The Nation - News from Sept. 8, 1989

The Justice Department in Washington put on extra operators to handle about 280 calls from people protesting Jim Bakker’s trial and his treatment at the hands of federal officials. The call-in was prompted by appeals from the evangelist’s wife, Tammy Faye Bakker, who had rallied supporters, saying “the next person that’s treated this way could be your husband or your minister or someone that you love.” Bakker was back in court in Charlotte, N. C., and his trial resumed with its first full day of testimony since his breakdown last week and confinement in a federal prison for evaluation. At the trial, a former PTL board member testified he didn’t know about hush money paid Jessica Hahn until two months before Bakker quit the television ministry over a sex and money scandal involving Hahn. Other testimony centered on cash flow problems at the ministry. Bakker, 49, is being tried on 24 counts of fraud and conspiracy.