Preacher’s Suit Against Swaggart Is Thrown Out

A $90-million defamation lawsuit filed by preacher Marvin Gorman against television evangelist Jimmy Swaggart of Baton Rouge has been dismissed by a civil district judge.

Judge Richard Ganucheau dismissed the suit, in which Gorman claimed that Swaggart conducted a defamation campaign alleging that the preacher had numerous affairs while he was pastor of the First Assembly of God Church in New Orleans.

Gorman admitted to one affair, but said he received forgiveness from God. He said he filed the suit in March after receiving help from the Bible.

Gorman claimed that Swaggart started the campaign in an attempt to take over Gorman’s church. The suit followed similar allegations against Swaggart by PTL leaders Jim and Tammy Bakker, who stepped down from their ministry on March 19 because of a sexual encounter between Jim Bakker and a church secretary.

Ganucheau also applied the separation of church and state doctrine in June when he dismissed Gorman’s claims against three defendants in the suit.

Tuesday’s decision dismissed claims against the remaining 12 defendants, including Swaggart and Jimmy Swaggart Ministries Inc.

William Treeby, a lawyer on the Swaggart Ministries board, said Ganucheau’s decision was correct and that the court lacks jurisdiction over the church matter.

Hunter Lundy, Gorman’s attorney from Lake Charles, disagreed.

“It’s not an ecclesiastical matter, as was contended,” Lundy said. “Efforts were made to confuse the judge to make him believe it was an ecclesiastical matter.”

Lundy said he would appeal the judge’s decision.

Swaggart had requested that all pretrial documents and proceedings of the case be kept secret, which brought objections from the local media. Attorneys for Swaggart and other defendants said they wanted pretrial records kept secret because public exposure would embarrass women who they say have come forward with information about affairs with Gorman.

Gorman resigned from his ministry with the First Assembly of God after Swaggart first made his allegations last year. He currently is pastor of the Metropolitan Christian Center in Metairie.