Rev. Charles Coppinger Jr.
(1964 - living) U.S.A.
Chaplain of Arizona legislature
The state's legislative chaplain who surprised legislators with an announcement last week that he is gay, several years ago stole $14,000 from an employer.
Although no criminal charges were filed against the Rev. Charles Coppinger Jr., court documents show a judgment was made against him in civil court in 1987 for embezzling the money from a Hallmark greeting card store.
Already an ordained minister, Coppinger said he donated a large part of the stolen money to Christian ministries including Focus on the Family and Billy Graham's evangelistic association.
"If I could turn back the clock, I would," Coppinger said. "It's hard to even understand what in the world my thinking was at the time."
In December 1987, a court commissioner ruled against Coppinger and ordered him to repay the stolen money with interest. Coppinger said he paid off the judgment over the next five years while working two jobs.
The gay relationship he was in had just ended, and he had fallen into deep depression. He was prescribed anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medication. His rejection of his homosexuality was also a factor, Coppinger said.
 The chaplain said he did not disclose his past to House Speaker Jeff Groscost, R-Mesa, and Senate President Brenda Burns, R-Glendale, the legislative leaders who appointed him, but he did tell board members of his non-profit group, the Foundation for Success Inc., which funds his $150,000-a-year chaplaincy with donations from churches. He could not remember whether he disclosed his past to former House Speaker Mark Killian, who first appointed him in 1996.
Some conservative legislators have called for Coppinger's resignation since he announced his sexual orientation last week. He said he made the announcement because he felt he was being dishonest by keeping it a secret.
Most legislators have been noncommittal about whether Coppinger should retain his position. Burns said a decision on Coppinger's appointment should wait until the new Legislature convenes in January.
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