Congressional Candidate Frederick D. Haynes Faces Resurfaced Allegations from 2009 Lawsuit

The Rev. Frederick D. Haynes III, pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas and a candidate for Texas' 30th Congressional District, is facing renewed scrutiny regarding allegations made in a 2009 lawsuit. Elizabeth Payne, a former executive assistant to Haynes, alleged in a deposition that she was instructed to wire $2,000 to a woman who had sent the pastor a topless photograph. Payne, who filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the church, claimed the payment was linked to an inappropriate relationship.

In his own deposition, Haynes denied seeing the photograph and characterized his relationship with the woman as that of a spiritual mentor. He also disputed Payne’s claims regarding her termination, stating she was dismissed due to poor job performance rather than personal matters. The 2009 lawsuit was settled in 2010 with undisclosed terms. Haynes, who is currently seeking to succeed Rep. Jasmine Crockett in Congress, has not provided further comment on the resurfaced allegations.