LWW
09-30-2010, 04:32 AM
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">D<span style='font-size: 14pt'>emocratic gubernatorial candidate</span> Roy Barnes found himself in a politically delicate situation this month after lawsuits were filed alleging Bishop Eddie Long engaged in sexual misconduct with young men. ...
<span style='font-size: 11pt'>Barnes has known Long, the influential pastor of a megachurch in Lithonia, for more than 20 years. He has spoken at Long’s church, and he considers the pastor a friend.</span>
<span style='font-size: 17pt'>Long, meanwhile, is among the more than 200 members of the finance committee for Barnes’ Democratic campaign for governor. He co-hosted a fundraiser for Barnes during the Democratic primary, and the pastor and his wife together contributed $11,100 to Barnes’ primary campaign.</span>
Long was to co-host another fundraiser for Barnes this month. But Barnes canceled the event after two young men filed lawsuits against Long this month, alleging he, in his role as a church leader, coerced them into sex.
Long, who now faces suits from a total of four young men, has denied the accusations.
Barnes called the allegations against Long “troubling.”
<span style='font-size: 17pt'>Still, he hasn’t severed ties with Long. The pastor remains on Barnes’ campaign finance committee.</span>
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution asked the campaign whether Barnes was going to return Long’s campaign contribution. The campaign said <span style='font-size: 26pt'>no</span>
Long may have considerable influence, but he also carries other baggage. In 2005, for example, the AJC exposed how Long was the biggest beneficiary of a nonprofit, tax-exempt charity he established to help the needy and spread the Gospel. The charity provided him with a $1.4 million, six-bedroom, nine-bathroom home on 20 acres in Lithonia, the use of a $350,000 luxury Bentley automobile and more than $1 million in salary.
And in 2007, Sen. Chuck Grassley, the ranking Republican member of the Senate Finance Committee, started investigating six televangelists, including Long, on allegations of lavish spending using church funding. An aide to Grassley said this month that the senator's query is not complete. The office, she added, is still waiting for some answers from Long.
Rusty Paul, a former chairman of the Georgia Republican Party and a former state senator, said Barnes is facing a political dilemma in his race against Republican Nathan Deal.
“In this environment today -- and particularly as much as Barnes has hammered Nathan Deal on ethics issues -- it gets tough,” Paul said, “when you are throwing rocks and all of a sudden you realize that your house is made of glass, too.”</div></div>
OH MY! (http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/barnes-maintains-ties-to-643174.html)
LWW
<span style='font-size: 11pt'>Barnes has known Long, the influential pastor of a megachurch in Lithonia, for more than 20 years. He has spoken at Long’s church, and he considers the pastor a friend.</span>
<span style='font-size: 17pt'>Long, meanwhile, is among the more than 200 members of the finance committee for Barnes’ Democratic campaign for governor. He co-hosted a fundraiser for Barnes during the Democratic primary, and the pastor and his wife together contributed $11,100 to Barnes’ primary campaign.</span>
Long was to co-host another fundraiser for Barnes this month. But Barnes canceled the event after two young men filed lawsuits against Long this month, alleging he, in his role as a church leader, coerced them into sex.
Long, who now faces suits from a total of four young men, has denied the accusations.
Barnes called the allegations against Long “troubling.”
<span style='font-size: 17pt'>Still, he hasn’t severed ties with Long. The pastor remains on Barnes’ campaign finance committee.</span>
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution asked the campaign whether Barnes was going to return Long’s campaign contribution. The campaign said <span style='font-size: 26pt'>no</span>
Long may have considerable influence, but he also carries other baggage. In 2005, for example, the AJC exposed how Long was the biggest beneficiary of a nonprofit, tax-exempt charity he established to help the needy and spread the Gospel. The charity provided him with a $1.4 million, six-bedroom, nine-bathroom home on 20 acres in Lithonia, the use of a $350,000 luxury Bentley automobile and more than $1 million in salary.
And in 2007, Sen. Chuck Grassley, the ranking Republican member of the Senate Finance Committee, started investigating six televangelists, including Long, on allegations of lavish spending using church funding. An aide to Grassley said this month that the senator's query is not complete. The office, she added, is still waiting for some answers from Long.
Rusty Paul, a former chairman of the Georgia Republican Party and a former state senator, said Barnes is facing a political dilemma in his race against Republican Nathan Deal.
“In this environment today -- and particularly as much as Barnes has hammered Nathan Deal on ethics issues -- it gets tough,” Paul said, “when you are throwing rocks and all of a sudden you realize that your house is made of glass, too.”</div></div>
OH MY! (http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/barnes-maintains-ties-to-643174.html)
LWW