Texas couple stands by story after US cardinal pushes back

The Texas couple that accused top U.S. Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of mishandling a sexual misconduct case against his former deputy is denying his office's claims that they fabricated quotes and demanded $10 million, saying they are being dismissed the way the church dismisses other victims.

George Pontikes, president and CEO of the Houston-based construction firm Satterfield & Pontikes, said Wednesday he stood by his comments reported to The Associated Press recounting meetings with DiNardo in 2016 and 2017. The diocese had said it "categorically rejects" the story as biased and one-sided a response Pontikes called disappointing but not surprising.

"It is another example of a smoke screen designed to cover up wrongdoings," he said.

His wife, Laura Pontikes, had approached DiNardo's Galveston-Houston archdiocese in April 2016 to report that the then-vicar general had taken advantage of problems in her marriage and business to manipulate her into a sexual relationship.

Emails turned over to the archdiocese and AP show that while the sexual relationship grew, Rossi heard her confessions, counseled her husband on their marriage and solicited hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations for the church. Houston police are now investigating. Following inquiries by AP, Rossi's new bishop placed him on leave Tuesday pending the outcome of the police investigation.

The case is significant because DiNardo is heading up the US Catholic Church's response to the clergy sex abuse scandal, which exploded anew last year worldwide. As president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, DiNardo will lead a meeting next week to approve new measures for accountability over abuse.

The archdiocese turned down repeated requests from the AP for an interview with DiNardo, with the latest rejection on Wednesday. But it has called the relationship between Rossi and Pontikes consensual, and said in a written statement Tuesday that comments the Pontikeses attributed to DiNardo were "an absolute fabrication."