(MN)
The Roys Report [Chicago IL]
November 5, 2024
By Ann Marie Shambaugh
The former CEO of My Faith Votes, a nonprofit urging Christians to vote their values, was charged yesterday with eight felony counts of possession of child sex abuse material. And according to a probable cause statement filed in the case, the former CEO, Jason Yates, has a prior conviction for a similar charge, which was expunged.
Yates was charged yesterday during a virtual hearing before a judge in the District Court of McLeod County, Minnesota, and released on his own recognizance.
The 55-year-old Yates could face up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine for each count, if found guilty. He has been ordered to post $100,000 bail or bond and refrain from contact with anyone younger than 18 years old as the case moves forward.
According to a statement of probable cause, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) began investigating Yates on July 31 when an unnamed witness provided the agency with a hard drive containing more than 100 images of child sexual abuse material.
The witness told investigators that a relative of Yates discovered the images on the hard drive in Yates’ office while attempting to use it for additional computer storage. The relative gave the hard drive to the witness.
BCA agents met with Yates and his attorney on Sept. 13. During the meeting, Yates told investigators he had a prior conviction related to child sexual abuse material that had been expunged, according to the statement of probable cause.
A BCA digital media examiner determined some of the files were downloaded in February and March 2023 and discovered at least some of the files had been last accessed on July 26. The files included photos and videos of young children’s genitals and sexual acts between children and adults.
According to its website, My Faith Votes is “a non-partisan movement that motivates, equips and activates Christians in America to vote in every election, transforming our communities and influencing our nation with biblical truth.”
When contacted by The Roys Report, My Faith Votes issued a statement about the situation.
“In early August 2024, the My Faith Votes board of directors separated Jason Yates from My Faith Votes and board member Chris Sadler assumed the position of Acting CEO,” the statement reads. “Over the last three months Chris has been working with the dedicated My Faith Votes team to encourage millions of Christians to vote, pray and think biblically about this election in America.”
My Faith Votes listed Yates as its CEO on its website as recently as Aug. 19. By Sept. 5, he no longer appeared on the site.
Did My Faith Votes know about prior sex abuse conviction?
My Faith Votes did not respond to questions about when the organization learned of the charges against Yates and whether its leaders had prior knowledge of Yates’ expunged case.
However, the founder and president of My Faith Votes is Sealy Yates, who is Jason Yates’ uncle, as well as a lawyer and literary agent representing several top Christian authors.
Also, Jason Yates’ father, Michael “Mick” Yates, is CFO of My Faith Votes and Sealy Yates’ brother.
Jason Yates’ wife, Megan Yates, also does contract work for My Faith Votes, earning nearly $69,000 in 2022, according to the organization’s 990 tax form. Megan, who often goes by her maiden name, West, is a former Miss Minnesota who has interviewed high-profile conservatives, like Laura Ingraham and Congressman Jody Arrington, for My Faith Votes.
Eric Yates, who’s listed on a 990 as a family member of Jason Yates and Michael Yates, has done contract work for My Faith Votes, as well.
Jason Yates and his attorney, Hannah Martin, did not respond to requests for comment.
TRR also reached out by phone and email to Sealy Yates, but he did not respond.
We also called and emailed Johnnie Moore, a PR professional who serves on the board of My Faith Votes. Moore’s PR company, The Kairos company, also receives between $110,000 and $120,000 annually for services for My Faith Votes, according to the My Faith Votes 990 IRS tax forms.
Moore did not respond to TRR’s calls or emails either.
A biography of Jason Yates states that he and his wife are parents of two adopted children and that he has coached his daughter’s lacrosse team. Yates also serves on several national mission boards and is an elder at his church, the bio adds.
On July 3, just weeks before police began investigating Yates, he wrote a column for The Washington Times about encountering a group at a robotics competition “encouraging children to embrace strange new sexual horizons” by distributing LGBTQ+ literature.
“This infernal programming is being downloaded into our children, and it becomes far easier when it finds no resistance in our public square — when it is allowed to fill the void left by the absence of our faith,” Yates wrote.
Jason Yates’ next court date is set for Jan. 3, 2025.