NEW ORLEANS (LA)
The Guardian [London, England]
February 3, 2025
Excerpts from emails in which officials from the sports teams tried to finesse coverage of a clergy-abuse scandal
What they said
Greg Bensel, our senior vice president of communications, was asked if he would help the Archdiocese prepare for the media relative to the release of clergy names involved in the abuse scandal.
– Gayle Benson statement, 10 February 2020
What the emails said
I like Sarah – his PR person a lot – but if he ever wants to chat crisis communications – with him and Sarah – we have been through enough at Saints to be a help or sounding board – but I don’t want to overstep!
– Greg Bensel email to Gayle Benson, 8 July 2018, referring to Archbishop Gregory Aymond and his archdiocese’s in-house spokesperson, Sarah McDonald. This was four months before the list was released
Thank you Greg, I will pass this on to him. I am certain he will appreciate it. Many thanks.
– Gayle Benson email to Greg Bensel, 8 July 2018
What they said
No one associated with our organizations made recommendations or had input on the individual names of those disclosed on the list – rather our suggestion was to be completely transparent.
– Gayle Benson statement, 10 February 2020
No.
– Then New Orleans district attorney Leon Cannizzaro, 16 December 2020, when asked by WWL Louisiana if he had any input on the composition of the church’s credibly accused list
He was not consulted about the composition of the archdiocese’s ‘credibly accused’ list nor did he or anyone from [his] office have input into its assembly.
– Email from a Cannizzaro spokesperson to an Associated Press reporter, 7 July 2020
I did not at any time ask the archdiocese or tell the Saints to tell the archdiocese … ‘remove this name from the list’.
– Cannizzaro to the Guardian and WWL Louisiana, 31 January 2025
No one from the Saints organization or the New Orleans District Attorney’s Office had any role in compiling the list or had any say in adding or removing anyone from the list.
– The New Orleans archdiocese, 1 February 2025. The Saints made a similar assertion with respect to their not having any such input
What the emails said
Had a cc w Leon Cannizzaro last night that allowed us to take certain people off the list.
– Greg Bensel email to Saints president Dennis Lauscha, 1 November 2018, using abbreviations commonly used for “conference call” and “with”
What they said
The Archdiocese reached out to a number of community and civic minded leaders seeking counsel on handling the pending media attention that would come with the release of the clergy names in November of 2018. Greg Bensel, Senior Vice President of Communications for the New Orleans Saints, was contacted and offered input on how to work with the media.
– New Orleans Saints statement, 24 January 2020
In the weeks leading up to the Nov. 2, 2018, release of clergy names, Greg met with the Archbishop and communications staff.
– Gayle Benson statement, 10 February 2020
What the emails said
I have been talking to the Archbishop on numerous occasions and was on … Benson’s boat in Florida with [Aymond in July 2018, months before the church announced plans to release a list of credibly accused clergy].
– Greg Bensel email to the Jesuit high school president, 21 September 2018
I don’t get paid enough – Helping the Archbishop prep for his 9 am meeting.
– Greg Bensel email to his ex-wife, 21 June 2019, eight months after the list was released
What they said
I said, ‘Greg [Bensel] may be a really good guy to help you get out the message you want,’ … that … [the archdiocese] can’t change the sins of the past, but that [we] sympathize with the victims and let the public know what we’re doing to safeguard people.
– US district judge Jay Zainey, in a 14 February 2020 Advocate article, recounting what he told Archbishop Aymond before the list was released. He also told the paper he couldn’t be sure if he was on the Saints emails
What the emails said
Zainey received five emails about Bensel’s efforts to influence media coverage of the clergy-abuse crisis – and responded to three. He declined comment on Saturday.