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Presidential and congressional candidates are permitted to pay themselves a salary from their campaign funds so that they can pay living expenses during a campaign, and so that they need not take ethically questionable side payments from third parties in order to sustain themselves on the road. (If Huckabee had applied for federal matching funds for his campaign, he would not be permitted to pay himself a salary, but he has not applied for those funds.)

I say this because it renders Mike Huckabee’s excuse for taking payments on the side from churches bogus. Huckabee says:

Unlike the members of the Senate or Congress who continue to get their paycheck and get a taxpayer-funded salary, and unlike people who are independently wealthy, if I don’t work, I don’t eat… I’d like some more, if you wanna give me some publicity — tell ’em to call the [speakers’] bureau… it’s good. I’d like for it to be even more.

Baloney. If Mike Huckabee wants to eat, he doesn’t have to be taking payments on the side from churches during his presidential campaign. He just has to pay himself a salary out of his campaign contribution coffers.

Extra baloney: This financial statement from Mike Huckabee reveals that he has assets worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Huckabee had $148,750 in income from book royalties alone in 2006, the last year for which public data is available. Mike Huckabee can afford to eat. He doesn’t need to be taking payments on the side from churches.

Yes, taking payments on the side from churches. Website Politico.com engaged in a bit of a sting operation in which they had someone posing as “Randy” ask if Mike Huckabee could come and speak to them. “Randy” got a canned response that “Due to the ongoing presidential campaign, Mr. Huckabee is not accepting speaking engagements.” Then “Randy” mentioned he was writing on behalf of a large church. Suddenly came a different tune: “I would be happy to help you with Mike Huckabee…. He charges a minimum of $25,000 per engagement plus expenses, and he can not address anything to do with his running for president. Do you have a date in mind for your event?

Mike Huckabee is trying to backtrack, insisting that when he has ended up taking payments on the side from churches during his presidential campaign, it’s been all their idea, and he’s protested, but gosh, he’s such a nice guy that he took the money so as not to be mean or offensive or anything. Seriously.

There is this little eensy detail in the IRS code. If churches choose (like any other non-profit organization) to file for tax-exempt status, then exchange for tax-exempt status they must agree to these terms:

Under the Internal Revenue Code, all IRC section
501(c)(3) organizations, including churches and religious
organizations,absolutely prohibited from directly or
indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political
campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate
for elective public office. Contributions to political campaign
funds or public statements of position (verbal or
written) made by or on behalf of the organization in favor
of or in opposition to any candidate for public office
clearly violate the prohibition against political campaign
activity. Violation of this prohibition may result in denial
or revocation of tax-exempt status and the imposition of
certain excise tax.

I think a little investigation is called for here, don’t you? My, such appearances of impropriety from a man of the cloth! Whoda thunk?

(Sources: New York Times, November 26 2002; Ballot Access News December 20 2007; IRS Publication P1828; Politico.com December 26 2007)