Cook County lawsuit claims 30 men scammed Catholic church over sexual abuse settlements

CHICAGO - The Archdiocese of Chicago has filed a lawsuit claiming that at least 30 men fraudulently posed as victims of former priest Daniel McCormack to secure settlements.

The lawsuit, filed Monday in Cook County, alleges that the individuals—many with criminal records—coached each other on fabricated abuse claims and used the money for luxury purchases rather than recovery.

What we know:

The lawsuit alleges a coordinated scheme in which the defendants, some of whom are gang members and convicted murderers, falsely accused McCormack of sexual abuse.

According to the lawsuit, the fraud was uncovered in 2013 when one of the men discussed the scheme on a recorded jail call. Some of the claimants allegedly bragged about how easy it was to receive payouts, referring to the scam as a "lick" — street slang for a scam.

The Archdiocese claims settlement money was spent on luxury items, lavish vacations, and even wild street parties.

Images included in the lawsuit reportedly show some of the men celebrating in Las Vegas and others connected through family or gang affiliations. The suit alleges that some individuals exchanged money upfront in anticipation of securing settlements.

What they're saying:

James Geoly, general counsel for the Archdiocese, stated that the lawsuit does not absolve McCormack of his crimes but aims to protect resources meant for legitimate victims.

"This is not meant to be an excuse or to justify anything," Geoly said. "Unfortunately, what this looks like is that out of that very bad situation, the Archdiocese tried to do the right thing by the people who were hurt, and other people have tried to take advantage of that. So now what we're doing is preserving the resources for those who deserve them."

The Archdiocese has already paid over $11 million to settle claims related to McCormack, who pleaded guilty in 2007 and served two years in prison.