Has Kent Hovind Really Handed The Keys To Creation Science Evangelism Ministries?

If you wanted to give credit to one person for Kent Hovind being a free man today, that person would probably be Don Camacho, foreman of the jury in Kent's trial last year.   He held out against the other jurors on convicting Hovind on anything and finally by way of compromise agreed to convict on contempt of court.  That charge was then thrown out on technical grounds.

Keys To The Kingdom

Camacho, for all his sympathy with Hovind, took a jaundiced view of Hovind's claim that Creation Science Evangelism was anything other than an alter ego for Kent.

He characterizes Kent as "not a guy who gives you the keys".

That the CSE trust or whatever it was supposed to be was considered an alter ego for Kent and Jo Hovind is at the root of the large income tax liability, which is likely still hanging over them.

A New Beginning?

The new CSE is working on being different, though.  Creation Science Evangelism Ministries, Inc. has been recognized by the IRS as exempt under 501(c)(3).  And according to this release, three new board members have been added - Bill Sardi, J.R. Hughes and Diane Hummel. (Bill Sardi gave me a guest post on the Kent/Eric CSE/GQ dispute back in April.)

Ernie Land, who is also on the board, told me there had been some turnover.  I did not get it clear as to whether there is still an open seat as they are aiming for five.

Ernie told me that they claimed exemption as an educational organization, so there will be a Form 990 required and they have to provide you a copy of their Form 1024 (exempt status application) if you ask for it.  I have made an informal request on the 2Peter3   website. We'll see if I end up having to jump through hoops or not.

Dino Defender

Kent Hovind himself is not on the board nor is he an employee or agent of CSEM.  There is, however, an "exclusive contract" with Kent, whom they dub Defender of The Faith.

You and I both know that "Fidei defensor" is a title granted to Henry VIII by Pope Leo X for his book defending the notion of there being seven sacraments.

 The title is still claimed by the reigning British monarch.  It is rather an intriguing moniker for an Independent Baptist.  The earliest instance of the title being hung on Hovind that I found was by skeptic Michael Shermer who debated him in 2004.

Kind Of Transparent

CSEM has indicated that it is committed to transparency.

They will help oversee the ministry in the spirit of transparency and showing itself to be approved by others. CSEM (Creation Science Evangelism Ministries) believes it is important for ministries that rely on donations to be completely transparent about it objectives, goals and use of funds toward those ends. Any designated funds donated will be applied to those projects or expenses designated, and will only be placed into other projects or other ministry expenses, after consultation and agreement with the donor

Transparency has its limits. When I asked Ernie about the contract, this is how he responded.

Our contracts are US Constitution article 1 section 10 private contracts. They will remain private and should the IRS attack again then a snare is in place to throw it all into International Court. All are signed “Without Prejudice UCC 1 – 308”. I like the term patriot, but actually adhere more to being a Constitutionalist. As you know from my $6mil lawsuit brought against me personally and my company by the FTC, I will use the International Court, and as in that case, the Federal Court seals everything, while removing me from the suit. Hey, maybe that experience is why I believe so adamantly in Conspiracy by the elites in Government. They seal documents, or hide them like Hillary’s emails, in most of the cases they lose or should I say the 1% they lose. Pretty good game they play. I guess they learned from the Harlem Globe Trotters

The More Things Change?

One of the most important concepts in the not for profit world is "inurement".  If the contractual arrangement is, in essence, that at the end of the day it is all up to Kent, there will not be a happy ending if the arrangement ever gets examined.  Kent's recent scolding open letter to Eric gives some indication that that could be the case.

I trusted you with all the CSE assets in 2006 and simply asked for them back when I got out of prison 1 year ago. You now use lots of smoke and mirrors to not do that. You say CSE inc is a new 2015 business name. You know full well that the CSE board voted to add the “inc.” a year ago to try to keep the alphabet gang happy.

The old CSE was found to be an alter ego of Kent and he seems to be stating there that nothing has really changed.

All I can say is that if there is still a seat available on the CSEM board and you are being tapped for it, the prudent thing to do would be to pass.

More Like King Lear Than Henry VIII?

As far as the dispute between Kent and Eric goes, it is well covered on Kent Hovind Unofficial and freekenthovind.com.For whatever it is worth, my view is that it would probably be best for Eric Hovind to take up another trade.  If I were really inclined toward conspiracy theories I would speculate that Kent and Eric are working in concert to maximize the family's share of the "creation science" marketplace.  I'm just throwing that out for laughs right now, but if Eric comes out in favor of geocentrism and flat earth, I'll run with it.

Some Real Journalists On The Job

The other interesting development that is well covered elsewhere is the coverage by the Monroe Journal. The Monroe Journal is a weekly published in Monroeville AL.  Monroevillie is the county seat of Monroe County, the next county over from Conecuh.  MJ ran a story on Hovind in which he gave his regular narrative that he had rehearsed so well on the right wing alternative media circuit.  MJ appears to be an actual new outlet, though, so the following week they ran a story with comments from Robert Baty, Randy Dunn and me.  It is behind a paywall, so I'll leave it to you to hunt down free copies or maybe spring for $25.

Conecuh County has The Monthly View, which is not behind a paywall.  I'm keeping an eye on it to see when Doctor Dino pops up.

About This Blog

Regular readers of Your Tax Matters Partner, who may well number in the scores, will have noted that for quite a while the blog has been pretty much all Doc Dino all the time.  This is largely due to low energy on my part in not coming up with any other tax related posts that are not forbes worthy.  My productivity on forbes.com has also been on the low side.  So help me out with some guest posts.  I mean I won't pay you or anything, but look at the exposure you will be getting.

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Peter J Reilly CPA has been following the Kent Hovind story for going on four years.  It seems longer.

Hovind Ministries In URL Tug Of War

During the run-up to his trial last year one of the things that was remarked about Kent Hovind was that he was not getting a lot of support in Pensacola.  Well now that he has moved up to Lenox, Alabama Kent seems to have decided to burn some of his Pensacola bridges.  He has already gone public about his divorce and his dispute with his son Eric's ministry God Quest, which by his account appropriated something like $2 million dollars worth of stuff from his CSE ministry, which they should now give back.

The latest turn in the dispute is Kent calling out the board members of God Quest, including the proprietor of the Drowsy Poet about www.CreationSciencEvangelism.com which links to Creation Today, which is run by God Quest.  Kent is asking his followers to contact them.

They have taken up the call over at Lonestar1776 first with Erin Davis scolding Eric Hovind to "STOP STEALING from your own Father NOW! Exo 20:12"

The best part is around 4:40 where Erin voices over Kent with a slapping sound and "Somebody needs a spanking".

Rudy followed up with more detailed instructions about contacting the board members.

I heard from Eric Hovind that God Quest will be responding to any inquiries generated by these videos with the following response.

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Thank you for contacting Creation Today. This response is to help with the confusion and misinformation given on a YouTube video posted by Kent Hovind regarding www.CreationScienceEvangelism.com.God Quest, Inc. registered the name “Creation Science Evangelism” as a dba of God Quest, Inc. in 2007 in the state of Florida and has maintained its ownership since that time. (See link below.) In 2015, a new for-profit business was registered in Utah with the name “Creation Science Evangelism.”  Then in 2016, a 501(c)(3) not‑for‑profit entity was established and registered on February 23, 2016 in the state of Florida under the title “Creation Science Evangelism Ministry.” (See link below.) These new entities may be what are causing some of the confusion and misinformation to circulate.

Some have asked, “Why does a search in Google for ‘Creation Science Evangelism’ give ‘Creation Today’ as the first result?”Google gives results based on domain authority and page ranking. Creation Today has no control over what website appears first when doing a search for Creation Science Evangelism. The Creation Today website has been ranked by Google as an outstanding website and therefore is the first result when people search for “Creation Science Evangelism.” This Google search will not even bring up the website www.CreationScienceEvangelism.com and therefore Google never directs anyone to www.CreationScienceEvangelism.com. 

Therefore, any confusion about entity names is because people are searching Google for “Creation Science Evangelism,” not because they are typing in “CreationScienceEvangelism.com.”  Creation Today cannot control what Google does in their page rankings and has never intentionally deceived people to get them to visit our site or donate to the wrong ministry. Our website is very clear in its presentation of who we are and what we do.

Please note that the new 501(c)(3) not‑for‑profit entity established in 2016, “Creation Science Evangelism Ministry,” was informed that the domain matching their name, www.CreationScienceEvangelismMinistry.com, was still available and they have now obtained it through a domain service provider.

Kent Hovind has been very clear about the websites that he owns and refers people to: drdino.com and 2peter3.com. Both of these websites are listed in the rankings for a word search on “Creation Science Evangelism.” Both direct you to Kent Hovind’s website, 2peter3.com.

For future reference, please go to 2Peter3.com to reach Kent Hovind’s website.

Thank you again for your interest and for loving the creation message. Let’s use that message today to impact eternity.

God Quest Inc. registration as Creation Science Evangelism

http://www.sunbiz.org/scripts/ficidet.exe?action=DETREG&docnum=G07317900401&rdocnum=G07317900401

Filing for new Entity named Creation Science Evangelism Ministry. http://search.sunbiz.org/Inquiry/CorporationSearch/SearchResultDetail?inquirytype=EntityName&directionType=Initial&searchNameOrder=CREATIONSCIENCEEVANGELISMMINIS%20N160000022890&aggregateId=domnp-n16000002289-cca92d28-28d2-493c-8094-e62578f09259&searchTerm=Creation%20Science%20Evangelism&listNameOrder=CREATIONSCIENCEEVANGELISMMINIS%20N160000022890

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Hovindologists will for the most part be just sitting back and munching the popcorn at this latest episode in Real Creationists Of Escambia County (or maybe it is the spinoff Real Creationists of Conecuh County).

For the record I should note that my own son is an administrator on this site and that any time he wants to steal it from me, he is welcome to it. I'd love to have a debate going on the merits of the arguments of the two organizations.  I should be better at this stuff than I am but I think it is not accurate to really refer to www.CreationScienceEvangelism.com as a website.  Rather it is a URL that points to a website.  Also the phrase "confusion and misinformation given on a YouTube video posted by Kent Hovind" seems redundant, but maybe that is just me.

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Peter J Reilly hopes to be the first tax blogger to give up his day job.  

Almost Heaven Alabama - The New Dinosaur Adventure Land

So it looks like the new Dinosaur Adventure Land is taking shape quickly at 488 Pearl Lane Lenox, AL

Kent is looking for volunteers.  His most specific recent appeal was for plumbers and electricians. Something to clean up before we get to that though.

The Family Drama - Real Creationists of Escambia County

The story of Kent's troubles with Eric and Jo seems to still have oomph to it.  This video is pretty dramatic and it is only three days old.  Nonetheless, it seems that Kent wants his supporters to lay off the altogether wicked mother-son team that has robbed him.  He discusses it beginning around 26:15 in this video saying that it is family business and that he thinks highly of both his son and his wife. What is annoying is that he chastises people for doing something he asked them to. It was Kent more than anyone who put the divorce, asset grab, eviction controversy into the public square.

More Evidence Of Intelligent Design

At any rate, I could not help myself.  I just had to look into the new DAL site.  And I have to say it seems like another example of Kent's Heavenly Father looking out for him.

Lenox is unincorporated.  Conecuh County with a population just over 13,000 covers over 850 square miles.  I've developed a source in the County who prefers to remain anonymous. Let's call him Charley.

 Charley tells me that there are no restrictions on building.  So nobody will be bugging Kent about not having pulled permits.  The sheriff department is getting by with about five full-time deputies, so people don't expect police help at the drop of a hat.  Alabama is open carry and many people have concealed carry permits, but people would not look kindly on guys parading around with long guns.

Charley's big concern and according to him that of some of the neighbors is Kent's association with the Sovereign Citizen movement.  That and whether the DAL site will end up being home to some sort of cult.  There is not, however, any sort of rush to judgement and many will be quite sympathetic to Kent's religious views.

A little feature of Conecuh that I did not discuss with Charley is gender demographics.  For every 100 females over the age of 18 in Conecuh there are only 84.3 males.  So there is another incentive for you single guys to volunteer to help build DAL.

I asked Ernie Land about how things are going with the new neighbors.

I have had several personal experiences with the local people. These are all good Alabama people with a heart in Country. They are very conservative, and by large percentage good Christian people. I have not sensed any push back to our like feelings of believing in this Country as it was founded. Many have the same sovereign citizen belief structure. I have not sensed any push back or feelings of a cult. People are coming and going from the property in a regular basis. The local officials have worked with us, met with us, and supported us with welcome arms. We enjoy their acceptance and look to have great relationships with the local people.

Ernie indicates that the plan is to be conventionally tax compliant.  So there is reason to be optimistic that Dinosaur Adventure Land will run smoothly without government interference.

Halleluja!

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Peter J Reilly CPA has a serious tax blog to run. For close to continuous coverage of Kent Hovind check out Bob Baty's dedicated facebook page.

Kent Hovind And Attacks On Eric Hovind - Method In The Madness?

 Kent Hovind gets the ball rolling for his new bigger better Dinosaur Adventure Land in Lenox Alabama.

Attacks on Eric Hovind continue. When Kent talks about his dispute with Eric in interviews in the right wing bubble where the Hovindication movement was thriving - such as Joyce Riley.

Kent has a more in sorrow than anger tone, but the attacks on Eric by the crowd stirred up and egged on by Kent are vicious.

What Is The Plan?

I've been trying to figure out the rationale behind all this.  I don't understand why Kent is not telling his people to stop trashing his son. Stephen Anderson's attack is particularly creepy as he says Jo Hovind found another man to support her. I asked Ernie Land about it and he kind of dodged the question

I’ve worked for reconciliation for 9 months now. I know it is fear driven and based on Kent exercising his free speech to inform Americans about a corrupt evil Government establishment. That said, I am focused on the Ministry, it’s Kingdom work, and keeping it compliant.

I'm forced to conclude that the strategy is to suck the oxygen out of Creation Today and leave Eric no choice but to go to work for Kent.  The physical assets that Eric took over when Kent went to prison, cannot have very much value now and it is really foolish of Kent to publicly claim that  CSE had a lot of valuable stuff, but what is really being contested is the value and the direction of the brand.

Sympathy For Eric

I don't know if it is an embarrassment to Eric, that the Hovindology community, which is of diverse religious views, but generally thinks that "creation science" is an oxymoron seems to be rooting for him.  On reflection, I suggested that he might want to consider public accounting.  Actually Kent himself seems to have the talent to be a managing partner, but you really don't want him doing tax research.

Dinosaur Adventure Land Details Details

Hovindologists are also wondering whether Kent intends to be getting building permits and insurance and stuff like that.  Ernie did not have much patience for questions like that

I plan to remain on the sidelines looking on at whatever he said, she said about the Ministries. Also I guess I need to be wary of speaking out on any questions, so tell you friend, who is highly likely atheist or IRS digging for mud to sling, they can check public information. The Corporate structure, permitting, insurance, and even taxation are things they are welcome to research in public information. I like Nevada Corporations in my businesses because they give some privacy. As to anything not public information I have zero plans of sharing so these naysayers, who are backbiters and gossipers and do nothing meaningful for society except stir up issues, can have an advantage of using. In fact let them all speak with our Attorney, Bible Believing Attorney, J.R. Hughes.

 Another interesting development is that someone unaffiliated with Kent has grabbed the name Dinosaur Adventureland in Alabama. Ernie hadn't been aware of that and thanked me for the heads up.

When it comes to the building permits, Kent might not have as many difficulties as he had in Pensacola.  Lenox Alabama is unincorporated.   It is in Conecuh County which had a population of 13,288 in 2010. At 850 square miles it is almost the same size as Escambia County which had almost 300,000 people in 2010.  It is going to be interesting.

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Peter J Reilly CPA has been following the Kent Hovind story since 2012,

Kent Hovind May Be Calling Off The Hounds

It looks like Kent Hovind may be regretting just a bit the fury that he unleashed by going public with his dispute with his son Eric over control of ministry assets.  During last night's Q&A starting around 1:20, he indicates that there has been all sorts of stuff on the internet about his family problems.  Rather disingenuously, he says "It is none of their business".  The reason I call him disingenuous is because in this video

Kent indicates that he wants his supporters to call out Eric and Jo, because public pressure might show them the error of their ways.

Based on the interviews he has given with Joyce Reilly and Pastor Manning and his comments on last night's Q&Aand the word I have gotten from Ernie Land, I don't think Kent approves of the vicious attacks that have been unleashed against Eric by the Hovindication tribe.  Here is something of a compilation. Probably the most extreme was from Steven Anderson.  I do have to say Anderson has one good line when he says that Eric's ministry called God Quest sounds like a video game.

 

There is also a pretty tough facebook site called Eric Hovind Exposed.  Ernie Land assured me that this stuff is not being coordinated by Kent.

Kent was unaware of who put up the facebook page on Eric. We now know who it is, but yesterday as I spent time with Kent at the new property, Kent had seen the site, but truly was surprised when it was revealed who built it. Kent has spoken to many about his inner feelings, but has not organized any attack. Kent truly feels the Government and his family have stolen from him. Kent did not want a divorce, and it has wrecked havoc on his emotions. I don’t understand why you are even giving notice to this. How does this fit your norm of subjects?

I'll answer Ernie's question to me at later, but first I want to explain why I think Kent going public with this matter was not the smartest thing he ever did.

Alter Ego

Kent's story is that he left his ministry Christian Science Evangelism to be watched over by Eric. Eric, out of fear that the government might seize CSE's assets transferred those assets to himself as president of God Quest, Eric's ministry, for $6,300.  Kent says there was $2,000,000 worth of stuff and now he wants it back.

The reason it seems like going public with this is a bad idea is because it seems likely that the $3.3 million civil judgment for income taxes and penalties finally decided by the Tax Court in 2013 is till outstanding. The decision in the case of Jo Hovind, which covers the same ground, is more detailed in the description of what was going on. In an earlier decision, the Tax Court found.

The organizational structure petitioner established for the above activities, including petitioner’s purported religious ministry and theme park, apparently was based on various questionable trust documents purchased from Glenn Stoll, a known promoter of tax avoidance schemes.

The bottom line is that CSE is not recognized as an entity separate and apart from Kent and Jo Hovind.  If God Quest had been parking Kent's assets till he got out of prison and God Quest now just says "OK, Kent, here is your stuff that we took title to so the Government could not seize it" - well - I,wouldn not want to be an officer of God Quest.  I could turn to my brain trust to play a game of tax crime bingo with that, but they have wearied of me asking about Kent Hovind.

And unless Kent has magically settled that $3.3 million, IRS collections would just love to have a shot at going after God Quest's assets. I would think that while in prison they classified him currently not collectible, but now he is telling the world that there was $2 million worth of stuff parked somewhere for him, their interest might perk up.

To answer Ernie's question, that is the angle of the story that continues to intrigue me.

Dinosaur Adventureland Alabama

Frankly, listening to Kent has me enthusiastic about checking out the new Dinosaur Adventureland.  It sounds to me like it is going to be a great deal of fun. Apparently Kents rapport with children is quite real. He brags that he has the gift for explaining things at a fourth-grade level.  That might account for his political philosophy which seems to boil down to "You're not the boss of me".

Bob Baty Weighs In

Bob Baty sent me a guest post, which I decided not to run.  He ran it on his facebook site.  Bob's facebook site is very thorough, but sometimes includes things that are speculative.  He has a large number of outstanding debate challenges.

On my dedicated Kent Hovind FaceBook page where I try to cover and comment on the Hovind cases I have an outstanding challenge for Kent to come out to discuss the details of his legal narrative which I claim are false, or for him to send out his Champion to face me.

I'm still waiting, and over the course of time have presented 50 propositions from which to choose at such time as Kent or his Champion decide to come out to me.

Frankly I would not want to debate Kent Hovind.  I interviewed him once and that was enough.

I do have to say that if it were considered a debate then according to Godwin's Law, I won.

Is This The End?

One of my blogging buddies has suggested I enter a 12 step program to help me withdraw from Hovindology.  You may note that Hovind has dominated this blog of late, but that is just because any other tax matters I have wanted to write about I have found forbes-worthy.  This hasn't quite worked its way up to that and I sincerely hope it does not.  I hope Eric and Kent sort things out discretely and the new Dinosaur Adventureland arises in Lenox.

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Peter J Reilly CPA has been following the Kent Hovind chronicles since 2012

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Bill Sardi Thinks Eric Hovind Should Be Polishing His Resume

I heard from Bill Sardi who has some thoughts on the current conflict in the Hovind family that has spilled into the public sphere. Kent mentioned Bill around the 7:00 mark in this phone call with Rudy last year. Bill mentions Kent in this recent post on LewRockwell.com referring to a 2010 post on the same site.  There he emphasized Kent's "vow of poverty"

In essence, Hovind owned nothing, had no salary, and all of his needs, housing, food, transportation, were met by the ministry. He had no personal wealth, and he was not an owner of any real estate or other property, the ministry was. All of CSE’s real estate was put into a trust. Years later, newspaper reports nebulously reported Hovind failed to pay his taxes. It was a moot point. Hovind, like ordered Catholic priests, officially had no income.

He is wrong about Catholic priests, but let's not quibble.  If Kent had nothing before he went to prison, you have to wonder why he is complaining so much about having nothing now that he is out again.  Regardless, here is what Bill wrote me.

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 It would be a tax man who suggests Kent Hovind become "tax compliant."  The IRS gets no criticism here despite a record of targeting conservative groups and misusing structuring to destroy the lives and businesses of so many.  To set the record straight for anyone not familiar with the Hovind case, the IRS attempted to send Kent Hovind to jail for not paying his employees FICA withholding taxes for Medicare and Social Security.  In court, 4 of 5 employees claimed they paid their own taxes and the government's case began to crumble so the structuring charge was contrived by prosecutors.  Jo Hovind informed me Lois Lerner, the IRS official responsible for targeting conservative groups, had her signature on many of the papers involving their case and agents were coming from Washington DC for the Hovind case.  The IRS is the primary offender, not Kent Hovind.  And a confused and frightened Hovind family has been divided by the IRS now.

The best thing Kent Hovind's Creation Science Evangelism or Eric Hovind's Creation Today ministries could have done was move out of Pensacola and escape the wrath of that derelict IRS office there.  That wasn't to be.  I advised Eric Hovind to have a war chest ready for his dad when he was released from prison.  Instead, Eric purchased properties in the name of God Quest (another name for Eric's ministries) when the funds were donated by well-wishers of Kent Hovind.  When Kent returned from prison his son and wife simply said they owned CSE and Kent could go his own way, fearing Kent Hovind would get in IRS trouble again.  But the Hovind family were living in properties purchased with funds from Kent Hovind supporters.

Kent Hovind is attempting to go to another State (Alabama is the present location) and re-start his ministry from scratch there.  Anyone wanting to support Kent Hovind's ministry will have to go to his 2Peter3.com website as Creation Science Evangelism is now a false prop for Eric Hovind's ministry.  Furthermore, Eric Hovind claims he owns his father's popular creation tapes and that his father can purchase them from him.  

For all of us who have been praying for Kent Hovind's release from prison and resumption of his ministry, largely to children, I think most can say they were not bargaining for Eric as a substitute for his father.  Kent Hovind's supporters will do well to steer clear of the family disputes and support his ministry and ignore family issues where the devil is doing his bidding.  If we aren't part of the problem or the solution, I think the best advice is to avoid family dirty laundry and other issues the Hovind family needs to resolve on their own.

Kent Hovind is a torn man, driven to re-start a ministry poisoned by the IRS and greeted by a family not ready to support him.  Maybe we should all step into the breach and support Kent and his visions for a creation education center in Alabama (with a gigantic roadside dinosaur to boot, to attract kids and families as they travel on the nearby highway).  Kent Hovind is the only creation ministry that really reaches kids and their families.  We need to get to the next generation before the devil does.

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In a follow-up Bill wrote

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Regarding opposition to taxes, yes, Constitutionally protected to say that.  Tax avoidance and tax evasion are different things.

Kent Hovind’s position was he was like a Catholic priest whose income comes from the church and he doesn’t have to file or pay taxes.  I guess only the Catholic priests get that privilege.

He was advised by me to hire an employment agency who could then pay all the FICA taxes for his employees without his ministry having to directly pay them.  He got that advice too late.  There was also an opt out form the IRS used to publish so workers could pay their own taxes instead of having them withdrawn by their employer.  Kent should have given his employees that form to sign.  I don’t see the IRS publishing that form any longer.

Americans believe they have a patriotic duty to pay taxes, but 45% of them don’t pay income taxes, and the billionaires create their own rules with the IRS.  I don’t know that anyone should continue to pay for a corrupt government or a government that requires the shrinking middle class who work for a living to pay for the growing population of non-workers.  108 million Americans gave up looking for work or don’t work and the remaining workers were left to pay that share of taxes.  And why pay for Social Security when it is already partially funded out of the general budget and not likely to be there for the next generation? Kent Hovind mentioned that.

Don’t think the Hovind case wasn’t about targeting conservative groups.  When Associated Press covered the Hovind story, which was only a local tax case, it meant government was out to slander Hovind and sour his many followers.

Hovind needs to move out of Florida, get his own ministry re-started and we all need to support him.  His son was advised to hang onto dad’s coat-tails as he would not find much support for his own ministry.  Kent pledged to help Eric.  But Eric would not return Kent’s property.  Eric needs to get out of Christian ministry and get a real job.  He offers little to the Christian community.  He attempts to produce a movie (with Ken Ham of all people in an interview, instead of Kent Hovind, what a slap in the face) and he needs another million dollars to do that.  He is a novice film producer.  Eric is not business wise.  I don’t even know he is following God’s will.

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Bill closes with a quote from Learned Hand, which if you pay attention on this site has an eery familiarity.

Anyone may arrange his affairs so that his taxes shall be as low as possible; he is not bound to choose that pattern which best pays the treasury. There is not even a patriotic duty to increase one’s taxes. Over and over again the Courts have said that there is nothing sinister in so arranging affairs as to keep taxes as low as possible. Everyone does it, rich and poor alike and all do right, for nobody owes any public duty to pay more than the law demands

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Note On The Catholic Thing

Catholic priests who are regular diocesan clergy are taxed the same as anybody else.  Members of religious orders including priests are in a special situation, but it is not unique to Catholics. Section 501(d) was created with groups like the Shakers in mind and it is still used by the Hutterites.  It is treated much like a partnership,  In many instances the income of the members will fall below the filing threshold, but they are not per se exempt. 

Kent Hovind took some really bad tax advice from Glenn Stoll and others, but I think I will make his innocence narrative the subject of another post.
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Peter J Reilly CPA finds himself caught up in Hovindology again.  He appreciates contributions like that of Bill Sardi.  Ultimately Reilly may become the Tom Sawyer of blogging, but he needs your help to get there.

Even Ernie Land Cannot Get Kent Hovind To Shut Up About Some Things

I asked Ernie Land of Creation Science Ministries, Inc to weigh in on the Hovind family dispute currently roiling a tiny bubble of the internet, that I don't seem to be able to tear myself away from.  He wrote me:

Kent speaks, as many of us do, taking ownership of the Ministry he patriarchs over. The alter ego CSE Trust was never defended by the trustees or trust writers, that was an error on their part. Given a proper defense, they could have revealed how wicked and corrupt the Judge was in her rulings. I feel I could have gone in as a trustee and destroyed her ruling in her own legalese. That said I would most likely have filed UCC notices followed by financial statements all secured and perfected that would have wrecked her credit and bench sitting, as well as stopped the Government in its tracks. I would play the game by the bankers rules, which allows the standing armies to be on my side instead of against me.

There were legal maneuvers to place CSE Trust property into  State Corporations by Kent’s family. Does that mean those maneuvers were moral and ethical? I think not, but I also understand how an evil, corrupt Government makes one play by their evil, and corrupt methods. Many of what we call regulations, codes, and rules are just plain out violation of the highest law of the land, but those who wish to challenge them, like the Ranchers in Nevada, have not the resources or means to have them fairly heard. 80% of those lower laws would be overturned based on Constitution, which is now ruled by U.C.C. at an International level. 

Jesus established his Church on Peter and in the Holy Land, so ultimately the Church is a foreign entity, as those who set up the CSE Trust argued. As such it is not taxable, so given proper defense the alter ego thing and the tax liability would all be far removed, Kent would have spent zero time in jail, and he would, as the Catholic Church has successfully done for centuries, been patriarch over CSE Trust Ministry. As I said to you in a earlier email, these are the very foundations the family has been placed under fear of, so how do they react, they run. They file for divorce, and separation. They withdraw. They use the power they acquired to keep from Kent’s patriarchship the very properties that it was established on.

I do understand them and their fear. Kent is fearless, and may very well end up back in jail due to his speaking out and lack of fear. All the new CSE can do is allow Kent to exercise his freedom of expression, while advancing his Ministry under separate guidance. The Board, and myself have committed to allowing him to speak even on political subjects separate from the Ministry, while only supporting the things of the Ministry that will advance the Kingdom work. We rule over the assets of a newly formed Ministry, we do not rule over its Preacher.

I may be reading between the lines too much, but I'm thinking Ernie would be happier absent Kent's recent statements about Eric.  Ernie has frequently assured me that he cares deeply about the whole family and I have no reason to doubt him.

New CSE Holding Talks With God Quest

As far as the assets that God Quest has, Ernie wrote:

CSEM, and its Board can only acquire from Eric/God Quest, Inc. any items that can be legally transferred and in the transfer be cautious CSEM is not acting as an alter ego for Kent. The two boards are trying to hammer out agreements that would allow legal and proper transfer of properties that could aid Kent, but most importantly aid the Ministry in advancing the Ministry work Kent so much enjoys, while not putting Eric or God Quest in a position to be seen as alter egos of Kent or Eric. It is very hard when disputes between family members are entangled in legal maneuvers watched over by officials being guided by corrupt immoral laws.

I think that comment is pretty consistent with the practical observations in my previous post on the conflict.

For those of you who have not been following along.  Here is some background.

Background


Members of the Hovind family are involved in two ministries that seek to spread the word about Young Earth Creationism, the notion that you can arrive at the age of the Earth by adding up all those begats in Genesis.  That gets you to about 6,000 years as opposed to about four and a half billion years that establishment science calls for.  Geologic evidence indicative of an old earth is accounted for by the Flood.  In YEC, there is no such thing as prehistoric only antediluvian.

The original ministry founded by Kent Hovind - Creation Science Evangelism - did not come to a good end legally. The acceptance of YEC implies a fairly massive conspiracy since it contradicts not only the idea of evolution making it unpopular in the biology department but there is also much that the geologists and astronomers will object to along with many other disciplines that are not popping into my head right now.

Conspiracy theories are a bit like Lays potato chips, so it is not surprising that Kent embraced many other conspiracy theories including concepts referred to as "sovereign citizenship" and "tax protest". (Kent did not necessarily agree with those terms and they are being used here for shorthand).

It did not end well with both Kent and his wife Jo going to prison and real estate of the ministry being seized.  There is civil liability for nearly a decade worth of income tax that likely still hangs over them.

Kent's son Eric picked up the torch founding Creation Today d/b/a God Quest, which appears to be conventionally tax compliant, applying for and receiving exempt status and filing Form 990 using a conventional local CPA firm.  As part of the transition, it seems that God Quest picked up miscellaneous assets from CSE for a song.  According to Kent, there was $2 million worth of stuff that Eric/God Quest picked up for $6,300.

Now that Kent is out of prison and rebooting the original CSE, he wants his stuff back and has his Hovindicators attacking Eric.  See for example Eric Hovind Exposed, which was kind enough to acknowledge me the last time I linked to them, although I was hurt to learn from them that I was on the do not admit list to Kent's homecoming party.  I'm still trying to decide whether I should take being misidentified as a reporter for the Pensacola News Journal as a compliment.

Ernie Land is running Kent's new ministry, Creation Science Evangelism, Inc, which like God Quest, is planning on being conventionally tax compliant.  He explains it this way.

The new CSEM has 2 separate entities that work in some unison but separate. There is Creation Science Evangelism, Inc. that will maintain the store, etc. for profit side, and then CSE Ministries, Inc., a Florida recognized nonprofit Corporation with application to the IRS for Federal recognition as an educational not for profit. CSE, Inc. may donate and/or 1099-K monies going to the not for profit. Basically, I see CSE, as a for profit with any profit benefiting CSEM and it’s purpose to advance the Creation and Bible knowledge, as well as (CSE) running Dinosaur Adventure Land. I see the Board of CSEM as advancing the cause of God’s kingdom work on earth in many ways. Preaching Bible, educating people on creation, hosting Bible studies and actual Church services, feeding the homeless, with possible homeless shelters, and even operating a salvation army type store for the poor and homeless.

 CSEM will register in Alabama and seek property exemption for DAL. Both CSE and CSEM will be tax compliant. I do not agree the Church is under the State, but again I will comply based on coercion, and threat from an evil corrupt establishment

Ernie indicates that the boards of CSEM and God Quest are trying to sort things out.

Kent Hovind Is Sincere - But

People who uncritically accept Kent Hovind's narrative of his travails should be aware that even though he is probably sincere in his statements that he has not broken any laws, his understanding of what is legal is highly unconventional.  This is pretty clearly the source of his legal troubles rather than his views on evolution.  As we Hovindologist say, it was about the taxes, not the dinosaurs.

I have to give Ernie Land credit.  He holds similar views on the illegitimacy of much of what the rest of us recognize as government, but also recognizes that on a practical level the theories don't work well.  Failure to do that is what is most annoying abut the peddlers of untax packages and the like.

Eric Hovind

Eric Hovind indicates that he is sticking with his previous statement.

So thankful that many people care so deeply about our family and the cause of Christ. I love my dad and mom more than any can know. Thank you so much for keeping us in prayer.

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Peter J Reilly CPA is once again neglecting his more conventional tax blog to dive into Hovindology.  Mr. Reilly is a Unitarian Universalist and admires the King James version of the Bible for its majestic language, but does not think it is a good source of scientific information.  On the other hand, he really like Christians, particularly when they are being, you know, Christian.

Kent Hovind Calls The Dogs Out On His Own Family

Well now Kent Hovind has really aggravated me.  In this recent conversation with knome king (Bob Baty idenitfies KK as Mark Hill), in an extreme burst of TMI, he lets us know that his welcome home from prison did not include recommencement of conjugal relations with his wife Jo.  He indicates that Jo and his son Eric have conspired to take everything from him.  His Creation Science Evangelism had, he estimates, $2,000,000 worth of stuff that Eric as President of God Quest purchased for $6,300. (From what I have been able to gather that does not include the real estate). Quite a pile of CDs I guess.

That is not the worst part.  The worst part comes as knome indicates that he was calling out of concern and this whole affair is not something for him to be involved in.  Nay, Nay says Kent.  He wants his legions out there hollering for shame for shame at his wayward son and, for the present, wife.

First to bat was the indefatigable Rudy Davis, whose video was what caused knome to call Kent.

knome king himself then gave Eric and Jo some biblical scolding

And somebody has started a facebook site called Eric Hovind Exposed.

Hovindicators engaging in this sort of activity is not really that surprising, but we now have clear evidence that they are doing it with Kent's encouragement.  I'm really disappointed in him.

Hovindicators can get pretty testy.  Check out Rudy beginning around 13:00 in this one.  I don't think Rudy will start calling Jo "Jezebel", but I think he might get pretty hard on Eric.

Was Kent Shooting Himself In The Foot?

The whole part of the thing where he talked about there being $2 million worth of stuff that he considers his seemed like a pretty dangerous admission.  Somebody told me that IRS CI guys do follow the youtube activity of persons of interest.  When I reached out to my legal brain trust though, one of them pointed out that the statute has probably run on that activity.

He (or she) did get back to me with this caution.

I don't find it clear at all that he is not talking about a transaction that he feels defrauded CSE rather than about himself. But it does seem potentially to put "GodQuest"'s property in jeopardy for CSE's liabilities (and KH's, too, if CSE was an alter ego) as a fraudulent transferee.  I don't see anything that strongly suggests KH is presently engaging in or planning any wrongdoing himself.

CSE was considered to be Kent (and Jo's) alter ego in their Tax Court litigation.  The Tax Court affirmed the IRS assessment of $3,3 million in individual income tax, penalties and interest for the years 1998 through 2006.  My educated guess would be that that amount was deemed currently not collectible while Kent was in prison, but it does seem impolitic to indicate that somebody was supposed to be stashing $2 million worth of stuff for him.  Note the civil liability for income tax is separate and apart from Kent's criminal prosecution.

Really Big Pile Of CDs?

For whatever it is worth Hovindologist Dee Holmes is a little skeptical that CSE actually had that much stuff

What I think Kent had on hand in 2006 besides the DAL property was some poorly printed books, some poorly mastered videos/DVDs, some dinosaur toys and t-shirts and some computers/phone equipment. The books, videos/DVDs and soft goods are probably long gone. The computers and phone equipment would have long past depreciated in value and are probably long gone as well.  (It's also worth noting that Kent did not copyright those video performances and they've been uploaded ad nauseam to YouTube over the last decade.)

I'd also point out that in the circles Kent walks in, husbands are supposed to support their wives and Kent was in prison for eight years and not supporting Jo. He left that up to Eric, who (IMHO) did the best he could with the resources left behind after Kent went to prison. Kent's badmouthing of Jo and Eric on this phone call reflects very badly on Kent. He doesn't reflect what it says in Ephesians 5, where husbands are supposed to love their wives like Christ loves the church.  Instead, Kent sounds bitter and annoyed that Jo and Eric aren't following his bidding.  I think Jo and Eric are smarter than Kent!

If you are just joining the veritable scores of readers who follow this blog, I'll give you a little background, which you regulars can skip.  

Some Of This Foreseen

In at least one of his recorded prison conversations Kent had made clear that he expected Eric to give the keys back when he was released.

According to a goverenment motion in Kent's trial last year.

On or about December 18, 2013, defendant Hovind made the following
statements to his son Eric Hovind, 

Okay. Well maybe everything is fine. Uh. But just. And I think you know it and there is no sense debating it anymore. You know that I still think Dr. Dino, CSE, uh the assets that I left you with are
mine and are mine when I get home.
. . .
Right. Their CSE is controlled by me and I get to decide what to do with it. Now here’s one option. 

Why Eric Cannot Just Hand Kent The Keys

Unlike Kent, Eric has run his ministry in a conventionally compliant manner.  God Quest Inc is recognized as an exempt organization and files Form 990.  There is a board with fiduciary obligation to the entity.  They could not just turn everything over to Kent, because it was "really his" all along. Thinking through all the implications of that gives me a headache,

Pass The Popcorn

When Jo Hovind filed for divorce, I thought that matter altogether unnewsworthy.  There could have been many possible explanations and I would just as soon not know.  Kent who loves conspiracy theories has now chosen to throw his family in with the conspirators (He did use the word conspire).  So there are the Jesuits, the Masons, the New World Order and on and on with GodQuest/Creation Today now joining the list.  It promises to be interesting.

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Peter J Reilly CPA has a tax blog to run, but he finds the allure of Hovindology irresistible.

Hovind Family Drama - Real Creationists Of Escambia County

Hovindology is a terrible thing for a busy tax blogger to fall into. I have been following the drama of Young Earth Creationist Kent Hovind since the fall of 2012 when I wrote about the Tax Court decision in the case of his wife.

Background

 If this is new to you, you might want to check out - The Trial Of Kent Hovind - An American Tragedy - which I wrote on the eve of his last trial not quite a year ago.  For a chronology of events through July 2015, go here.  As it worked out that trial never happened as the Government dismissed the charges that the jury had hung on in a previous trial and the judge reversed his conviction.

So Kent after finishing the sentence from the 2006 conviction joyously reunited with his family and went back to preaching using youtube as his primary venue but also traveling.  According to Ernie Land, Kent's long-term friend and advisor, there is a conventionally tax compliant structure in place.

Kent has been working on acquiring property in Alabama for a new Dinosaur Adventureland and there was promise of a new lawsuit against the government.  The latest though is an outbreak of squabbling in the Hovind family.

Trouble In Pensacola

When Jo Hovind filed for divorce, I didn't think that was something to write about.  Ernie Land, Kent's consigliere, wrote me that Jo was divorcing Kent due to legal advice and that he believed that she was motivated by fear of new efforts by the government to shut Kent up.  The legal advice struck me as plausible.  Kent getting out of further criminal charges does not solve the problem of the multi-million dollar civil liability for income taxes that fell on both him and Jo.  Being divorced from Kent would buttress Jo's efforts to get out from under that liability.

There is a new development that is likely at least tangentially related to the divorce.  Rudy Davis more or less broke the story on the internet as he requested his listeners to pray for the restoration of the Hovind family.

Apparently Eric is evicting Kent.  While Kent was in prison, Eric started another ministry Creation Today.  It seems to follow Kent's Young Earth Creationist line pretty well, although there may be nuances that I don't appreciate, but unlike the original Creation Science Evangelism, it was conventionally tax compliant.

Somebody Being Stubborn?

My great hope in this was that Kent would become conventionally tax compliant. The simplest way to accomplish that would have been for him to go on Creation Today's payroll for a modest salary and a housing allowance (or actual housing). That was not to be.

The original Dinosaur Adventureland/Hovind residence properties in Pensacola had been seized by the federal government to cover Kent's structuring forfeiture.  Most of the property was acquired by the Hovinds, although I have not tried to trace the precise ownership.  Things did not go that well for the non-Hovind fellow who acquired one of the parcels.

With the enormous civil liability hanging over his head it would not make sense for Kent to own any of it, but it appears that in his mind, it remains truly his.

Kent in this clip indicates that they conspired to take everything owned by CSE and he came "home to nothing". If I was involved in God Quest, I'd be pulling my hair out at Kent using God Quest facilities to bootstrap a new ministry.  Somebody is being stubborn.

A Better Way

Not far from where I live, there is Webster Lake also known as Lake Char­gogg­a­gogg­man­chaugg­a­gogg­chau­bun­a­gung­a­maugg. The likely apocryphal story is that it means "You fish on your side of the lake. I fish on my side of the lake.  Nobody fish in the middle."  I would expect that the sensible thing would be for a board member of the new Creation Science Evangelism, possibly Ernie Land, and a board member of God Quest Inc other than Eric to announce that the two organizations had reached an agreement on how they will each proceed in harmony for the greater glory of God (That might not be quite the right term.  My Jesuit education is coming out again. AMDG)

Ernie Land's Take

I managed to get some comments from Ernie Land on the situation.

On the divorce and eviction, he wrote:

The divorce was filed by Jo. Again her fear of regulatory agencies and Kent’s voice against the corruptions of Government in my opinion are the real bottom line basis. She tells me she was advised to divorce him for her own protection by legal counsel. The notice to vacate the home, which is owned by God Quest, Inc. is based on the divorce, and that boards opinion Kent should move out. I do not wish to input my opinions and make them public at this time, as I just want both Ministries to work together for Kingdom work. 

He elaborated a bit in a subsequent message

I compare what’s going on to Texas having 22 counties seeking a vote on secession, which the Supreme Court has declared illegal. If the elites in Government do not wake up it will not matter if it’s legal or not, because revolution by the people never requires the support of a corrupt governing body. Same between what took place with Kent, the original Ministry properties and what is going on now inside the family. They may have moved in a legal method, but just like corrupt governing bodies it may not be a Godly, moral, ethical, in method. I have little else to say until this all unfolds, other than there is much wrongdoing by multiple parties.

Hovindoligists Munching On The Popcorn 

I also reached out to the Hovindology community for comments, which are necessarily speculative.

Bob Baty, the most indefatigable of chroniclers of the Hovind saga and the one most troubling to the Hovindicators, wrote me.

Current events regarding Kent Hovind have tended to vindicate my coverage of his case, his wife's case, their relationship, and my claim that as King David was responsible for the death of Uriah so Kent Hovind was responsible for his wife having to go to federal prison.

Jonathan Schwartz of Interlock Media, who covered last years trial intensively, wrote:

As someone who had been covering Kent Hovind's recent legal woes up close and personal, I had come to know Jo and Eric a little bit, and respected both of them, despite Eric's association with the Duggars which I thought ill advised. Kent is a user and manipulator, who despite some good qualities, (he genuinely loves children), surrounds himself with con men, thugs, misogynists, and militiamen in order to consolidate his power base. Eric in a Christian entrepreneur who cannot support his Father's trickery and greed and law breaking, nor his half cocked theology. Jo, a talented musician and dedicated wife and mother, has taken his callousness for too long, and has been repeatedly shoved in front of trucks for her spouse. Basta.

Jonathan told me that "basta" is Spanish for "enough" and that is an expression that "everybody" is familiar with.

Dee Homes also covered the trial.  She may have gone through a Hovindologist Twelve Step Program as she has not posted on her blog - Hovindology "It's about the taxes, not the dinos" - in nearly a year.  I hope I have not triggered a relapse by asking her for a comment:

I would state that I have a lot of respect for Jo Hovind. She is apparently quite good at the piano. (They don't let just anyone peform at these Baptist megachurches.) And in her world, it takes a lot of guts, especially at her age and after so many decades of marriage, to stand up and say, "This is over." Among independent fundamental Baptists, divorce is heavily frowned upon unless one of the parties committed adultery. (And even then, there's a lot of pressure to forgive and stay married.) 

I would have hoped the double whammy of the divorce plus the eviction would get through Kent's skull, but as we've seen, Kent is all about Kent. 

I do wish Kent's video friends would stop beating up on Jo and hammering her with the Bible. It's not helpful in the least.

A Bit of Humor

I cannot help but close with just a bit of humor.  Back in July when Eric and his mom drove to Yazoo, Mississippi to pick Kent up from prison to begin a brief period of home confinement, Jim Bob Duggar of "19 Kids And Counting" went along for the ride.  Maybe, he could offer the Hovinds some advice on a new reality show "Real Creationists  Of Escanbia County".  Plenty of material.

A More Serious Note

Eric Hovind graciously agreed to comment.

So thankful that many people care so deeply about our family and the cause of Christ. I love my dad and mom more than any can know. Thank you so much for keeping us in prayer.

Previous coverage of Eric is here and here and here.
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Peter J Reilly CPA continues to think that the Hovind story is no longer forbes worthy, but that could change.

Kent Hovind Trial Day 4 Eric Hovind The Good Steward Testifies

Kent Hovind is one of the leading lights in the field of Young Earth Creationism, the notion that there is scientific evidence for a hyper-literal reading of the Book of Genesis. YEC implies that the world is roughly 6,000 years old and dinosaurs and humans must have co-existed.  Nearing the end of a long sentence for tax related crimes, Hovind finds himself on trial this week for fraud and contempt of court related to filings on properties seized in connection with his first conviction.  His co-defendant Paul John Hansen was the trustee of Creation Science Evangelism, Hovind's ministry. Hansen challenges the authority of the government in many areas, including the right to bring him to trial in the federal court in Pensacola.  

Jonathan Schwartz of Interlock Media was there for Day 4 of the trial as the Government did not quite wrap up its case.

Today was in effect the last day that Government had to make its case, with a loose end or two left for Monday morning.  There were revelations and some high drama.

First, it became clear that if Hansen and Hovind had granted more stipulations, it would have been a vastly quicker and less expensive trial.

Stipulations, as defined, per the Free Dictionary, as…

An agreement between attorneys that concerns business before a court and is   designed to simplify or shorten litigation and save costs.  During the courseof a  civil lawsuit, criminal proceeding, or any other type of litigation, the opposing attorneys may come to an agreement about certain facts and issues.

What this means that it is conceivable that the parade of authentication experts, filing clerks, digital contraband correctional officers and others that poured into Pensacola at taxpayer expense could have been greatly diminished had Hansen and Hovind verified a few filings and signatures. These out of towners were not that happy either. Many, like myself, had experienced multi-day weather delays in getting to Pensacola. Rather than finding relief from harsh winters in the mid-west or wherever they came from they encountered a chilly, foggy paradise, and stale danish in the Marriott Courtyard. Plus  Pensacola residents largely indifferent or eager to distance themselves from an old scandal involving the IRS.

Eric Hovind was the star witness, called by the prosecution yet seeming mostly benefiting the defense, though it was hard to tell. He held his composure with ease, although I could feel him wince when Schneider, ( the IRS criminal investigation agent who astounded us with the volume of emails and letters he was obliged to review and excerpt while remaining fetchingly charming in the face of it all ) presented emails from Eric's personal accounts as evidence.

You heard right. His personal account.  Emails marked super-confidential and “dad”. The government, with a court order, had handily obtained all the emails for the relevant months needed in their case and reached into the private sector as the Federal Bureau of Prisons claims to run out of hard drive space every six months and erase all the digital calls and emails generated by  federal convicts.

So when the prosecution had to rewind to March, 2012 they got a big fat Drop Box full of emails from MSN and a giant thumb drive from Google, containing the entire email accounts for that period associated with Eric Hovind, Paul John Hansen ( or at least one of his many email accounts) Paul Dublin, who actually used his wife’s email account, Marlissa Jewell Dublin, Hovind’s daughter. Kent Hovind “Junior” somehow escaped the narrative. Perhaps that computer forensics team will be freed up to find the balance of Lois Lerner's e-mails now that they have played their part in the Hovind drama.

Getting back to Eric Hovind’s testimony, it was delivered by the perfect picture of a loving son who is athletic, handsome, and connected. Every bit the instantly likable Christian hipster businessman, The kind of guy you want to go play golf with even if you don’t play golf.  Still following a spiritual beacon while shrewd enough to keep the ministry going, transfer assets without his father knowing for two years, protect the fiscal health of his mom and siblings, and legally extend his occupancy years after the forfeit order so he and his family members might live rent free in various houses. Eric was collecting rent from tenants which he plowed back into renovations and generating savings to buy back the house he and his immediate family had been living in for forty thousand dollar free of any civil or IRS liens.

Eric Hovind exclaimed, after realizing the content of some of the emails that had been read aloud in the courtroom “welcome to my family” and email “to the world”.  One could argue that his father’s actions, through his liens and constant filings, deliberately or not, managed to win his son a few years to sock away money for a down payment and live off the fat of the land for a spell. In fact, despite the fierce father-son battles over control of the ministry and its brand, the mutual betrayals and blatant power struggles, I caught an unmistakable “ look” from the usually placid Hovind in his son’s direction as his son was rocking the jury . He is proud of his son and loves him. So even if Hovind loses this trial and spends more time in lock-up, today he was winning when his son was on the stand and stole the show. Legacy fulfilled.

Some more acid revelations. The total value of the property the government sold and the fifty thousand plus garnered from a bank account almost pays off the criminal forfeiture from his 2006 conviction short 40 or 50 thousand depending on how you calculate it. Kent Hovind, still has a civil liability for income tax of over $3,000,000, which as far as we know, IRS has not even started collection action on.  Good luck with that.

The evidence presented today was the most damning, though there was less of it. We heard, out loud, as witnesses read the documentation trail, in their many voices but always with some collective hum, and sped along by the prosecutor who was spinning faster and faster as the day grew to a close, Instance after instance of fraud, intimidation, trickery and deceit.

Hovind asked Eric to compare himself  to Paul in the bible when he was ordering him to hold his tongue.  This in a phone call recorded just this February , and in the same call Eric bristled and told his dad not to be telling him this, not to be digging his hole ever deeper, and not to be citing Paul. Hansen, appeared ever more the con man, with his instructions to the Hovind family to follow his will as the CEO of Creation Science Evangelism and his veiled threats, boasts and con games.

Judge Casey at the end of the day spent five minutes addressing the Defense, especially Hovind’s. It was an intimate moment. I felt I was eaves dropping. The Jury had left and the Federal Marshals were looking as fit as always, but clearly suffering from having been that still, for that long, and aching for that cigarette or scotch, home & family.

The judge light heartedly limited the two defense attorney’s closing statements to a reasonable amount, kindly beseeching them to not go on for more than two hours, and suggested some homework assignments that they take on over the weekend. She distinguished normal and justified appeals, which Hovind had exhausted in her estimation soon after his conviction in 2006, and insisted that he had crossed the line between valid legal challenges and defiant actions which Hovind was now indulging in.

She discouraged,(and allowed the possibility that they could convince her otherwise Monday morning) Keith, Hovind's public defender, from indulging in the Cheek defense,

 John Cheek was a pilot for American Airlines who from seminars he took in the 1970s concluded he did not have to pay income taxes.  Cheek was prosecuted for tax evasion and failure to file a return.  The general rule that "ignorance of the law is no excuse" is relaxed, by statute, for some tax crimes.  The trial judge in Cheek's case told the jury that a belief in order to be in "good faith" had to be "objectivity reasonable". Cheek appealed that instruction all the way to the Supreme Court which ruled that instruction invalid.  Thus was born the "Cheek defense".

In his interviews, Kent Hovind usually refers to three tax professionals who sent him letters telling him that everything he was doing was "OK",  Those letters were something of a mini-industry that tax protesters created in response to the Cheek discussion.  Pete Reilly discussed the letters in some detail here.

 Judge Rodgers indicated that she might rule that lack of willfulness does not constitute a defense for the particular crimes that Hovind and Hansen are charged with.   She told them that she would present charges before their closing statements. After having been all but silent for days except to be polite, procedural, or coach the jury, she took back her courtroom in those five minutes and with it the case. She had been haunted by the Hovind case for many years now, and she was looking to end it.

Jonathan Schwartz is the executive director of Interlock Media, which focuses on environmental and human rights issues. Interlock production Faith In the Big House, on prison ministries recently aired on PBS.

On Eve Of Testimony In Kent Hovind Trial Son Eric Opens Up To Reporters

Kent Hovind is one of the leading lights in the field of Young Earth Creationism, the notion that there is scientific evidence for a hyper-literal reading of the Book of Genesis. YEC implies that the world is roughly 6,000 years old and dinosaurs and humans must have co-existed.  Nearing the end of a long sentence for tax related crimes, Hovind finds himself on trial this week for fraud and contempt of court related to filings on properties seized in connection with his first conviction.  His co-defendant Paul John Hansen was the trustee of Creation Science Evangelism, Hovind's ministry. Hansen challenges the authority of the government in many areas, including the right to bring him to trial in the federal court in Pensacola.

Abigail Megginson, a student at Pensacola State College in her second piece on this venue, scores a journalistic coup as she gets Kent's son Eric to speak on the record.  Eric is scheduled to testify tomorrow limiting what at he could say. Eric's ministry Creation Today appears by all accounts to be run in a conventionally tax compliant manner.

At the Drowsy Poet Coffee Shop in Pensacola Florida, Jonothan Shwartz, PBS filmmaker, and I met with Kent Hovind’s son Eric Hovind. The interview included Eric's opinion about the trial in general and his relationship with the defendant, his father. After grabbing some coffee and breakfast, the rest followed.

Outside as we were taking some pictures, Hovind complained about Peter Reilly making fun of creationism on his blog. Later though, he commended Reilly on being a neutral source that only looks at the facts.

He expressed his hopes that he would love to see nova style programming for what he does (creationism education).

When told about the PBS documentary “Faith in the Big House,”Eric seemed very interested and was eager to watch it for himself since his father has been a Christian in prison for so many years.

Something that came up in the interview was Eric's confusion with the U.S government’s logic in all of this.

The very idea of the reason the government came after my dad this round, even last round, but this round is because he filed liens that made the government do more work, so and cost the government money so what they’re gonna do in response is a whole lot more work in order to prosecute him in hopes that they can put him in prison and cost the government more money,

When asked about the family financial collusion, Eric seemed uncomfortable and squirmed in his seat as he tried to avoid more conversation on the topic.

Eric did say he feels the trial is a creative way to keep his father in prison.

He said during the first trial, he was never called to take the witness stand, yet he could not be in the court room.

Hovind said that he could have gotten the land he lived on cheaper at auction, but it was not worth the pain of moving off and then back onto the land.

When asked about some of the phone conversations used in court, Hovind was reluctant to talk due to his restrictions.

However, Eric Hovind didn’t mind talking about his relationship with his father and his decision-making skills.

I love my dad 100%.

While Eric Hovind’s actions and decisions are based on the Judge’s court order, his father has a different way to make his choices. Eric  says that the struggle has been that his dad has always believed he is right and thus bases all his reasoning on that. My dad believes he is right because of his world view.

He acts on the assumption that he is right and that this trial would be overturned.

My dad looks at the whole system and says, hang on, we as a country, here is where we were founded, here is what the truth is, Congress shall make no law regarding the establishment of religion or the free exercise thereof.Like Disney is not under government when they. They have their own do their permits they have their own law enforcement.

Eric also stated that the Vatican has their own church hierarchy and corporations sole. People accused Kent of abusing corporation sole, but Eric claims his father was doing it the right way. They were doing the exact same thing that the Roman Catholic Church does. Eric stated the problem was that the government didn’t want to recognize them.

He believes the Roman Catholic Church doesn’t want competition.

Eric is most frustrated by the haunting feeling that his father might be right and the fact that he will have to live as if he’s not. Eric also stated that he has no inheritance because his father made a vow of poverty by giving all he has to the ministry.  On the whole, Eric was very supportive of his father. He stated that his sincerity has been demonstrated by the years Kent Hovind has spent in prison.

 “He was genuinely trying to be lawful, no doubt about it,” Eric Hovind said.

There is a sense that Eric feels his Father is right, yet he doesn’t think his decisions are based on what’s really going on. As if Kent Hovind is basing all of his decisions on what he wants or thinks should happen.

Eric Hovind concluded the meeting to meet with his father’s attorney, Thomas Keith, in preparation or tomorrow’s trial.




18-year-old Abigail Megginson is an up-and-coming journalist from Pensacola, Florida. She is currently the editor-in-chief of her college newspaper (Pensacola State College’s The Corsair) and is looking to break into broadcast journalism.