astor Robert Morris, once a member of the Trump-Pence campaign’s spiritual advisory council in 2016, pleaded guilty on Thursday to five felony charges involving the sexual assault of a girl. The abuse began when she was just 12 years old and continued for years. Despite the seriousness of his crimes, Morris will serve only six months in jail, though he will have to register as a sex offender and pay $250,000 in restitution, MSNBC reported.
Morris, now 64 and formerly the leader of Texas megachurch Gateway Church, admitted guilt to lewd or indecent acts with a child. The assaults began in December 1982, when he was 20 years old, molesting Cindy Clemishire while staying with her family during Christmas. He instructed her to lie down and proceeded to touch her breasts and under her underwear.
It was the beginning of years of abuse. He threatened Clemishire, telling her, “Never tell anyone about this because it will ruin everything.” For the next five years, he continued molesting her, disguising it as “counseling” to his wife. Clemishire later confided in a family friend, which ultimately fractured the family’s circle of trust. Now 55, Clemishire has lived with the scars of his abuse for decades.
Morris went on to establish Gateway Church in 2000, a megachurch with weekly attendance reaching 100,000. In 2005, Clemishire sought a $50,000 settlement to cover the cost of therapy, but his lawyer claimed the abuse was her fault, labeling her “flirtatious.” Morris countered with an offer of $25,000—on the condition she signed a nondisclosure agreement. She refused. It wasn’t until Clemishire publicly told her story in March 2025 that the Oklahoma attorney general launched an investigation, leading to felony charges.
Judge Cindy Pickerill originally sentenced Morris to 10 years, but a plea agreement reduced his punishment to just six months in county jail. In court, Clemishire spoke directly to Morris about the lifelong impact of his crimes: “There is no such thing as consent from a 12-year-old child. We were never in an ‘inappropriate relationship.’ I was not a ‘young lady’ but a child. You committed a crime against me.” Morris refused to look at her while she addressed him.
In November 2024, Gateway Church removed four elders who allegedly knew of Clemishire’s claims years earlier but failed to act. After Morris was removed, he sued the church for millions in retirement benefits, accusing its leaders of damaging his reputation. The case is ongoing. The church has also faced past scandals, including a 2016 lawsuit alleging leaders destroyed video evidence of sexual assault in its childcare program, according to WFAA.
Morris was deeply connected to Trump’s evangelical circle, serving on the president’s advisory board alongside figures such as James Dobson, Jerry Falwell Jr., Ralph Reed, and Michele Bachmann—all known for their anti-LGBTQ+ activism. Like them, Morris often attacked LGBTQ+ rights. In 2017, he supported a Texas bathroom bill aimed at banning transgender people from using restrooms aligned with their gender identity, though it failed to pass. In 2020, he was present at the White House Rose Garden to celebrate Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination.
He also had a history of dismissing criticism. In 2015, he warned his 36,000-member congregation not to believe “filth on the internet,” saying, “And, I, um, you can’t imagine how many people have told me, that ‘this is true.’ How ya’ know it’s true? ‘Read it on the Internet.’” According to The Christian Post, he was likely referring to another pastor who had been accused online of supporting marriage equality.
