Sam R. Hall

The Clarion-Ledger

The super PAC that ran an ad supporting U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran in the Mississippi Link shares a lot in common with New Horizon Church.

Derek Willis of NYT's The Upshot reports that organizational documents filed with the Federal Elections Commission for "All Citizens for Mississippi" lists an address and phone number that belongs to New Horizon Church in Jackson. The PAC's treasurer is listed as Jacqueline Vann, who also serves as chief financial officer for the church.

Willis writes:

If church resources were used by the PAC, that could be "potentially problematic" for the church, said Michael Toner, a partner at the Wiley Rein law firm and a former F.E.C. chairman. "The people who are associated with churches, you can be involved in politics, but need to do so in your personal capacity. That's the dividing line: Is it in their personal capacity?"

The danger for the church is that it, like other I.R.S.-approved charities, could lose its tax status if it participates in a political campaign, whether for or against a candidate. The advertisement appears to have appeared around the same time the group's F.E.C. registration form was filled out, but the PAC has not filed an independent expenditure report describing the expenditure or any reports listing its donors. An email and a phone call to Ms. Vann at the church's offices were not immediately returned.

New Horizon is an influential church in the black community and throughout Jackson.

Bishop Ronnie Crudup Sr., who heads the church, is a community activist who does not shy away from supporting political candidates and causes at both ends of the political spectrum. He has spoken in support of unionizing at Nissan Canton and is working with Ravi Gupta to bring a charter school to Jackson.

Crudup reportedly held a campaign event with U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran during the primary.