Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger will have to decide whether to subpoena senator candidate Raphael Warnock’s church after he failed to respond in writing to a legal inquiry about his status as a charity.
the Secretary of State Securities and Charities Division has demanded an explanation from the Ebenezer Building Foundation, a foundation operated by the Ebenezer Baptist Church of Warnock, about its charitable status within the state.
WARNOCK CHURCH-OWNED APARTMENTS EVICT ‘HOMELESS’ TENANTS WHILE SENATOR RECEIVES BIG HOUSING STIPEND
(Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
“The Division’s records indicate that the Ebenezer Building Foundation, Inc. […] is not registered as a charity in the state of Georgia,” the Division of Securities and Charities wrote in an Oct. 12 letter.
Warnock is the senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church and a senior officer of the Ebenezer Building Foundation.
Senator Raphael Warnock speaks to supporters as film director Spike Lee (right) listens during a poll launch on November 6, 2022 in Savannah, Georgia.
(Alex Wong/Getty Images)
The October 12 letter continued: “Accordingly, if the Ebenezer Building Foundation solicits charitable contributions and operates as a charitable organization in the state of Georgia without an active registration or applicable exemption, it is in violation of OCGA § 43-17-5, and therefore, is subject to administrative sanctions under OCGA § 43-17-13.”
Neither Ebenezer Baptist Church nor the Ebenezer Building Foundation responded in writing by the Nov. 2 deadline.
NBC REPORTER CRITICAL FOR AVOIDING WARNOCK EVICTION STORY: ‘LACK OF CURIOSITY IS SAYING’
Republican US Senate candidate Herschel Walker speaks during an election night watch party Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, in Atlanta. | Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock speaks during an election night watch party Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, in Atlanta.
(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson | AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Officials are now forced to decide whether to increase pressure on the foundation via subpoena if inquiries from the state go unanswered, a spokesman for the state division of charities said Thursday, according to the Washington Free Beacon.
A dozen eviction lawsuits were filed against residents between February 2020 and September 2022. One report included an eviction notice for a resident who owed as little as $25.88 in back rent.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The Rev. Raphael G. Warnock delivers the eulogy for Rayshard Brooks at his funeral service at Ebenezer Baptist Church on June 23, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia.
(Curtis Compton-Pool/Getty Images)
Ebenezer Baptist Church, which pays Warnock a hefty $7,417 monthly housing allowance as its lead pastor, owns 99% of the Columbia Tower in MLK Village, where residents have received eviction notices for owing as little as $25.88 in back rent, according to documents obtained by the Free Beacon.
Eight tenants in Columbia Tower, which is also managed by Columbia Residential and described as a shelter for “chronic homeless people” and people with “mental disabilities,” have been issued eviction notices since the beginning of 2020 for owing an average of $125 in rent.
Jon Brown of Fox News contributed to this report.