Anti-Gay Group Accused Of Cheating Own Lawyers
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: April 6, 2004 12:01 pm. ET
(Virginia Beach, Virginia) A law firm has asked a Virginia judge to seize the assets of the Christian Coalition to collect more than $75,000 in unpaid legal costs.
The firm of Huff, Poole and Mahoney says the coalition, one of the most vocal anti-gay organizations in the county, is seeking a garnishee of assets to pay bills that it says it is owed.
David M. Zobel, an attorney with the Virginia Beach firm, said the fees were from “a combination of several accounts owed on several files.” Zobel would not say if any of the unpaid work was dealing with gay issues.
The coalition has had an association with Huff, Poole and Mahoney since the conservative Christian organization was formed by Virginia Beach broadcaster Pat Robertson in 1989.
“It is unfortunate that it has come to this,” Drew McKissick , spokesperson for the Christian Coalition of America told the Virginian-Pilot newspaper.
“Our accountants have been working with the firm to work this out, and hopefully it will be worked out soon.”
The coalition reached the peak of its influence in 1994, when it was credited with playing a key role in the Newt Gingrich-led Republican Party’s takeover of Congress.
But three years later, its executive director, Ralph Reed, resigned. Currently he is a political consultant on the Campaign To Re-elect The President.
McKissick acknowledges the organization has had money problems. But he said things are looking up.
Since the gay marriage issue has been catapulted to national attention, McKissick said, more money has been coming in.
He said that the coalition is now emphasizing “voter identification, voter registration and voter education” in an all-out effort to support candidates that support a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.
©365Gay.com® 2004
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