The Brief
- Charges against Brooklyn Park Bishop Harding Smith for not paying nonprofit employees required wages were dismissed Wednesday.
- Smith and his attorney claim the case was politically motivated, while the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office disagrees with the court’s decision.
- A separate theft by swindle case against Smith’s nonprofit, Minnesota Acts Now, is set for trial in January.
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. (FOX 9) – A Brooklyn Park bishop who leads a violence prevention nonprofit is speaking out after wage theft charges against him were dismissed by a judge.
Details on the wage dispute and legal battle
What we know:
Bishop Harding Smith, who runs the group Minnesota Acts Now, was accused of not paying his nonprofit employees the $35 an hour wage required by contract with Hennepin County. Smith admitted to paying them $20 an hour, saying, the understanding by everyone was that the requirement was ‘up to’ $35 an hour.
Smith’s attorney, Jordan Kushner, said, “I know the payroll was looked at by the city of Brooklyn Park. It was administered by the county. I mean, he had the payroll done professionally through ADP that does almost all payrolls. And so the information was out there. And so if there was a problem, it was because the people administering the contract weren’t scrutinizing it enough.”
Smith is not accused of using the money for personal gain. He said he used funding to buy a distressed building for a youth empowerment center and purchased an old van to transport youth to activities.…