Newsboys owner Wes Campbell dropped a bombshell Thursday by resigning from the Gospel Music Association (GMA) board over allegations that Newsboys Inc. covered up stories of sexual assault by former frontman Michael Tait.

He also hinted members of his own family were among those assaulted.

Campbell announced his resignation in a letter he sent to the GMA board, which then was leaked and posted by multiple people on Facebook. El Informe Roys (TRR) has confirmed the letter’s authenticity with someone within the Newsboys organization.

Stating he is stepping down due to a “supposed coverup” regarding Tait, Campbell said that the impetus was a series of artículos published last month detailing decades of alleged sexual assault and substance abuse.

Although he did not mention TRR by name, TRR broke the first story June 4, alleging Tait groomed and sexually assaulted three young men between 2005-2014.

Since then, “I have heard from many in our industry that there is no way I couldn’t have known; I have heard former colleagues make all manner of accusations,” he wrote. His letter to the GMA Foundation board was in essence his side of the story.

Saying that he wished “not to become a distraction,” he added that he believed in the organization’s mission, “but I clearly cannot continue in my current role for the foreseeable future.”

In addition, he stated that Newsboys tour manager Steve Campbell, his younger brother, has also stepped down and is under internal investigation.

The older Campbell did not assume any personal blame in the letter, choosing instead to lash out at unnamed people who should have spoken up about Tait years earlier.

However on June 23, TRR released a landmark report about a woman who did speak up. The article described how in December 2014, a 23-year-old employee at Pulse Evangelism was allegedly drugged, then sexually assaulted by former Newsboys lighting technician Matthew Brewer. Michael Tait allegedly watched the assault in a third-floor hotel room during a Newsboys Christmas tour in Fargo, North Dakota.

According to the woman and five sources, Steve Campbell covered up the incident, and a police investigation went nowhere. But in his letter, Campbell swore that he and his management team “had absolutely no knowledge that such behavior was happening.”

Members of his own family

Wes Campbell explained in his letter to the GMA board that his silence should not be perceived as a lack of concern for victims, but that he was waiting to gather the full scope of the allegations. 

“Admittedly, we were caught somewhat flat-footed and ill-prepared as we never imagined the stories we would learn,” Campbell wrote.

His next sentence offered a shocking insight into how he was personally affected by Tait’s actions.

“Members of our own families have now come forward and shared that they, too, are victims,” he wrote. “My heart is shattered at the pain that has been expressed by so many as we are learning even dating back as far as three decades ago.” 

Tait became lead singer of the Newsboys in 2009, when founding member Peter Furler stepped down. The DC Talk alum was recruited by Wes Campbell who partially owned Newsboys Inc. since 1987 and became a full owner when Furler left.

Allegations have circled behind the scenes in Nashville, alleging that Wes Campbell and Newsboys Inc. knew Tait was accused of sexual misconduct and substance abuse prior to his recruitment. However, Campbell stated firmly in his letter this was not the case.

“The first of any sexuality rumors I’ve heard date back to when Michael was even still in DC Talk,” he said. “The very first I heard was a rude, flippant comment of assumption made based on his wardrobe choices, and that is the kind of ‘rumors’ we have referenced knowing over the years . . . gossip, typically rooted in what seemed a superficial basis of reason.”

He stated that Tait addressed and debunked these rumors with management when approached to join the Newsboys in 2009.

As rumors of TRR’s investigation on Tait were leaked over the past two and one-half years, Campbell stated that Newsboys Inc. approached Tait numerous times about alleged misconduct. He said that Tait called the rumors, “hurtful lies.”

It was only this past Dec. 30 that Campbell says Tait asked for a meeting, saying, “Wes, I can’t live this lie for another day, I need to get clean. This going to be heavy.”

Campbell stated that Tait admitted to “living a double life,” abusing cocaine, and engaging in “sensual activity” with men and women while under the influence. Tait detailed how he had hidden this from those closest to him, including his bandmates, for three decades.

Releasing Tait from his position to pursue treatment and recovery, Campbell explained that Newsboys Inc. sought to honor his privacy as a friend, so did not reveal the full details of his departure.

Insists Newsboys Inc. not complicit

Campbell doubled down on insisting the organization was in the dark about Tait’s alleged criminal activity.

“I’ll say it again, we had no idea the fullness and so we proceeded with that approach while Michael sought treatment,” he said. “Had we known the details as we now know, the response absolutely would have been different.”

Clearing current band members Adam Agee, Jeff Frankenstein, Duncan Phillips, and Jody Davis of any knowledge of Tait’s alleged criminal behavior and misconduct, he said each member has their own accountability procedures in place.

Stating that the journey ahead will be challenging for the band and victims, both known and unknown, Campbell owned that there is “much work to be done” in the Newsboys organization and in contemporary Christian music.

Campbell did not assume any personal blame for the situation, instead blasting unnamed observers “full of gossip and rumor instead of Christ-like personal confrontation.

“How many lives could have been saved from harm if people felt comfortable to report and those who knew something had actually said something?” he asked.

Promising to turn over a copy of the Newsboys internal investigation to the GMA when finished, “I intend to make strides in the organization and can only hope this begins a larger conversation of healing and restoration of mentorship,” he said.

Letter from Wes Campbell to Gospel Music Association – July 10, 2025

Jessica Morris is a music periodista, podcaster and author based in Melbourne, Australia.