Georgia Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock is also the head pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. In addition to his government paycheck, Pastor Warnock draws a salary from the church along with a housing allowance of $7,417 per month.
The church owns 99% of Columbia Tower in downtown Atlanta in the MLK Plaza. According to the Washington Free Beacon, the building is supposed to provide housing to the homeless and people who suffer from “mental disabilities.” During the pandemic, the 1% partner and property management firm, Columbia Residential, began eviction proceedings against residents who found themselves in arrears when it came to paying the rent. The group filed more than one dozen eviction lawsuits on a total of $4,900 in monthly income. As the Free Beacon points out, that is $2,571 less than Warnock’s monthly housing allowance. One resident owed a paltry $28.55 in back rent. In a complete non-coincidence, then-Columbia Residential CEO Noel Khalil donated $14,000 to Warnock’s campaign fund. And the church is not exactly what one would call strapped for cash. Documents obtained by the Free Beacon show that the church ended up with more than $1.2 million in assets in 2021. Gov. Brian Kemp gave Ebenezer $5 million in COVID relief funds to renovate the building. The church has also received $8.1 million in other federal and municipal funds. The church owns the building through a 501(c)(3) charity corporation and just this year requested $5 million from the state for renovations.
And yet, the church evicted people from what was supposed to be a “safe haven” over $4900. Residents were blindsided by the evictions. One, a 69-year-old Vietnam veteran who owed $192, said, “They treat me like a piece of sh*t. They’re not compassionate at all.”
So much for Matthew 25:31-46, right, Pastor?
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Technically, one could say that it was not the church but the corporation that evicted the tenants — homeless tenants, some with disabilities. But a 1% partner does not do anything without the consent of the 99% partner. And evictions? Renovations? Well, after all, the property is worth $1.72 million. Draw your own conclusions.
It should also be noted that during his campaign, Warnock blasted his opponent, Republican Kelly Loeffler, for not supporting eviction moratoriums during the pandemic, as is evidenced by this tweet:
“Pandemic unemployment benefits and eviction protections will expire this month.
And it’s all because @Kloeffler and Senate Republicans refuse to fight for families.
Pandemic relief is at stake in the #GASen race. #GASenDebate #VoteWarnock”
In August 2020, Warnock stated that his opponents were “clearly only concerned with serving their own interests.”
Yeah, project much, Senator?
This represents why I exited the Left Wing long before it was popular. A man already drawing a healthy salary becomes a U.S. senator, and he and his church have apparently been working a real estate scheme. This, while he decried Republicans for not caring about poor people. This behavior is endemic to the Left. Grift all you want and lie all you want, so long as the public and media see you mouthing the right talking points. Then again, many Democrats cling to the fever dream that they are constantly living in an episode of The West Wing and are inherently noble and virtuous, no matter their actions.
Now, Herschel Walker, Warnock’s embattled GOP challenger, is stepping in. The Free Beacon reports that Walker has volunteered to pay the rent of anyone who is facing eviction from Columbia Tower, stating, “I have never known a preacher that likes abortion even after birth, won’t pay his child support, and evicts poor people to the street. I will pay the $4500 in past due rents.” Walker’s camp says the offer is legit, and he intends to follow through with it.
I suspect that one of the reasons Walker has caught so much fire from the Left is because of situations like this. The Left has to flame Walker for the simple reason that people would be appalled at the level of hypocrisy behind the Blue Veil.