9th Circuit Court Clears LDS Church in Tithing Lawsuit Filed by James Huntsman

James Huntsman’s lawsuit against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) has been definitively dismissed by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a unanimous ruling. Huntsman, the brother of former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr., had accused the LDS Church of fraudulent use of his tithing donations, claiming they were improperly allocated to fund commercial projects like the City Creek Center in Utah.

However, in a clear rebuke to Huntsman’s claims, an en banc panel of 11 judges concluded that “no reasonable juror” could find the church guilty of fraud, rejecting the lawsuit. Huntsman’s legal battle, which began in California, sought the return of $5 million in donations he made between 1993 and 2015. His contributions included more than $1 million in cash, 20,000 shares of Huntsman Corporation stock, and 1,800 shares of Sigma Designs stock.

In defense, the LDS Church argued that the City Creek project was funded through earnings generated by invested reserves, rather than directly from tithing funds. This dismissal reinforces the church’s longstanding position that while tithing is one of the sources of its reserves, commercial ventures such as City Creek are financed through earnings on those reserves.

Doug Andersen, a church spokesperson, expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision, affirming that tithing donations are considered “sacred” and used for the church’s global mission. The church maintains that funds for the City Creek project were drawn from investment earnings, not donations.

This dismissal marks the second time Huntsman’s lawsuit has been thrown out in the past four years, potentially setting a significant precedent for similar cases related to tithing donations. Legal expert Jeremy Rosen of Horvitz & Levy noted that while the ruling does not hold binding authority outside the 9th Circuit, its influence could be considerable. He suggested that should the 10th Circuit contradict this decision, the case would likely be brought before the U.S. Supreme Court.

As of now, Huntsman’s legal team has not made any public statements while reviewing the decision.

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keelee-mccain

Keelee McCain is a junior at Weber High School. This is her second year on staff, this year as Assistant to the Chief. She does have a life (probably) but she can't think of anything to write in here, so she's probably just going to ramble now. She has an orange cat who she likes better than any human. If you see her being quiet or not sitting on top of a desk, there is something very wrong. In her free time she enjoys harassing her favorite teachers and sleeping. Her life plans include making it through high school and leaving. Happy lifeing.

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