Williams’ Endorsement Could be Violation of Johnson Amendment

An endorsement received by Mayoral Candidate Major Williams on Sunday from a pastor of a local church during a service could be a violation of the country’s tax code.

Pasadena Now posted a story announcing the endorsement on Monday. That story has been removed.

The Johnson Amendment, named after President Lyndon B. Johnson, restricts the involvement in politics of tax-exempt organizations.

Pastors cannot endorse or oppose candidates during church services. Williams committed no wrongdoing and said he was surprised by the endorsement.

In the video, Harvest Rock Pastor Che Ahn said during a service, “We’re honored again to have Major Williams with us and his beautiful family. And so, Major, would you stand up, would you please stand up with your family, we’ll just welcome you again? And for those who live in Pasadena, Major Williams is running for mayor in Pasadena. And I love the fact that he’s conservative and that I believe that he’ll be a great mayor. So I want to give my endorsement for him. And I know some of you may say, well, what about the Johnson amendment? Are you supposed to do that? But thank God for President Trump who gave an executive order.”

But Trump’s Executive Order did not overturn the Johnson Act, instead it calls for leniency when the law is violated.

“The Secretary of the Treasury shall ensure, to the extent permitted by law, that the Department of the Treasury does not take any adverse action against any individual, house of worship, or other religious organization on the basis that such individual or organization speaks or has spoken about moral or political issues from a religious perspective, where speech of similar character has, consistent with law, not ordinarily been treated as participation or intervention in a political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) a candidate for public office by the Department of the Treasury,” the Executive Order reads.

When contacted by phone and asked if he would like to now turn down the endorsement, Williams requested time to call Ahn. When he called back he said the pastor interpreted things “differently.”

Efforts to reach Pastor Che Ahn were not successful on Monday.

“I’m rolling with it,” Williams said. “It is what it is.”

Pasadena Now has removed the earlier story.