Several branches of the Church of Scientology received hundreds of thousands of dollars in Payment Protection Program funds, according to a list of recipients released by the Treasury Department this week.
Three Scientology churches in Florida, the District of Columbia, and New York were awarded small-business loans in amounts ranging from $150,000 to $300,000 as part of the Trump administration’s $2 billion CARES Act to help struggling companies during the coronavirus pandemic.
Nonprofit churches with fewer than 500 staff members qualified for the PPP loans. Churches will be allowed to write off expenses if the money is used to retain staff and pay for costs deemed eligible by the program.
According to data released by the Treasury, more than 20 jobs were saved between the three churches, thanks to the PPP loans.
The controversial church, whose followers include several high-profile celebrities, owns a dozen high-dollar properties around the world, including a massive complex in Los Angeles, believed to be worth $400 million.
