Watchdog group that fought Catholic Church faces upheaval

Clohessy said SNAP's strength isn't in its leadership but in the hundreds of volunteers "who so generously work to protect kids, expose predators and help survivors."

The organization is not nearly as visible as it was during the height of the sexual abuse scandal more than a decade ago, in part because many of the victims from decades ago have come forward and been heard, and the church, under pressure from SNAP and others, is more aggressively policing itself.

Nicholas Cafardi, a professor at the Duquesne University School of Law and former chairman of the U.S. Bishops National Review Board for the Protection of Children and Youth, said SNAP still has a place "in making sure the topic never does get buried again."

The lawsuit alleges that SNAP "routinely accepts financial kickbacks from attorneys" in the form of donations in exchange for directing potential clients to those lawyers.

Blaine denied the allegations and said the lawsuit was the latest in a long line of efforts to silence SNAP, whose sometimes confrontational nature, including sidewalk news conferences in front of churches and Catholic administrative offices, has angered church leaders and supporters.

"Since the beginning of SNAP we have been fighting people trying to discredit us and attribute ulterior motives to our work," Blaine said.