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0:23

April 17, 1987, in a

0:26

hotel conference room in West Palm Beach,

0:28

Florida. Jerry Falwell is seated

0:30

at the end of a long conference table,

0:32

watching as members of PTL's board of directors

0:34

sit down around him. Much like

0:36

Falwell himself, the men have graying hair

0:39

and sour expressions. None

0:41

of them want to be here right now. But Falwell

0:43

has called them in today to help

0:45

with an unpleasant but necessary task, cleaning

0:47

up another man's mess. Last

0:50

month, the Charlotte Observer revealed that

0:52

PTL President Jim Baker cheated on

0:54

his wife with a church secretary

0:56

named Jessica Hahn. Hahn claimed

0:58

that Baker sexually assaulted her, and

1:00

to keep her from going public, members

1:03

of PTL's leadership arranged for Hahn to

1:05

receive a six-figure hush money payout. When

1:08

Falwell first heard the news, he was

1:10

sickened. But what happened next was truly

1:12

surprising. Baker

1:15

and his executive vice president Richard Dorch

1:18

reached out to him begging for help.

1:21

They said that Baker would need to resign

1:23

from PTL until a scandal blew over, and

1:25

they asked Falwell to step in as acting

1:27

president. Falwell agreed, confident he'd

1:30

be up to the task. Falwell

1:32

is one of the nation's most

1:34

respected televangelists, host of the long-running

1:36

old-time gospel hour. Surely he

1:39

could redeem PTL in the eyes of the

1:41

public, but he quickly learned it would not

1:43

be so easy. Once

1:45

installed as PTL's new president, Falwell reviewed

1:47

the company books and saw that the

1:49

ministry is not just in a moral

1:51

crisis but a financial one too. The

1:53

figures just don't add up. Jim

1:56

Baker's salary was outrageous. The

1:58

PTL's Lifetime Partnership program was

2:00

a disaster and possibly illegal. Falwell

2:03

came in believing PTL was a ship that

2:06

drifted from its righteous course, but now it's

2:08

clear the boat is sinking. That's

2:10

why Falwell scheduled today's meeting. He

2:13

recently appointed an entirely new board,

2:15

with the exception of Dorch. And

2:17

he needs everyone to know that things

2:19

must change at PTL. As

2:22

Falwell watches as Dorch enters the conference room

2:24

and closes the door behind him, he's the

2:26

last board member to arrive. Falwell

2:32

then waits for Dorch to take his seat

2:34

and then begins. All right, gentlemen, we

2:36

need to have a serious talk about the future. I

2:39

must tell you I'm shocked and

2:41

disappointed by some of the things I've

2:43

discovered about PTL. Over the

2:46

last several years, tens of millions of dollars

2:48

that should have gone into building Heritage USA

2:50

hotels went to paying other bills instead, that

2:52

is, when it wasn't going into

2:54

Jim Baker's pocket. Also,

2:57

the lifetime partnerships have been oversold.

2:59

We might be violating securities law.

3:01

All of this has got to

3:03

stop. Richard Dorch leans

3:05

forward. Well, with all due respect, Reverend

3:07

Falwell, the lifetime partnerships bring in a

3:09

lot of money. PTL needs

3:11

that money to survive right now. We

3:13

asked our lawyers about the partnerships a

3:15

long time ago. They they okayed everything.

3:17

Well, my lawyers disagree. So the lifetime

3:20

partnerships are out, Richard. We could go

3:22

bankrupt. That is the least of our

3:24

worries. Jim could wind up in jail

3:26

for all of this. And I have

3:28

no intention of winding up there next

3:30

to him. So no more of these

3:32

shenanigans now that I'm president understood. Reverend,

3:34

you're acting president. The plan is for

3:36

Jim to return. Well, yes, that is

3:38

the plan. But plans change, don't they?

3:41

And another thing this Forgiven PR campaign

3:43

that you and Jim launched with Forgiven

3:45

lapel pins, baseball, Forgiven written out in

3:48

flowers outside the PTL Welcome Center. Yes,

3:50

what about it? It's canceled. And

3:53

now I call for a vote to certify the recommendations

3:55

I've made here today. So all

3:57

in favor of ending the lifetime partnerships

3:59

program and the a given campaign say

4:01

aye. The

4:04

vote is taken and Falwell prevails. He

4:07

adjourns the meeting and follows the other board members out

4:09

of the conference room. Falwell clenches

4:11

his jaw as he makes his way toward the

4:13

hotel's exit. It's clearer than

4:15

ever that Baker was enabled by people like

4:17

Dorch for far too long. It

4:20

will take a lot of work to clean

4:22

PTL up, and Falwell is just getting started.

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for watching. In

6:08

1987, the empire that Jim and

6:11

Tammy Faye Baker had spent their lives building

6:13

was beginning to fall apart. Following

6:15

media exposure of Jessica Hahn's sexual

6:17

assault allegations, Jim faced a very

6:19

public reckoning. Suddenly, his

6:22

lifestyle and business decisions were being questioned

6:24

by everyone from evangelical leaders and the

6:26

press to the federal government. Baker

6:29

didn't have any answers, so he abandoned

6:31

his ministry and fled to the desert

6:33

of Southern California, where he believed he

6:35

could wait out the controversy before returning

6:38

to PTL as its rightful leader. This

6:41

is episode three, Holy War. It's

6:47

March 27, 1987, in

6:49

the mountains northwest of Palm Springs, California.

6:52

Jim Baker sits behind the wheel of

6:54

his Mercedes Benz, parked at a scenic

6:56

turnout overlooking Big Bear Lake. It's

6:59

a beautiful, sunny day, and the water

7:01

below looks cool and calm, but Baker

7:03

isn't interested in the view. His

7:06

gaze is fixed on the car's cassette player, as

7:08

is the gaze of the man sitting in

7:10

the passenger seat next to him, Baker's head

7:13

of security, Don Hardister. They're

7:15

listening to a recording of a sermon

7:17

that Richard Dorich recently delivered to PTL's

7:19

congregation, and it's not good. Instead

7:22

of lifting people up with songs

7:24

and praise, Dorich is rambling on

7:26

about PTL's business affairs, including the

7:28

lifetime partnerships and the hush money

7:30

accusations. It's all embarrassing and

7:32

uncomfortable, and there's nothing Baker can do

7:34

about it. For

7:37

the last month, he's been living in a

7:39

self-imposed exile, waiting until the world loses interest

7:41

in the controversy around him. He's

7:43

been the subject of headlines and punchlines all

7:45

over the world, so Baker has

7:48

been trying to remind himself that this too shall

7:50

pass, and he'll be able to return to his

7:52

normal life when it does. When

7:54

Dorich's long sermon finally ends, Hardister

7:57

leans forward and hits the eject button on the

7:59

tape deck. Well,

8:04

that's it. What do you think? I

8:06

think he made himself look good at my expense. Like

8:09

I was the only one who said we should

8:11

keep selling Lifetime partnerships, or I was the only

8:13

one okay paying Jessica Hahn. Well, I

8:15

wasn't the only one. In fact, Richard was more

8:17

involved in handling all of this than I ever

8:20

was. Well, I don't know. I think he was

8:22

trying to help. How could he possibly think any

8:24

of this would be of help to me? Well,

8:26

that's the message he asked me to pass along,

8:28

sir. He told me that with this

8:30

sermon, he's opened the door for you to come

8:32

back as wide as he can open it. I

8:34

can't come back now, and Richard knows it. They're

8:36

still making Jessica Hahn jokes on the Tonight Show.

8:38

I know, but can

8:41

I be honest, sir? Please, I

8:43

think you have to go back right away. Why?

8:45

Well, Falwell, he held a board meeting just

8:47

about a week ago, and from what

8:50

Richard told me, I wouldn't be surprised if Jerry tries

8:52

to kick him off the board at the next meeting.

8:54

Kick Richard off the board? No, Falwell wouldn't

8:56

dare. That would go against everything we agreed

8:59

on. I know, but Falwell's

9:01

really unhappy with the finances and other stuff.

9:03

It says everything's badly mismanaged, and there could

9:05

be legal trouble. Well, I'm not worried about

9:07

any of that. God will see to it.

9:10

He always does. And he will also tell

9:12

me when I should return home. Well, I

9:15

hope he tells you soon, sir, because the way

9:17

I see it. If you're not back at PTL

9:19

headquarters for the next board meeting, there

9:22

may not be a home for you to return to. Baker

9:30

narrows his eyes and starts the car, and

9:33

as he pulls onto the road and heads

9:35

back toward Palm Springs, he thinks over everything

9:37

Hardister just said. He knows

9:39

Hardister has good reason to be concerned, and

9:41

if anyone else were in this situation, Baker

9:44

would probably be concerned for them too. But

9:46

in his heart, Baker has always felt that he was

9:49

guided by God. That guidance has

9:51

never led him astray. So

9:53

when the time is right to return

9:55

to Heritage USA and retake PTL, God

9:57

will let him know. While

10:03

Jim Baker does his best to lie

10:05

low in California, the bad publicity surrounding

10:07

him continues to mount. The

10:09

Charlotte Observer uncovers more evidence

10:11

of deception and financial impropriety

10:13

among PTL's leadership. And

10:16

then, in late 1987, a bombshell hits

10:18

the press. A former

10:20

PTL associate and minister named John

10:22

Ankerberg appears on two national news

10:25

programs and accuses Baker of homosexual

10:27

activity. Ankerberg offers no

10:29

evidence to back up his accusations,

10:31

but homosexuality is a grave offense

10:34

in the evangelical community and the

10:36

fallout is immediate. PTL's

10:40

acting president Jerry Falwell finds himself

10:42

even further into damage control mode.

10:44

He tries desperately to distance himself from

10:47

Baker and tells the press that it

10:49

sounds like he's having some severe emotional

10:51

problems. But there's one person who

10:53

sees an upside to all this controversy. PTL's

10:56

executive vice president Richard Dorch.

10:59

Ever since Falwell took over at PTL, Dorch

11:02

has felt like his job is in jeopardy.

11:04

As one of the people who

11:07

approved Baker's astronomical bonus checks and

11:09

irresponsible business practices, his continued

11:11

presence is increasingly treated like another

11:13

of the company's many problems. But

11:17

with this latest accusation against Baker, Dorch

11:19

starts to wonder if all the controversy

11:21

is becoming too much for Falwell, who's

11:23

begun hinting to the press that in

11:25

the very near future he's going to

11:28

announce whether he plans to stay at

11:30

PTL or not. So

11:32

as the next board meeting approaches, Dorch

11:34

feels hopeful that Falwell is going to

11:36

use the occasion to announce his resignation.

11:39

Because with Falwell gone, Baker will have

11:41

a clear path to return, and

11:43

Dorch's own position will once again be secure.

11:46

But Dorch's confidence is badly shaken on

11:48

the morning of the board meeting, when

11:51

yet another major story breaks, and this

11:53

time it's about him. Dorch

11:57

has always denied involvement in the attempted

11:59

coverup of Jessica Hahn's allegations of

12:01

sexual assault. But on April

12:03

28th, the Charlotte Observer reveals that it

12:05

was Dorch himself who orchestrated the $265,000

12:07

hush money payment. So

12:11

when Dorch arrives at the PTL board meeting,

12:14

he expects Falwell to grill him about it. So

12:16

he begins to plan how to talk his way out of any

12:18

blame for it. His reputation and

12:20

future employment at PTL depend on it.

12:23

But when Dorch sits down at the

12:25

conference room table, he realizes he's

12:27

seated across from PTL lawyer Roy

12:30

Gruttman, who recently counseled Baker during

12:32

his resignation. Gruttman isn't on

12:34

the PTL's board, so Dorch isn't sure why

12:36

he's here this morning. Then

12:38

Falwell calls the meeting to order. He

12:40

immediately turns to Dorch with his arms crossed

12:43

and his eyes narrowed. The other

12:45

six board members, all appointed by Falwell,

12:47

look just as grim. Then

12:49

Falwell asks Dorch if he has anything he'd

12:51

like to say. Dorch

12:55

shrugs. Falwell clarifies that

12:57

he thought Dorch might want to take

12:59

this opportunity to ask forgiveness for trying

13:01

to use PTL money to cover up

13:03

the stench of Baker's sin. Dorch

13:06

says that he knows where Falwell is going

13:08

with this. And before they continue, he wants

13:10

the board to know there's no truth to

13:12

the claim in the recent Charlotte Observer article.

13:14

He did not arrange a hush money payment

13:17

for Han. He did on occasion speak to

13:19

Han, but only because she seemed like a

13:21

young, confused woman in distress. And

13:23

he was encouraging her to get help. Falwell

13:26

just shakes his head and then says he'd hoped they'd

13:29

be able to do this the easy way. Then

13:31

he gestures toward Grutman, still sitting directly

13:33

across from Dorch. Grutman

13:35

opens a tan file folder in front of him,

13:37

pulls out a document and holds it up for

13:40

Dorch to see. It's a copy of

13:42

an invoice for the $265,000 that

13:45

was paid to Han. It says

13:47

the money was requested per Richard Dorch.

13:51

Dorch stutters. He tries to explain

13:53

that this is all a big misunderstanding. Yes,

13:56

he oversaw the Han payment, but he didn't do

13:58

anything wrong. He was trying to protect people. PTL.

14:01

He thought the money would help Han get on

14:03

the right track in life, even though Baker was

14:05

innocent of the accusations she made against him. Falwell

14:08

quietly says he's heard enough. The

14:10

damage Dorch and Baker have done to

14:13

the PTL might be irreversible, but someone

14:15

has to try and fix it, and

14:17

that's why Falwell has decided to remain

14:19

at PTL as president permanently. Falwell

14:22

declares that Baker must never be allowed

14:24

to return, and that Dorch should now

14:27

take the opportunity to resign. Dorch

14:30

feels like a trap door just opened beneath his

14:32

seat. Sweat beads on his forehead.

14:34

He reiterates that he did nothing

14:36

wrong, and he will not resign. Falwell

14:39

just shakes his head and says if that's the case,

14:42

it's time for another vote. They will

14:44

now go around the table, and each board member will

14:46

state if he would like Dorch to remain on the

14:48

board or be expelled from it. Dorch

14:51

wipes his brow, shuts his eyes, and

14:53

begins to pray. Later

14:58

that day in Palm Springs, Jim Baker is

15:00

standing in the living room of a home

15:02

that belongs to two of his loyal supporters.

15:05

He came here because he didn't know where else

15:07

to go. Tammy was at home,

15:09

and he didn't want to be alone, but

15:12

now that he's here, his friends are asking

15:14

what's going on, and Baker can't bring himself

15:16

to speak. He stares blankly

15:18

out a window, catatonic with grief as

15:21

he mentally replays the news broadcast he

15:23

watched just 30 minutes ago. There

15:26

on the TV screen, a reporter said there

15:28

was a major breaking story out of South

15:30

Carolina. PTL's board of directors

15:32

have fired Richard Dorch, and acting president

15:34

Jerry Falwell has announced he's staying with

15:37

the company as its permanent president and

15:39

has already made a declaration. Jim Baker

15:41

will never be allowed to return. Staring

15:46

out the window of his follower's home, Jim

15:48

Baker's knees begin to wobble. He

15:51

starts to sink to the floor, but then a

15:53

firm grip on his elbow keeps him upright. Baker

15:56

turns and sees that his security chief, Don

15:58

Hardister, has his arm. him. Hardister

16:01

leads Baker over to the living room couch,

16:03

helps him sit down and then gently pats

16:05

his shoulder. He says that

16:07

Baker doesn't have to be strong anymore. Baker

16:10

nods, before bursting into tears. Hardister

16:15

explains the situation to their hosts. One

16:17

of them walks over to a nearby stereo system

16:20

and presses a button on the tape player, telling

16:22

Baker that this might help him feel better. The

16:25

living room is suddenly filled with the sound

16:27

of Tammy Faye Baker's singing voice. Jim

16:29

realizes he's listening to a song from one

16:31

of their albums called The Sun Will Shine

16:34

Again. But Baker only sobs

16:36

Harder, as his supporters sing along

16:38

to the music and Hardister tells him that

16:40

everything will be okay. Baker

16:42

is crying too hard to answer. But if

16:44

he could, he'd tell Hardister that he doesn't

16:47

agree, that he's fallen hard, he's flat on

16:49

his back, in a coffin that's being lowered

16:51

into the earth. And if Jim

16:53

Baker doesn't do something soon, he's going to

16:55

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18:20

the spring of 1987 Jerry

18:23

Falwell continues his public campaign against

18:25

Jim Baker He leads

18:27

reporters on a tour of Baker's

18:29

ostentatious Presidential suite inside the Heritage

18:31

Grand Hotel and releases a highly

18:33

unfavorable audit of PTL executive salaries

18:36

and expense accounts under Baker's management

18:38

and In late May Falwell

18:40

shows reporters a list written by

18:42

the Bakers outlining their exorbitant severance

18:44

package requests Among other

18:46

things this wish list includes made and

18:48

phone service for a year in an

18:51

annual $300 lifetime salary

18:53

for Jim Holding up

18:55

this list during a televised news conference

18:57

Falwell says I don't see

18:59

any repentance here I see the avarice

19:01

that brought them down Jim

19:04

Baker knows he's losing the public relations battle

19:06

He's been defrocked by the Assemblies of

19:09

God Church and without PTL he has

19:11

no platform to respond to Falwell's attacks

19:14

So when Nightline host Ted Koppel invites the

19:16

Bakers onto the show for a televised interview

19:18

They jump at the opportunity to tell their

19:20

side of the story The

19:24

interview is set to be conducted remotely with

19:26

Koppel in his studio in Washington and the

19:29

Bakers at home in Palm Springs And

19:31

on May 27th 1987 the

19:33

Bakers welcome a TV crew into their

19:36

house before settling on the couch to

19:38

await Koppel's questions After

19:40

a brief introduction Koppel begins his

19:42

interview He says he's curious

19:44

to know why the Bakers agreed to appear

19:46

on Nightline after weeks of public silence Jim

19:49

nods and then explains that he and Tammy

19:51

have been quiet recently because they've been so

19:53

devastated by what they've been going through Jim

19:56

then reaches for a bible and reads

19:58

a passage from Psalms about how his

20:00

enemies are plotting to kill him, but that

20:02

God will protect him. Come

20:05

and protect me, put an end to their

20:07

arrogance, those who gloat when I am cast

20:09

down. And it's important,

20:12

I believe, to wait upon the

20:14

Lord. The Bible says that

20:16

they wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. But

20:19

Koppel isn't buying it. Is

20:21

it gonna be possible to get through an interview

20:23

with both of you without your wrapping yourselves in

20:26

the Bible? Tammy attempts to

20:28

respond. Well, the Bible

20:30

is a protection. It's a very real protection.

20:33

It's a comfort. That's, I think,

20:36

the biggest reason we wrap ourselves in the Bible, it's

20:38

so comforting. Jim smiles at

20:40

Tammy. Despite Koppel's tough demeanor, he feels

20:42

like this interview is going well. Because

20:44

finally, he and Tammy are getting a

20:46

chance to show the entire world that

20:48

they will get through their troubles by

20:50

presenting a united front backed by the

20:53

Lord. As

20:56

Koppel continues his questioning, Jim

20:58

deflects blame for PTL's missteps.

21:01

He admits that he should have taken a lower

21:03

salary, but didn't because his board of directors always

21:05

approved a much higher one. He

21:07

also accuses Jerry Falwell of bearing

21:09

false witness against him, and says

21:12

Falwell executed a hostile takeover of

21:14

PTL. Pressing Jim

21:16

once again, Ted Koppel notes that

21:18

Falwell has echoed allegations that had

21:20

already been made public regarding Jim's

21:23

sexual orientation and conduct with Jessica

21:25

Hahn. Koppel points out that

21:27

Jim could sue Falwell and win if the

21:29

accusations truly are as false as Jim claims

21:32

they are. Both bakers smile

21:34

and shake their heads regarding

21:36

Jim's sexual orientation and conduct

21:38

with Jessica Hahn. Koppel

21:40

points out that Jim could sue Falwell and

21:43

win if the accusations truly are as false

21:45

as Jim claims they are. Both

21:47

bakers smile and shake their heads. Jim

21:50

apologizes for evoking the Bible once

21:52

again, but replies that according

21:55

to scripture, one is not to return

21:57

evil for evil. Yes, Falwell is wrong.

21:59

but there will be no lawsuit. For

22:02

the remainder of the interview, Jim continues

22:04

to deny all wrongdoing, quoting scripture to

22:07

support his arguments. And after

22:09

about 30 more minutes, Koppel wraps up the

22:11

interview. As Jim unclips

22:13

his microphone, he feels certain that he

22:16

and his wife have just secured a

22:18

major public relations victory. And

22:23

the next day, Jim Baker finds out that

22:25

his instincts were correct. More

22:28

than 20 million people watched his

22:30

and Tammy's appearance on Nightline, making

22:32

it the show's highest-rated episode ever.

22:34

And the initial response seems to be mostly

22:37

positive. But the good publicity

22:39

doesn't last. Over the

22:41

next year and a half, Jim and

22:43

Tammy Fay continue to weather a series

22:45

of public humiliations and legal challenges. And

22:48

then, in December 1988, both

22:50

Jim Baker and Richard Dorch are indicted

22:52

by a federal grand jury in North

22:55

Carolina. Baker faces charges

22:57

of mail fraud, wire fraud, and

22:59

conspiring to defraud the public through

23:01

the sale of PTL's lifetime partnerships.

23:04

His trial is scheduled to begin in August 1989, and

23:07

if convicted, he could be facing up to 120

23:09

years in prison and at $6 million in fines.

23:16

But as Jim prepares to go to court,

23:18

it seems to Tammy that her husband isn't

23:20

taking the situation as seriously as he should.

23:24

The couple has recently relocated to Florida, where

23:26

they've been working hard to build themselves back

23:28

up, starting with re-establishing themselves

23:30

on the airwaves. But

23:32

Tammy knows that if Jim goes to prison, all

23:34

of that work could go away in an instant.

23:37

And yet, when Jim's lawyer, Harold Bender,

23:39

comes over to discuss legal strategy, Jim

23:42

just seems to sit there like he's

23:44

already given up. During

23:46

these meetings, Tammy usually tries to keep

23:48

herself busy while staying within earshot. But

23:51

one afternoon in the spring of 1989, Tammy loses her patience.

23:57

That day, she's standing in the kitchen unpacking

23:59

a box. of teacups when she hears Bender

24:01

telling Jim what they're up against. Bender

24:04

says that back in Charlotte, where the trial will

24:06

be held, people are not too fond of the

24:08

bakers right now. Years of

24:10

negative reporting by the Charlotte Observer have

24:12

had a tangible impact on public sentiment.

24:15

Bender wants the trial moved, but it doesn't look

24:17

like the federal government will allow it. Tammy

24:20

briefly turns to look into the living

24:22

room, where she sees Bender standing in

24:24

a crisp suit. Jim, on

24:26

the other hand, is curled into a

24:28

fetal position on the couch, wearing a

24:30

stained t-shirt and gray sweatpants. Tammy

24:33

quickly turns away. She can't bear

24:35

the sight, and then she hears Bender

24:37

say that there's more bad news. A

24:39

famously tough judge named Robert Potter will

24:42

be presiding. People call him

24:44

Maximum Bob because he's known for handing

24:46

down sentences one and a half times

24:48

longer than the national average. Bender

24:51

says he knows Jim doesn't want to plead guilty

24:53

to anything, but it might be wise of him

24:55

to admit some wrongdoing before the case goes to

24:57

trial. Doing so would enable Jim

25:00

to cut a deal with federal prosecutors, which

25:02

could result in a greatly reduced prison sentence.

25:07

Hearing all this, Tammy understands what Bender's getting

25:09

at. He's asking if Jim would

25:11

be willing to take a plea deal, but

25:13

Jim just doesn't respond. Tammy

25:15

turns around again and sees that Jim

25:17

hasn't even moved. He's still just

25:20

lying there, blinking as he stares off

25:22

into the distance. Tammy's

25:24

hands curl into fists. She

25:26

feels her face getting hot as she thinks about

25:28

the fact that it's Jim who got them into

25:30

this miserable situation, and now he's doing nothing to

25:32

get them out of it. Suddenly,

25:34

though, Jim lifts his head toward Tammy. But

25:37

rather than make a decision or

25:39

ask questions or do anything constructive,

25:41

Jim just asks if Tammy heard

25:43

everything Bender said. Tammy's

25:46

eye twitches. Her throat feels tight. She

25:48

heard it all, and she's reached her

25:50

limit. Not just with Jim, but

25:52

with Bender, too. Every time he comes here,

25:54

he brings more bad news. Something

25:58

inside Tammy snapped. She

26:00

thrusts her hand into the nearest box, pulls

26:03

out a porcelain teacup, and hurls it into

26:05

the living room. It streaks

26:07

through the air like a fast ball before

26:09

shattering on the wall behind Bender's head, who

26:11

stares at Tammy in shock. But

26:14

all Jim does is sigh and then lays his

26:16

head back down on the couch. Tammy

26:19

turns back to the sink and starts

26:21

furiously scrubbing dishes, one after the other,

26:23

as she wonders how much longer this

26:26

marriage can last. As

26:31

Jim Baker's trial date rapidly approaches,

26:33

he and Tammy Faye watch anxiously

26:36

as his former colleagues and friends

26:38

try and fail to exonerate themselves.

26:41

First, Baker's former assistant David Taggart is

26:43

convicted of tax evasion and sentenced to

26:45

18 years in prison. Then

26:48

his former right-hand man Richard Dorch pleads guilty

26:51

to wired fraud and mail fraud. He's sentenced

26:53

to eight years in prison and $200,000 in

26:55

fines. So

26:58

when Baker's trial begins on August 28th, 1989, his legal

27:00

team knows they're facing an uphill

27:04

battle. The evidence against

27:06

Baker is strong, and the prosecution's

27:08

witnesses are compelling. So as

27:11

the days tick by, defense attorney Harold

27:13

Bender feels like Baker's odds of acquittal

27:15

are getting smaller and smaller. But

27:17

Bender is still determined to give his client a

27:20

fighting chance. So

27:22

when the prosecution calls a witness with

27:25

skeletons in his closet, Bender decides to

27:27

hit him hard. The

27:29

witness is PTL's former telethon coordinator

27:31

and VP of world outreach, Steve

27:33

Nelson. During direct examination, Nelson

27:35

testifies that he first discovered that

27:37

lifetime partnerships were being oversold in

27:39

October 1985, and that when he

27:42

tried to alert

27:44

Baker, Baker dismissed him and continued to

27:46

hawk the partnerships during the telethon. It's

27:49

all very compelling testimony, but when

27:51

the prosecution yields and it's time

27:53

for cross-examination, Bender readies himself to

27:55

undermine every word of it. He

28:01

pushes his chair back forcefully and approaches the

28:03

witness stand with a scowl. Well,

28:06

Mr. Nelson, you've said a lot today

28:08

about Mr. Baker's alleged crimes, but let's

28:10

be honest. You never liked Mr. Baker

28:12

very much in the first place, did you? And

28:15

that's the real reason you're testifying against him

28:17

today. No, that's not true. You

28:19

don't have any personal problems with Jim Baker, none at

28:21

all? I'm not sure I understand what you're getting at.

28:24

Well allow me to clarify. I've

28:26

spoken to some people about you over the past several

28:29

weeks. I was told that at

28:31

one point while at PTL, you described some

28:33

of the Heritage Village Church services as stupid.

28:36

Is that true? Well, yes, I did

28:38

say that once, but the context there,

28:40

moving on, is it true that you

28:42

once called Norm Baker Jim's brother, the

28:44

quote assistant to the village idiot? You're

28:47

a religious man, sir. Do not forget

28:49

you sworn on the Bible to tell the truth. Nelson

28:53

talks at his collar. Oh,

28:55

yeah, I, okay, I said it. I

28:58

probably shouldn't have. And did you once

29:00

swear under oath that you received a

29:03

$10,000 bonus from PTL when in fact the

29:05

actual amount was closer to twice that? Um,

29:08

well, I'm having trouble remembering. Maybe

29:10

you'll remember this. You also

29:12

accepted a $30,000 loan that Richard

29:14

Dorch told you you'd never have to

29:16

pay back because it would just be

29:18

converted into another bonus. And

29:20

Mr. Nelson, if you can't remember, we have receipts

29:22

that might draw your memory. Nelson

29:25

coughs and Bender stifles a grin.

29:28

He can tell that this cross-examination is

29:30

chipping away at Nelson's credibility. Bender

29:32

steals a glance at the jury to gauge

29:35

their reaction, and as he does, several jurors

29:37

start to lean forward, their eyes wide. Then

29:40

one juror points at the witness stand. Bender

29:42

whips back toward Nelson and is shocked

29:44

to see him clutching his chest, his

29:47

face turning a muddy yellow color. It

29:49

looks like he's having a heart attack. Judge

29:53

Robert Potter slams his gavel as Nelson slumps

29:55

over in his seat. One

29:57

of the jurors, a nurse, rushes forward to

30:00

offer a medical assistance. The

30:02

courtroom erupts into chaos. Bender

30:04

takes a step back, his hand over his

30:06

mouth. He wonders if Nelson

30:08

went into cardiac arrest because Bender questioned

30:10

him too harshly. The bailiff

30:13

pulls Nelson from the witness stand and lays him

30:15

on his back on the floor of the courtroom.

30:17

And among the swarm of people who rush to

30:20

Nelson's side, one voice rises above

30:22

all the others. It's Jim

30:24

Baker and he's praying to God

30:26

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32:05

In the late summer of 1989,

32:07

the trial of Jim Baker captures

32:09

the nation's attention, especially when a

32:11

key witness for the prosecution, former

32:13

PTL executive Steve Nelson, collapses in

32:15

the courtroom from an apparent heart

32:17

attack. To the relief

32:19

of all, it turns out that Nelson

32:22

was suffering from flu-related dehydration, not

32:24

a heart attack. Nelson survives,

32:26

but the incident pushes Jim Baker over

32:28

the edge. He suffers

32:30

a mental breakdown. That night

32:33

in lawyer Harold Bender's office, Baker

32:35

attempts to hide under the couch,

32:37

claiming that gigantic bugs are attacking

32:39

him. The next morning, August

32:41

31, 1989,

32:44

Bender goes to court and describes

32:46

Baker's state, but Judge Robert Potter

32:48

is unsympathetic. He rules that

32:50

if Baker needs help, he can go

32:52

to the psychiatric hospital within North Carolina's

32:54

Butner federal prison. So

32:58

federal marshals take Baker there, where

33:00

a prison psychiatrist determines that Baker

33:02

is not going crazy, he's just

33:04

having a panic attack. And

33:06

after a week in custody, Baker is

33:08

released to resume trial. And

33:10

as it nears its conclusion, it becomes clear

33:12

that Baker will need to testify in his

33:15

own defense if there's any chance of him

33:17

winning an acquittal. So on September

33:19

29, 1989, Jim Baker takes the stand. He

33:23

testifies that he never misled anyone

33:25

about the availability of Lifetime Partnerships. He

33:28

claims that if he had not resigned and all the

33:30

lodging he planned had been built, there would now be

33:32

over 200,000 rooms or

33:34

campsites available, more than enough for

33:36

everyone who made Lifetime Partnership donations.

33:39

Finally, the defense concludes their questioning

33:41

and yields the witness to federal

33:44

prosecutor Deborah Smith. She

33:46

approaches the witness stand. Good

33:50

morning, Mr. Baker. Good morning, Ms. Smith. Let's

33:53

talk about the Heritage Grant Hotel. Yes,

33:55

the Heritage Grant. I'm very proud of that

33:57

facility. I'm far from a draftsman, but I...

34:00

I sensed in my heart what God wanted that hotel

34:02

to be. I remember I would

34:04

draw up rough drafts of designs and then

34:06

hand those to my architects, telling them to

34:08

work with what God had already put there

34:10

in nature. That's very nice, Mr. Baker. But

34:12

do you also remember lying to your supporters

34:14

about the Heritage Grant? PTL

34:16

took out a $10 million loan

34:19

to complete it, but you publicly

34:21

stated that the grant had been

34:23

constructed debt-free. Yes, and I absolutely

34:25

believe that. Okay, but you

34:27

are familiar with the definition of the word

34:29

debt? Of course. Let's

34:31

move to something else then. During

34:34

this trial, several former PTL employees have

34:36

testified that you ordered them not to

34:38

audit any invoices for construction work at

34:40

Heritage USA. Why would you do

34:42

something like that? I don't believe I did.

34:45

I always kept everything open at the ministry.

34:47

You weren't trying to hide the fact that

34:49

PTL's expenses were outpacing its income? No,

34:52

there was nothing to hide because that's not true. Our

34:54

expenses never exceeded our income. Mr.

34:57

Baker, please. During this

34:59

trial, we have displayed memos and statements

35:01

that directly contradict what you just said.

35:03

Oh, well, you see, I had to speak faith because

35:06

that's what I am, a minister

35:08

of the gospel. When we don't have something

35:10

we say by faith, God is going to

35:12

supply that which we need. That's what you

35:14

tell the people who send you money, even

35:16

when it conflicts with the truth of their

35:18

financial reality? Baker scratches his

35:20

head but doesn't respond. Mr.

35:22

Baker, in 1984, as PTL

35:25

continued to accrue debt, did

35:27

you accept a bonus of $390,000? I

35:31

don't remember. Do you recall that in 1986, you

35:33

ordered that a loan made to your assistant, David Taggart,

35:36

in the amount of $75,000 be converted to a bonus?

35:40

I don't remember that either. You know, so many

35:43

of these figures you bring up, I'm hearing for

35:45

the first time during this trial. And what about

35:47

when you exceeded an initial limit of 25,000 lifetime

35:49

partnerships but

35:51

concealed that fact from potential donors? No,

35:54

I'm pretty sure I told them. Can you give me a

35:56

date when you told them? No,

35:58

there's so many episodes of the PTL. I

36:00

couldn't. Honestly, I don't know what day I

36:02

did anything." No further

36:05

questions. Attorney

36:09

Deborah Smith walks slowly back to the prosecution

36:11

table, and the judge calls for a

36:14

recess. Baker then leaves the

36:16

witness stand. He glances over at the

36:18

jurors and sees one of them rolling

36:20

her eyes, another shaking his head. As

36:23

Baker approaches the defense table, his

36:25

lawyers avoid making eye contact. Baker

36:27

sighs. It appears that some were

36:30

unannounced. One impressed by his performance today. And

36:32

that's unfortunate. But Baker isn't concerned.

36:35

The only one he truly needs to impress is

36:37

the Almighty, and Baker is certain that God will

36:39

ensure that he is acquitted. A

36:44

few days later, on October 5th, 1989,

36:47

Jim Baker is found guilty on all 23

36:49

counts of wire fraud and

36:51

mail fraud, plus one count of conspiracy.

36:54

Baker is stunned, but his fate is

36:56

yet to be determined. Sentencing is to

36:58

take place later that month, on October 24th, and

37:01

on that day, Baker returns to court

37:04

accompanied by his lawyers and his 19-year-old

37:06

daughter, Tammy Sue. Tammy Faye

37:08

has stayed in Florida to manage her

37:10

emotional strain and maintain the new ministry

37:12

that the Bakers have established there. So

37:15

as Jim Baker and his daughter enter the

37:17

courtroom, he thinks back to when he first

37:19

set foot in Charlotte's federal courthouse. That

37:22

day, he told reporters his faith was in

37:24

God. And that's still true even now, because

37:26

in many ways, his upcoming sentencing is more

37:28

significant than the verdict itself. In

37:31

Baker's opinion, God is now in

37:33

a position to perform an even

37:35

greater miracle than before, by influencing

37:37

Judge Robert Potter to deliver a

37:39

light sentence, despite his reputation as

37:41

maximum Bob. Baker

37:44

tells himself he can handle a short amount of

37:47

prison time if necessary. Then he'll

37:49

return home, and with Tammy Faye by

37:51

his side, they'll build their new ministry

37:53

into something bigger and more successful than

37:55

PTL ever was. But

37:57

first, he needs to get the lenient sentence.

37:59

he's prayed for. Baker sits

38:02

up straight as Judge Potter announces that court

38:04

is in session. Potter orders

38:06

Baker to rise. He does, along

38:08

with his legal team. Then Baker

38:10

takes a deep breath, trying to stay

38:13

confident as Judge Potter says he will

38:15

now read Baker's sentence. Speaking

38:17

quickly, Potter lists the counts against Baker.

38:19

He lists them in batches, and after

38:21

each batch he says, I sentence you

38:24

to five years. He says it so

38:26

many times that Baker loses count. And

38:29

when Potter finally stops speaking, a chorus

38:31

of voices rises from the spectator gallery.

38:34

Baker turns to his lawyer Harold Bender and

38:36

asks, what just happened? Bender's

38:38

voice is flat as he explains that

38:40

Judge Potter has sentenced Baker to

38:42

45 years in federal prison.

38:45

But before Baker can truly process this, Judge

38:48

Potter bangs his gavel and says he's not

38:50

done. He says that the sentence

38:52

is merited because Jim Baker gave no thought

38:54

to his victims. Potter is

38:56

a devout Catholic and also expresses

38:58

frustration that money-grubbing preachers like Baker

39:00

make their followers look like saps.

39:03

Then he orders Baker to report to

39:05

prison immediately. Baker hears

39:07

a shriek behind him and turns to

39:09

see his daughter sobbing as she's hugged

39:11

by other family members. Bender

39:14

looks at the floor and says he's sorry,

39:16

and he steps aside, allowing the federal

39:18

marshals to handcuff Baker and take him

39:20

away. As he leaves

39:22

the courtroom, Baker slowly lifts his head

39:24

and stares into the blinding white fluorescent

39:27

lights in the ceiling. He wants

39:29

to look past them into the sky above and

39:32

ask why God has forsaken him. Jim

39:38

Baker began serving his 45-year sentence

39:40

in October 1989, but

39:42

just after a year and a half,

39:44

an appeals court voided the sentence, ruling

39:47

that Judge Robert Potter's statement referring to

39:49

money-grubbing preachers reflected a personal bias against

39:51

Baker. Baker's sentence was reduced

39:53

to eight years. He ended up

39:56

serving less than five and was released in

39:58

July 1994. Former

40:00

PTL executive vice president Richard Dorch began

40:02

serving an eight-year prison sentence in 1990.

40:06

But after he cooperated with prosecutors, his sentence

40:08

was reduced to two and a half years.

40:11

Dorch was released in 1991 and died in 2011. After

40:16

going public with her allegations against Jim Baker

40:18

in 1987, Jessica

40:20

Hahn became a minor celebrity. She

40:23

posed for Playboy multiple times and became a

40:25

frequent guest on The Howard Stern Show. In

40:28

2017, at age 58, Hahn participated in

40:30

a new interview with a Charlotte Observer,

40:33

in which she reflected on her past,

40:35

stating that some of her choices turned

40:37

her into a, quote, cartoon character. Tammy

40:42

Faye Baker divorced Jim in 1992 while

40:44

he was still in prison. The

40:46

next year, she married Roe Messner, the

40:49

PTL building contractor who fronted Hahn's hush

40:51

money payment. In a letter

40:53

explaining her decision to leave Jim, Tammy

40:55

wrote, For years I have been pretending

40:57

that everything is all right, when in

40:59

fact I hurt all the time. I

41:01

cannot pretend anymore. Tammy

41:05

Faye Messner went on to flourish in the

41:07

entertainment industry. In the mid-1990s,

41:09

she co-hosted a successful talk show with

41:11

Jim J. Bullock, an openly gay actor.

41:14

Tammy had long been celebrated in the gay

41:16

community for being one of the first famous

41:18

people to openly support gay men in the

41:21

early years of the AIDS epidemic. Tammy

41:23

continued to co-host her talk show with Bullock until

41:25

March 1996, when

41:27

she was diagnosed with colon cancer. She

41:30

died in 2007 at the age of 65.

41:33

When asked how she wanted to be remembered,

41:35

Tammy replied, My eyelashes

41:38

and my walk with the Lord. Jerry

41:41

Falwell and his associates left PTL in 1987 after

41:43

filing for bankruptcy. At

41:47

a press conference explaining the decision,

41:49

Falwell publicly described Baker and PTL as

41:51

probably the greatest scab and cancer on

41:54

the face of Christianity in 2,000 years

41:57

of church history. After being

41:59

released from prison, in 1994, Jim

42:01

Baker remarried in 1998, then

42:03

returned to televangelism, but with

42:05

a new religious philosophy. Around

42:08

this time, Baker wrote, the era of

42:10

prosperity is over. Perilous times are upon

42:12

us. The end of the age is

42:14

at hand. Baker established

42:17

this new ministry in Missouri and called

42:19

it Morningside. Its headquarters resembled

42:21

a smaller Heritage USA, complete with

42:23

a TV studio, spa, general store,

42:26

and movie theater. There, Baker

42:28

sells survival gear and freeze-dried food,

42:30

reminding followers that all must prepare

42:32

for the coming apocalypse. But

42:35

his new ministry has had its own legal troubles.

42:38

In 2021, Baker agreed to pay more than

42:41

$150,000 for falsely claiming that

42:43

a solution he sold could

42:45

cure COVID-19. Now

42:47

84 years old, Baker continues

42:49

to broadcast from Morningside, and

42:52

during one of his episodes, he proclaimed,

42:54

the PTL club was lost, but now

42:56

it's found. From

43:02

Wondery, this is episode three of Jim and

43:04

Tammy Faye Baker for American Scandal. In

43:07

our next episode, I speak to journalist

43:09

Charles Sheppard about his extensive reporting on

43:12

Jim Baker and PTL, including his book,

43:14

Forgiven. Wondery

43:18

Plus subscribers can binge American Scandal

43:20

early and ad-free right now. Join

43:23

Wondery Plus in the Wondery app

43:25

or on Apple Podcasts, music, or

43:27

wherever you get your podcasts. You

43:29

can binge all episodes of American

43:31

Scandal early and ad-free right now

43:33

by joining Wondery Plus in the

43:35

Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.

43:38

And before you go, tell us

43:40

about yourself by completing a short

43:42

survey at wondery.com/survey. And to find

43:44

out more about me, including my

43:46

other podcasts, go to notthatlindseygram.com. That's

43:49

notthatlindseygram.com. If

43:53

you'd like to learn more about Jim and Tammy Faye Baker,

43:55

we recommend Sheppard's book, Forgiven, plus PTL by John Wigger, and

43:57

I will see you next time. It

44:00

Was Wrong by Jim Baker. This

44:02

episode contains reenactments and dramatized details.

44:05

And while in most cases we can't know

44:07

exactly what was said, all of our dramatizations

44:09

are based on historical research. American

44:11

Scandal is hosted, edited, and executive produced

44:13

by me, Lindsey Graham, for Airship. Audio

44:16

editing by Trishan Paraga. Sound design

44:18

by Gabriel Gould. Music by Lindsey

44:20

Graham. This episode is written by Hannibal

44:23

Diaz. Edited by Emma Cortland. Fact

44:25

checking by Alyssa Jung Perry. Produced

44:28

by John Reed. Producing producer Olivia

44:30

Fanti. Senior producer Andy Herman.

44:33

Development by Stephanie Jens. Executive

44:35

producers are Jenny Lowerbackman, Marshall Louis,

44:37

and Aaron O'Flaherty for Wondering. Driving

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plays a big part in driving the local

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economy. It helps us all get

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home. At Sanovus

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Lima are a reliable domestic source

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of gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.

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Plus, more than 2,300 employees and

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contractors work for us here in

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Ohio. See how

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we're helping local communities move

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forward at sanovus.com.