Finances
Unlike his brother Elden, Ortell aggressively pursued a financially expansive agenda for the Davis County Cooperative Society Inc and the wealth of the Kingston clan grew.
Despite the wealth of the Kingston Clan leaders, the plural wives of leaders have been sometimes found living in almost inhumane conditions. Often wives homes consisted of only small rundown clapboard houses, with peeling paint and broken windows. Connie Rugg (a former member) stated: "The men in the Kingston group do little or nothing to support their many wives and children". Sometimes wives will "go gardening" (scrounging through garbage cans to find food) for themselves and their children.
Ortell evaded taxes and fraudulently obtained welfare by having his wives clam to be ‘single’ mothers.” and that he was not the father of their children. Ortell's holdings were estimated at $70 million. In 1983 the State of Utah sued Ortell Kingston for welfare subsidies his alleged wives had received. While admitting no wrongdoing, Ortell paid the state $250,000 and the case was dropped.
Read more about this topic: John Ortell Kingston