Msgr. Jamie Gigantiello, the Catholic priest who had received criticism for permitting a racy music video to be filmed at his parish by the salacious pop star, Sabrina Carpenter, has been relieved of his duties at Our Lady of Mount Carmel-Annunciation Parish. Gigantiello had originally been under fire when he permitted Carpenter to film a music video that featured her very scantily clad and dancing provocatively on the church’s altar, amongst other things. A mass of reparation was performed at the church to cleanse it of any ungodly acts.

However, Gigantiello is receiving criticism from more than just the Carpenter incident. According to a year-long investigation, Gigantiello also performed questionable financial transactions with the church’s money without requesting permission from the Diocese. For example, in 2019 Gigantiello transferred $1 million to Abrams Fensterman, a law firm at one owned previously by New York mayor Eric Adams’s former chief of staff, Frank Carone. Adams himself is facing charges of questionable financial contributions, as is Carone. In total, the church found $1.9 million of questionable transactions from 2019 to 2021, all having to do with Carone. According to the investigation, Giganitello had not filed the proper paperwork for such large sums of money. He was removed from his fundraising position within the church last year while the investigation was ongoing.

Bishop Robert Brennan said in a statement that Gigantiello  had been relieved “of any pastoral oversight or governance role at the parish because he has mishandled substantial church funds and interfered with the administration of the Parish after being directed not to do so.” Gigantiello is also being investigated for large personal expenses made on the church’s credit card. Gigantiello states, however, that the transfers were made for investments that benefited the church. “The investments were made legally and the investments came back,” he said.

Speaking to The National Catholic Reporter, Gigantiello accused the diocese of “causing scandal to the church.” He claimed he was unaware of any policy that required him to request permission or notify the Diocese. “There’s no written handbook we have that really clarifies all the diocesan policies,” he said. “Beginning five years ago, once a year $30,000 was wired to the parish and I used the credit card for my own personal expenses from that $30,000. For five years, the parish received $150,000 and I only used $120,000 for myself. The parish made $30,000,” he said of his expenses. He stated he had known Carone for over 20 years and called him “a very reputable man.”

Gigantiello has also been discovered to have secretly recorded Deacon Dean Dobbins, the parish’s temporary administrator. In the recording, Dobbins apparently makes racist and offensive comments. Brennan also relieved Dobbins of his duties. “It was wrong to secretly record Deacon Dobbins, but the use of such language by any church employee is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” he said. Parishioners at Gigantiello’s church seem conflicted by the move, with most painting him as someone who never seemed “improper.” “”My question is why did the bishop have to publicly announce this to the press? Why not do it internally?” Gigantiello questioned. “Once again the bishop is causing public scandal to the church.” He plans to fight all accusations of wrongdoing. “The devil has been at work over the past year, and I’m not going to let the devil win,” he said. “I will fight as much as I can and the Lord will be with me and guide me as he has been throughout my life.”