Watchdog accuses Warnock of violating federal law with false financial disclosure.

This would be a major breach of Senate ⁤ethics laws that must immediately be investigated

Watchdog Group ‍Alleges Violation of Senate Ethics​ Laws by Sen. ​Raphael Warnock

A complaint filed by the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) on Tuesday claims that ‍Sen. Raphael ⁢Warnock⁢ (D., Ga.) may have violated federal ‌law by exploiting an accounting loophole ⁤to receive⁣ a substantial part-time pastor salary in 2022. The​ complaint demands⁢ an immediate investigation⁤ by the Senate⁤ Select Committee on Ethics.

According ‍to the‌ complaint, Warnock claimed that $125,000‍ of his $155,000 salary as a pastor ‍at‌ the Ebenezer Baptist Church in ‍Atlanta was “deferred compensation” for work done before assuming office. However, the‍ Washington Free Beacon reported that this compensation arrangement appears to be fabricated.

If Warnock indeed fabricated this arrangement to exceed the legal limit for ⁤outside income, he could face fines of up to $50,000 or imprisonment for up to a year, as stated in the complaint.

Even if the arrangement was legitimate, ⁣Warnock could still face reporting issues. If⁣ he ⁢was owed $125,000 for pre-office work ⁤in 2022, ⁢he ‍should have disclosed it in⁣ his prior financial disclosures. Similarly, the church should have recorded a liability for wages owed to Warnock ‌in its books before 2022.

“Either Sen. Warnock and his church had a ​deferred‍ compensation agreement that both have‍ conspicuously failed to report the existence of for years, or he received outside income⁣ of over four times⁣ the legal limit,” said FACT⁣ executive director Kendra Arnold.

Warnock previously used a different accounting trick in⁢ 2021⁤ to ⁣evade the Senate’s outside income limitation. He​ reported ⁣receiving $120,000 from the church, with $89,000‌ designated as a tax-free “parsonage allowance” used to‌ pay​ for his $1 million Atlanta home. This arrangement was approved by the Senate ⁣Ethics Committee, but there ⁣is no mention of approval for the “deferred compensation” arrangement ‌in Warnock’s 2022 financial disclosure.

Warnock’s financial ties ​to Ebenezer Baptist Church were a contentious issue during his 2022 reelection campaign. While the church paid him a substantial salary, a low-income⁢ apartment building owned by the church moved⁤ to evict its struggling residents for minor rent arrears. The Free Beacon reported that one resident faced eviction for owing just ​$28.55.

Despite denying any aggressive eviction actions by the church-owned building during his campaign, six residents‌ have been evicted since Warnock’s victory. Four residents have been taken to court in 2023 ⁢for ‌falling​ behind on rent ⁣by less than two months, and one ⁤resident was forcibly ejected by law enforcement officials in July, according to Fulton County court records.