Salt Lake City, USA - A rival church elder is fighting to keep jailed polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs in charge of his Utah-based church after another member seized the presidency this week.
In papers filed with the Utah Department of Commerce on Thursday, Boyd L. Knudson claims that William E. Jessop never had authority to assume the role as president of the corporation that is the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Jessop took over the church Monday after filing papers with the department. Knudson now seeks to reinstate Jeffs as president, which sets up a legal battle as the two vie for control.
It was not immediately clear if Jeffs was aware of the filings. He remained held in a Texas jail awaiting trial on bigamy and sexual assault charges.