rek6ufc7llqmbqk4aqttky-story.html

An attorney with the Archdiocese of New York suggested the church’s program to compensate childhood sexual abuse victims was intended to blunt the passage of the state’s Child Victims Act, according to a newly revealed transcript of a 2017 call.

ABC News, after obtaining the transcript, reported the archdiocese’s Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program was launched in part to convince legislators there was no need to reopen the statute of limitations on lawsuits seeking damages for victims with decades-old claims.

“We want to be able to show Albany that people are accepting this money and signing releases,” said attorney Kenneth Feinberg in the call about the compensation fund, according to ABC News. “You don’t need to change the statute.”

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