Robertson's Charity Has Been Big Winner Under Bush

[JABBS]

Under President Bush, conservative Christian leader Pat Robertson’s international “charity” Operation Blessing has increased its annual revenue from government grants from $108,000 to $14.4 million.

Ironically, Robertson expressed public misgivings about the Bush Administration's "faith-based initiatives" back in 2001. “I really don’t know what to do,” Robertson told viewers of his TV show, The 700 Club. “But this thing could be a real Pandora’s box. …What seems to be such a great initiative can rise up to bite the organizations as well as the federal government. And I’m a little concerned about it, frankly.”

Guess he had a change of heart.

***

Why should you be concerned that your tax dollars are helping to fund Robertson's charity?

Consider that Operation Blessing has come under fire for questionable activities:

QUESTION MARK ONE: In the late 1990s, it was learned that Operation Blessing was diverting its medical missionary planes in Africa in order to pick up equipment for Pat Robertson's gold mining operations in Zaire. Robertson refunded the charity out of his own pocket, supposedly to avoid prosecution.

QUESTION MARK TWO: Operation Blessing practices discriminatory hiring -- it only hires Christians. (That's not liberal speculation. It was confirmed last week by Deborah Bensen, the charity's director of media and government relations.)

QUESTION MARK THREE: All grantees are required to follow guidelines that say federal money must not be used for “inherently religious activities." But that's a gray area. Operation Blessing provided money for a refrigerated trailer and computers for Lighthouse Mission on Long Island, New York, which proclaims on its Web site. “Through the love of God, the volunteers at the Mission help people in need on a daily basis through prayer and God’s Word.”

Doesn't that mean federal money is being used for "inherently religious acitivities"? Operation Blessing says no. Others say yes.

The Bush Administration? It apparently has no plans to investigate, perhaps because it doesn't want to upset its large conservative Christian base.

***

This item first appeared at Journalists Against Bush's B.S.

[donkeyotay]

1. $14.4 Million of our tax dollars go to Pat Robertson

:puke:

Faith-based intitiative looks a lot like payola. Oh, and Operation Blessing did a heckuva job in NOLA. Why, you couldn't even tell that FEMA and the National Guard were missing, what with the 1000 points of light and all.

[JABBS]

2. true

[noonwitch]

3. I feel bad for the good people in his organization

I've seen Operation Blessing in work in Detroit-there was a church that used to be down on W. Vernor that distributed through them. They gave out new school clothes to kids every fall and free sandwiches to homeless and hungry people in Clark Park. There are good people who work in Robertson's organization who don't know about the bigger, badder things done within the ministry.

I believe that OB was involved in NOLA relief efforts, but worked through the Salvation Army, who have those huge moble kitchens that are highly useful in such situations. The government probably should investigate OB/Robertson/700 Club for many violations, but they were helping after Katrina, to some degree.

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. Unfortunately, half of that faith based money

goes directly into Pat Robertson's pockets. That's a pretty hefty commission to pay for his services.

[NVMojo]

4. hopefully someone is keeping an eye on this ...money laundering

money laundering can be a huge temptation for fundies ...

[JABBS]

6. I doubt it

If we've learned one thing about the Bush Administration, it's that fact-finding and research are optional.

[Lars39]

7. There was a DUer that was trying to untangle all the faith-based

charity stuff. Maybe BlueBear?

[JABBS]

8. don't know

carpetbagger report has done a good job covering this stuff.

[Lars39]

9. Yes, he/she was having a hard time making connections.

Faith-based charities = payoffs.