How Did Saints Officials Help Remove Names From Clergy List?
Internal emails from 2018-2019 show New Orleans Saints executives helped remove names from the Catholic Church’s list of accused clergy members. Saints Senior Vice President Greg Bensel briefed team leaders about a call with the city prosecutor that “allowed us to take certain people off” the list before its public release. Team President Dennis Lauscha drafted media responses for Archbishop Gregory Aymond while coordinating with local institutions. The documents surfaced through litigation as New Orleans prepares to host next week’s Super Bowl.
5 Key Points
- A team spokesman confirmed removing clergy names after a prosecutor call in 2018.
- Saints executives reviewed the confidential abuse list before public release.
- Louisiana State Police seized church Vatican communications in a 2024 raid.
- Twenty accused clergymen, including two convicted offenders, never appeared on the final list.
- The church bankruptcy filing lists more than 600 abuse victims since 2020.
How Did Saints Leadership Get Involved in the Church Crisis?
The connection began after The Advocate newspaper reported George Brignac, a deacon accused of rape, remained a lay minister despite previous settlements. Greg Bensel offered crisis communications help to church leaders in September 2018. “We have been through enough at Saints to be a help or sounding board,” Bensel wrote to Archbishop Aymond, “but I don’t want to overstep!”
Saints executives took specific actions:
- Reviewed early versions of the accused clergy list
- Drafted Archbishop’s media responses
- Coordinated with city prosecutor on list contents
- Directed media coverage at local newspapers
What Connected the Saint’s Organization to the Catholic Church?
The Saints’ connection to the Catholic Church stems from Archbishop Gregory Aymond’s introduction of team owner Gayle Benson to her late husband, Tom Benson. After Tom Benson’s death in 2018, the Bensons Foundation donated tens of millions to the Archdiocese and Catholic causes. Aymond integrated deeply into team activities, conducting pregame Masses and traveling on the owner’s private jet.
Bensel viewed the crisis as a “Galileo moment” for church reform, pressuring local newspapers to “work with” church leadership. In emails to The Times-Picayune and New Orleans Advocate editors, he wrote: “We did this because we had buy-in from YOU, supporting our mission to be the best, to make New Orleans and everything within her bounds the best.” He emphasized the need to “tell the story of how this Archbishop is leading us out of this mess.”
How Did Local Power Players Support the Church?
New Orleans institutions formed a protective network around church leadership. U.S. District Court Judge Jay Zainey used his email to praise Saints spokesman Bensel’s media strategy. Zainey later struck down a Louisiana law allowing victims to file civil claims regardless of when the abuse occurred. “By his example and leadership, Archbishop Aymond, our shepherd, will continue to lead our Church in the right direction — helping us to learn and to rebuild from the mistakes of the past,” Zainey wrote.
Media outlets aligned with church strategy:
- The Advocate removed the abuse victim outreach notice after the Archbishop’s complaint
- Newspaper editors warned against “casting critical eye” on Archbishop
- Communications marked “confidential, not for publication”
- Saints leveraged sports coverage relationships
What Have Criminal Investigations Uncovered?
Law enforcement intensified scrutiny after the clergy list’s release. Louisiana State Police executed a search warrant at the Archdiocese in the spring of 2024, seizing Vatican communications and internal records. The original list omitted 20 clergy members accused in lawsuits or charged with child sexual abuse, including two convicted offenders.
Investigations revealed:
- Seven current and former clergy members face criminal charges
- Crimes range from rape to child pornography possession
- FBI opened a separate probe into church leaders’ actions
- State police raid recovered previously hidden documents
Former District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro denied involvement in the clergy list’s creation. “I absolutely had no involvement in removing any names from any list,” Cannizzaro said last week. He couldn’t explain why Saints officials reported his participation in list-related calls.
How Has the Saints Organization Responded to the Revelations?
The Saints organization shifted its response as emails surfaced. Owner Gayle Benson’s 2020 statement denied team involvement: “No one associated with our organizations made recommendations or had input” on the predator priest list. The team’s February 2025 statement criticized media coverage of “a well-intended effort” while maintaining no employees influenced the list’s content.
The public reaction intensified:
- Kevin Bourgeois, former season ticket holder, and abuse survivor: “We felt betrayed by the organization”
- State Rep. Mandie Landry: “As a New Orleans resident, taxpayer, and Catholic, it doesn’t make sense why the Saints would protect grown men who raped children.”
- NFL faces questions about conduct “detrimental to the league”
- Commissioner Roger Goodell expected to address controversy at Super Bowl press conference
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