August 20, 2005

Msgr. got 280G for a side job

NEW YORK
New York Daily News

BY BARBARA ROSS
and ADAM LISBERG
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

The motel-hopping monsignor of St. Patrick's Cathedral had a full-time job running the nation's most prominent church - but he also got a little something on the side.

Former Msgr. Eugene Clark made $280,000 in the last six years as vice president of the Homeland Foundation, an upstate charity that gives grants to Catholic causes, according to the foundation's tax returns.

Clark's married secretary, Laura DeFilippo, with whom he is accused of carrying on a long affair, also did work for the Homeland Foundation - making up to $15,000 a year, a foundation source said.

DeFilippo's estranged husband has said she earned $70,000 to $100,000 per year, supplementing her church salary with payments from the Homeland Foundation and other nonprofit groups connected to Clark.

The 79-year-old Clark resigned from St. Pat's in disgrace Aug. 11 as allegations emerged about his relationship with DeFilippo, 46.

They have denied having an affair, but a private eye caught them on video checking into a Hamptons motel, then emerging 5 1/2 hours later in different outfits.

Posted by kshaw at August 20, 2005 09:47 AM