DeSantis 2024 Campaign Debut Blurs Lines for Church Involved in Rally

Self-described law and order candidate Ron DeSantis held what his website termed “the campaign kick-off event” of “Our Great American Comeback” at an Iowa church that may well have been breaking a federal law on Tuesday evening.

The Eternity Church in Clive is a tax-exempt organization. And, as such, it is subject to an amendment sponsored by then U.S Sen. Lyndon Johnson in 1954, which states that churches and charities are “prohibited by the terms of their exemption from participating or intervening, directly or indirectly, in any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for public office.”

Last week, DeSantis said he would welcome a bill to defund the IRS. He now appears to simply be ignoring it. Neither he nor the Eternity Church responded to a request for comment. But the church’s pastor, Jesse Newman, posted a tweet on Tuesday afternoon, noting “Hillary spoke @ churches’ AND .”Biden spoke @ churches,” adding, “ They all use churches as venues.” Of the DeSantis campaign Newman tweeted, “They’re just using our venue! So haters - be consistent!”

Read more at The Daily Beast.