By DAVID CRARY
AP National Writer

NEW YORK (AP) - Lawyers across the U.S. are recruiting clients for a potentially crippling new wave of sexual abuse lawsuits against the Boy Scouts.

Past payouts have already seriously strained the organization's finances, and it hasn't ruled out filing for bankruptcy. But now the threat is increasing because a number of states are moving to create a new legal window so that victims of long-ago abuse can sue.

A bankruptcy filing by the Boy Scouts could be epic in its scope and complexity and could prove crippling to the organization. It could also result in lower payouts to people who were molested as youngsters by scoutmasters or other volunteers.

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