PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Rhode Island judge is allowing a lawsuit seeking millions of dollars to move forward against the disgraced Roman Catholic order the Legion of Christ.
The lawsuit by the anti-abortion group Americans United for Life says the Legion interfered with an inheritance the group should have received from a wealthy widow.
It says the Legion conspired to persuade the woman to cut the group from her will and instead give her entire $60 million fortune to the Legion. The group's lawyer says up to $6 million is at stake.
A spokesman says the Legion believes it acted appropriately.
It's one of several legal battles facing the Legion stemming from the fallout of a sexual abuse scandal. A church investigation found the order's founder sexually molested seminarians and fathered three children.