helms witch hunt project, The

Church & State, Sep 1999 by Benen, Steve

Jesse Helms, RightWing Senators Seek Criminal Investigation Of Americans United For Opposing ChurchBased Partisan Politicking

Is Americans United Executive Director Barry Lynn headed for prison?

If six U.S. senators have their way, he will be.

On July 2, Sens. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.), Paul Coverdell (R-Ga.), Jeff Sessions (RAla.), Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), Don Nickles (R-Okla.) and Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.) contacted Attorney General Janet Reno, seeking a criminal investigation of Americans United for allegedly trying to "intimidate" religious voters from going to the polls.

The correspondence, sent on Helms' Senate letterhead, suggests that Americans United, through the group's educational efforts, may have "attempted to disenfranchise religious voters by intimidating people of faith into not participating in the political process."

The letter charges, "Considering the well-orchestrated past efforts of Americans United to target pastors and other religious leaders to receive an `urgent message' regarding voter information - in reality, a subterfuge for a threatened IRS review of their tax-exempt status - we urge that you open an inquiry to determine whether this group has violated either the spirit or letter of federal law."

The senators pointed to 18 USC Section 594, a civil rights statute that penalizes anyone who attempts to "intimidate, threaten or coerce...any other person for the purpose of interfering with the right to vote." Penalties for this offense can include fines and jail time.

AU's Lynn was furious about the charges. On July 19 he demanded a prompt apology and retraction from the senators for what he described as an "outrageous and wholly baseless action."

"The senators' accusation is a bald-faced lie," Lynn said. "They have, without shame or evidence, tried to enlist the top law enforcement official in our nation in a crackdown on a private organization that has done nothing wrong. The conduct of these senators in this matter has been nothing short of reckless and irresponsible."

Lynn noted that neither Helms, nor any of the other five senators who requested the criminal investigation, ever contacted Americans United for information about the group's activities. In fact, even after writing to Reno, the senators never bothered to notify AU of their action.

"Had you or a member of your staff simply contacted our organization before calling for a federal investigation, we would have been more than pleased to explain the baseless nature of any accusations you may have heard," Lynn wrote. "It is nothing short of irresponsible for members of the Senate to ask the attorney general to conduct a criminal investigation of a private, non-profit organization before these members get their facts straight."

Lynn added that the senators did not cite any actual instances of Americans United attempting to intimidate anyone, nor did they cite any evidence that the group had ever interfered with anyone's right to vote.

"Helms and the other senators couldn't point to a shred of evidence to support their claim because there isn't any evidence," Lynn said.

While the criminal accusation was alarming for Americans United, the apparent source of the provocation was equally troubling.

In Lynn's letter to the senators, a copy of which was forwarded to the attention of the attorney general, AU's executive director explained his disgust for what he believes is an example of Christian Coalition President Pat Robertson pulling the senators' strings.

"As disappointing as it was to uncover the senators' request to the attorney general," Lynn wrote, "it is perhaps just as troubling to recognize that a television preacher can wield such enormous and disproportionate influence over members of Congress.

"Americans United is being singled out for attack for a simple reason -- because we have the nerve to stand up to Pat Robertson and his Christian Coalition," Lynn said. "It is clear to us that the senators' request for an investigation is politically motivated, and Helms, Robertson and their allies are hoping to intimidate us from telling churches the truth about the law. This is politics at its worst."

Lynn believes that Americans United, which has been a source of frustration for Robertson and the Christian Coalition for years, became a more serious problem after the IRS denied the Coalition tax-exempt status on June 10.

In fact, many observers believe that it was the abundant evidence given to the IRS by Americans United that ultimately helped prove that the Coalition was unworthy of a tax exemption. Particularly relevant was a secretly-recorded Robertson speech boasting of the group's Republican election sucesses and urging his top lieutenants to build a Tammany Hall-style political machine based in churches.

Just one week after the IRS decision against the Coalition, Robertson traveled to Washington, D.C., and met with the Republican Senate leadership. The Coalition issued a press release boasting of Robertson's congressional audience and explaining that he discussed ways to "re-energize" grassroots voters on behalf of GOP candidates.