Murray Newman said:
There's nothing legally dubious about it and churches (for better or worse) have been part of the political process for longer than any of us have been alive.
Although I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that you probably aren't voting in the Democratic primary, on the off chance that you are, I'd offer the following for your consideration:
Sean Teare is a former prosecutor who spent the past several years at HCDA as the chief of vehicular crimes. His job was getting up in the middle of the night to go out to crime scenes involving intoxication manslaughter. He tried cases. He worked with victims and their families. He's promised to rebuild the office back into the reputable agency that it once was.
Kim Ogg has run all of the experience and talent out of that office. They are losing cases right and left that they should be winning. He is going to rebuild it with a focus on violent crime. I'm sorry if you don't like him but if you want a safer Houston, he's the far better choice over Ogg.
First, I was in Sean's section at UHLC and like him as a person. I was initially excited to hear he was challenging Ogg based on following his career over vehicular crimes. I agree Ogg isn't good and did a ton of harm to the office. But every part of Sean's campaign platform is about running to the left of Ogg- more diversions, more cozy relationship with Hidalgo, hinting that he will not enforce Texas abortion law. I see nothing on bringing back the days of the
Johnny Holmes era, which is what we desperately need IMO. Maybe he recognizes that's not a winning platform in Harris Co. these days so he's running a stealth law & order candidacy, but I doubt it.
Second, no, I'm not naturally a democrat voter. But there's hardly a reason for me to cast a ballot in the Republican primary this time, and I don't plan to be a delegate, so I might just cross over to cast a ballot for some democrat incumbents.
Finally, I'm not a neophyte when it comes to operating 501(c)(3) organizations and dealing with political candidates. A church allowing its pulpit to be used as a political platform that favors one candidate over the other absolutely is legally dubious for the church. As in, is breaking the law. Sean as the candidate probably has nothing to worry about that type of in kind contribution. But it's still sleazy (if that's what happened).