For Immediate Release
Contact: Ari Geller - Rabinowitz/Dorf Communications 202-265-3000
According to the June 24 story, the Justice Department
awarded a $1.2 million grant jointly to an evangelical youth charity called Victory Outreach and a consulting
firm run by a former Faith-Based Office staffer. Several career DOJ employees objected to the
grant because one-third of the money will line the coffers of the consulting
firm and not be used to help children. The DOJ employees also noted that Victory Outreach had mismanaged a
prior grant made by the state of
“This
incident of cronyism removes all doubts that the real mission of the
faith-based initiative is to aid the Religious Right,” said Rev. Dr. C.
Accusations of manipulation
in the Faith-Based Office first surfaced in 2006 when former White House
staffer David Kuo wrote a tell-all book. In it, he documented how federal funds were funneled to fly-by-night
evangelical Christian charities without any congressional approval.
The Interfaith
Alliance is also concerned about how Victory Outreach would have used its grant. On its website, Victory Outreach describes
itself as a “church-oriented Christian ministry called to the task of
evangelizing and disciplining the hurting people of the world, with the message
of hope and plan of Jesus Christ.”
“The Constitution
makes it clear that taxpayer dollars should not be used to fund sectarian
proselytizing,” said Rev. Gaddy. “Children who need social services should not be forced to submit to a
religious agenda as a condition of receiving help.”
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The Interfaith Alliance celebrates
religious freedom by championing individual rights, promoting policies that
protect both religion and democracy, and uniting diverse voices to challenge
extremism. Founded in 1994, the Interfaith Alliance has 185,000 members across the country
from 75 faith traditions as well as those without a faith tradition. For more
information visit www.interfaithalliance.org.