NEWS PROVIDED BY
Lepanto Institute
Oct. 14, 2020
 
WASHINGTON, Oct. 14, 2020 /Standard Newswire/ -- The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has been caught providing millions of dollars to a network of community organizers that are directly involved in an effort to elect former vice-president Joseph Biden as the next president of the United States.  A new report by the Lepanto Institute shows $1.5 million in funds from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) this past year going to members of an organization called Faith in Action (FIA, Formerly the PICO Network). The CCHD also provided a national grant worth $500,000 going to the PICO Network in 2016. 

Documented evidence in the report shows both leadership and organizational efforts from Faith in Action to organize voters for Joe Biden.

"While some bishops across the country are suppressing the voices of faithful priests who are speaking out against Joe Biden's gravely immoral political agenda, these same bishops are financing the effort to get him elected," said Michael Hichborn, president of the Lepanto Institute.  "According to the CCHD, this is not only a violation of CCHD grant guidelines, but also IRS regulations."

CCHD grant guidelines clearly state:

"Both the teachings of the Catholic Church and the regulations of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service prohibit CCHD from engaging in or supporting partisan political activities ... any organization involved in partisan political activities is ineligible for CCHD funding."

"Catholic Bishops are at a crossroads," said Hichborn.  "Either the CCHD immediately and permanently defunds Faith in Action and all of its affiliates – as they did in 2008 with ACORN – and demand that all money given be returned, or individual bishops will have to withdraw from taking up the CCHD collection."

In 2008, the USCCB permanently banned the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), in part, for "questions surrounding political partisanship."

"Reports about the partisan activities among CCHD grantees have existed for decades, but this is the most direct evidence we have seen to date, showing that a network receiving CCHD funds is so directly and publicly involved in the push to get a stridently pro-abortion Democrat elected," said Hichborn.  "For this reason, we reiterate our call for the CCHD to be shut down, entirely."

The full report on FIA's efforts to elect Joe Biden can be viewed at the link, here: https://www.lepantoin.org/us-bishops-finance-organized-effort-to-elect-joe-biden/

SOURCE Lepanto Institute

CONTACT: Michael Hichborn, 540-847-5501

Related Links

https://www.lepantoin.org

https://www.lepantoin.org/us-bishops-finance-organized-effort-to-elect-joe-biden/