Tea Party Senate Candidate Caught on Video Taking Church Donations

[Newsjock]

Source: Gawker

Mark Harris could win North Carolina's GOP Senate primary next Tuesday. If so, he may easily become the state's next U.S. senator. And he could do it all with sketchy "love offerings" from parishioners caught on tape passing the hat at the church where he's a pastor.

WRAL-TV in Raleigh captured the January video, embedded below, from the church's very own playlist of sermons—part of the station's longer story about how Harris, a longtime man of God and new Tea Party darling, has actively mixed his religion with his politics, including ways that may skirt campaign-finance laws and threaten several churches' tax-exempt status.

As federally approved nonprofits, churches must refrain from materially supporting political candidates and their campaigns or making clear-cut endorsements of candidates. As a candidate, Harris is required to report all his campaign donations, no matter how small. But the video, and additional info gathered by WRAL, suggests neither Harris nor his Blackwelder Park Baptist Church may be living up to their obligations:

... Now, I want you to do this also – we're going to take an offering, all right? We're going to take an offering for Dr. Harris, for his coming and preaching, also for whatever you want to do otherwise for supporting him in this campaign. I hope you will think about it. He has some materials in his car. If you would like to get more materials and pass them out and thereby get better known in this area, and then when the primaries come, you and all of your friends can vote for him. Amen?

video at link

Read more: http://gawker.com/tea-party-senate-candidate-caught-on-video-taking-churc-1569233488

[GeorgeGist]

1. Little to no chance that he will win.

http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/2014/PPP_Release_NC_429.pdf

But NC GOP is full on for Dumfuckistan:

Only 33% of GOP primary voters believe in evolution to 58% who do not.

-Only 31% of GOP primary voters think Barack Obama was born in the United States to 52% who continue to fall into the Birther camp.

-Only 29% of GOP primary voters believe that climate change is a fact to 51% who do not.

-Only 27% of GOP primary voters think the US Education Department should continue to exist, compared to 60% who think it should be eliminated.

-Only 25% of GOP primary voters support the federal minimum wage to 57% who do not.

[calimary]

2. Yeah, but that's no reason not to GOTV!

AND to start pursuing a challenge to their "tax-exempt" status. I sure wish this would start happening in earnest.

[riqster]

15. ^^^THIS^^^

[blm]

16. amen

; )

[Major Nikon]

4. Big chance the church will get their tax exempt status pulled

The dipshit charlatans certainly deserve it.

[HooptieWagon]

5. Has ANY church had tax-exempt status revoked?

Despite blatant direct support of candidates and endorsements? I dont recall any.

[Major Nikon]

7. Jerry Fartwell got his tax exempt status yanked

But usually what happens is the church gets a nasty gram from the IRS or whatever contributions are found to have originated from the church are deemed non-tax exempt.

[okaawhatever]

3. K & R nt

[santamargarita]

6. IRS should make them pay taxes and prosecute.

[Rocknrule]

8. Those traditional family values on display again

[blkmusclmachine]

9. ,

,

[WhiteTara]

10. Call the IRS right now!

I don't care if it's 9:30 at night Right Now! Okay, I will in the morning.

[CRK7376]

11. Watching my state's GOP

go after each other is fun. Unfortunately, I'm afraid Kay Hagan will be voted out and Tom Tillis will win. Of the 17 families that live on our road, we and two, maybe three other families are Democrats. The rest are die hard Republican and or Tea Party. Not to mention racism in full bloom in our farming community....

[OverBurn]

12. It'll never happen in America, but all churches should have to pay taxes.

They all effect Politics way to much.

[DeSwiss]

13. Not to worry.....

...we're a ''nation of laws.''

- Remember?

K&R

[center][/center]

[blm]

14. Thom Tillis has Rove's hitsquad running around NC. That scum Patrick McHenry is a Rove protege

and runs his district like the Mafia. Everyone in the political game in NC knows McHenry is a closeted gay and in his district would NEVER win the GOP nomination let alone the general, but, all the Repubs are afraid of retaliation from the Rove/McHenry team. No one plays dirtier than they do.

[oldandhappy]

17. This church needs to start paying taxes.

Funny how what I want is OK but what you want is not OK. In this case, he feels entitled. I feel Harris is oblivious.

[Initech]

18. Call the IRS RIGHT FUCKING NOW!!!!