Vice President Kamala Harris may have violated the law by sending a recent video to black churches to encourage churchgoers to support Democrat Terry McAuliffe as Virginia’s governor.
Constitutional Law scholar Jonathan Turley has accused Harris of violating The Johnson Amendment, a law that prohibits non-profit churches from supporting a particular candidate.
NEW — More than 300 Black churches across VA will hear from @KamalaHarris btwn Sun. and November 2 in video message that will air during morning services as part of outreach effort aimed to boost @TerryMcAuliffe.#VAGOV
Video first obtained by CNNhttps://t.co/vaefXtWqUe pic.twitter.com/l8re0KUkN1
— Eva McKend (@evamckend) October 16, 2021
Violating the Law
Turly noted, “The ‘Johnson Amendment’ makes such political pitches in churches a violation of federal law. The violation occurred just days after the filing of a complaint against Jen Psaki for violating the Hatch Act to support McAullife.”
The “Johnson Amendment” makes such political pitches in churches a violation of federal law. The violation occurred just days after the filing of a complaint against Jen Psaki for violating the Hatch Act to support McAullife. https://t.co/uASZBYdjLb
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) October 18, 2021
Rather than one church violation, the endorsement is being aired at hundreds of churches in one state.
Vice President Kamala Harris has taped an endorsement of McAuliffe that is being played at hundreds of African American churches around the state. The problem is the “Johnson Amendment” makes such political pitches in churches a violation of federal law. https://t.co/uASZBYdjLb
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) October 18, 2021
Media Silent
While mainstream media has decried conservative efforts in churches in the past, the recent video by Harris has been ignored, though her endorsement was much more blatant.
“What is most hypocritical is that the Democrats used the opposition to the Johnson Amendment by former President Donald Trump as a rallying cry in the last election,” Turley said.
Trump wanted to remove the Johnson Amendment in a nod to religious freedom toward evangelical church leaders. The amendment, however, was never actually ended.
Mainstream media often made the connection between Trump and churches, but Harris has been left alone in her latest church endorsement for Virginia’s governor.
Regardless of one’s view of the Johnson Amendment, Harris seems to not be playing by the rules in efforts to help her party. Most media seem unconcerned, however, as the violation does not fit its leftist narrative.
The post Kamala Harris may have violated the law with latest church video first appeared on Conservative Institute.
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