Jimmy Swaggart, Televangelist Brought Down By Sex Scandals, Dead At 90

Jimmy Swaggart, a once-popular televangelist whose ministry was mired by multiple sex scandals, died on Tuesday. He was 90.

Swaggart had been in critical condition at a Louisiana hospital after going into cardiac arrest on June 15l his medical condition had been shared with parishioners during a June 15 prayer service.

"Today, our hearts are heavy as we share that Brother Swaggart has finished his earthly race and entered into the presence of His Savior, Jesus Christ," his official Facebook page shared on Tuesday. "Today was the day he has sung about for decades. He met his beloved Savior and entered the portals of glory. At the same time, we rejoice knowing that we will see him again one day."

"For over seven decades, Brother Swaggart poured out his life preaching the gospel, singing songs of the faith, and pointing millions to the saving power of Jesus Christ and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit," the message continued. "He was not just a preacher — he was a worshiper, a warrior, and a witness to the grace and mercy of God. He was a man whose faith was steadfast and always entered whatever door the Lord opened. And the Lord honored that faith."

A Louisiana native (and cousin of musicians Jerry Lee Lewis and Mickey Gilley), Swaggart as a televangelist became a household name in the late 1980s, as his ministries made an estimated $142 million in 1986 alone (pre the AP).

Swaggart's first prostitution scandal of two came in 1988, when he was caught on camera — by a photographer hired by Marvin Gorman, a rival preacher Swaggart had accused of adultery — outside a New Orleans Travel Inn with sex worker Debra Murphree. Swaggart in turn delivered what came to be known as his "I have sinned" speech, on live television.

In October 1991, Swaggart was pulled over for wayward driving in Indio, Calif., and found in the company of Rosemary Garcia, a prostitute who said he had pulled over to her at the roadside and "asked for sex." Amid that scandal, Swaggart temporarily stepped down as head of his ministry.

Swaggart also drew fire for saying "the Catholic superstructure and organization is not really a Christian organization," and claiming that Jews suffered for thousands of years "because of their rejection of Christ."