As patriotic tributes echoed across the National Mall during the launch of America's Freedom 250 celebrations, one of the event's most prominent religious figures was already embroiled in a bitter legal battle involving millions of dollars allegedly raised for Holocaust survivors.
Pastor Jentezen Franklin, who delivered the invocation and led prayer at the opening ceremony of the Great American State Fair and Freedom 250 kickoff in Washington, D.C., is currently facing a lawsuit alleging that more than $3.3 million (£2.4 million) intended for humanitarian projects in Israel was never delivered. Franklin has strongly denied the allegations and insists the legal claims are entirely without merit.
