Sign of the Cross Media video screengrab / YouTube
LifeSiteNews CEO and Editor-in-Chief John-Henry Westen released a detailed video statement July 29 addressing the events that led to his brief removal from leadership and his subsequent reinstatement by the board of directors.
In a nearly 10-minute message posted to X, Westen described the last month as a “roller coaster” and offered a point-by-point rebuttal to the public and internal accusations that accompanied his ouster.
He noted at the outset that he intended to explain recent events as much as he could “without interfering with the internal investigation which is currently underway.”
“I am so glad to be back with you and speaking to you again as the CEO and editor in chief of LifeSiteNews,” he said in the video. “The past few weeks have been a roller coaster for all of us, especially for those of you who put your trust in LifeSiteNews.”
Westen recounted that on July 2, several board members voted to remove him from his leadership role, a move he said “blindsided” him.
“I was afforded no opportunity to defend myself,” he said.
He characterized the vote as driven by “a premeditated effort that involved a series of false accusations and misleading assertions, false testimony, and distorted statistics.”
CatholicVote previously reported on Westen’s removal and subsequent reinstatement. On July 9, the outlet confirmed his removal as CEO and editor-in-chief, citing a LifeSiteNews board statement that described the change as a prayerfully considered decision. Then, July 18, Westen was reinstated following a board reversal, acknowledging procedural issues in the original vote.
In his message, Westen elaborated on that timeline. He noted that the board’s chairman declared the earlier vote null due to procedural violations, and that the full board ratified that finding two days later.
“Those who had offered the false testimony in an effort to deceive the board of directors simply had not bothered to obey the bylaws that govern LifeSiteNews,” according to Westen.
By July 22, he said, the board had removed one of its members and confirmed Westen’s continued leadership.
Westen also responded to allegations he said arose from leaked portions of a July 2 board meeting. According to him, the excerpts — shared without his input or response — falsely portrayed him as benefiting financially from a LifeSiteNews property transaction, misleading a donor, and engaging in nepotism.
He denied those charges, asserting that he received no financial gain from LifeSiteNews’ recent purchase of a building in Ontario.
“LifeSiteNews owned 100% of the shares,” he said, referring to the holding company involved. “I hold no ownership and receive no financial benefit from this.”
On donor relations, Westen said he disclosed full project estimates to the supporter in question, ranging from in-house cost projections to external pricing benchmarks.
“There [was] no misrepresentation to the donor. There was none of that at all,” he stated.
He also defended the employment of two of his daughters, stating that he recused himself from their hiring process and stressing that both were objectively qualified to serve in their respective roles. He noted that they both spent many unpaid hours since their teenage years volunteering for the organization, entering data, answering phones, sorting mail, and maintaining records.
“Being a co-founder doesn’t mean that my children are disqualified from working for the mission I helped to build,” he added.
He noted that one of his daughters took a significant pay cut, leaving a stable career to become a major gifts officer at LifeSiteNews when there was a staffing shortage.
“My family has always sacrificed for the mission of LifeSite News,” he said. “And these false accusations in an effort to defame me were especially unfair to my daughters.”
At the heart of the ordeal, Westen believes the conflict was not primarily financial but ideological.
“I believe this wasn’t about legal or financial misconduct, but rather differences of opinion regarding the editorial voice of LifeSiteNews,” he said, adding that some discomfort with his critiques of Church corruption may have motivated the opposition.
“I’m grateful for the steps LifeSiteNews’ board of directors has taken to ensure such differences of opinion are not permitted to let these false accusations stand,” he said. “[W]e are now united and moving forward to restore the trust of our readers and donors through unswerving dedication to our mission.”
In addressing criticisms of his leadership, Westen stated, “My flaws are real. They’re really obvious to those close to me. But they’re not unethical and they’re not illegal.”
He concluded, “My commitment to LifeSiteNews, to the truth and the mission defending life, faith, family, freedom has not changed.”
