Ethical Concerns Arise Over Church Salary Raises for Sen. Warnock
Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia allegedly exceeded the outside income limit for senators in 2022 by using an accounting loophole. He earned $155,000 while working part-time as a pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. He claimed that $125,000 of his pastor pay was deferred compensation for services rendered before he took office, but experts argue that this arrangement seems fabricated. There is no mention of this arrangement in Warnock’s 2021 financial disclosure or the church’s financial records. An investigation into Warnock’s financial arrangement with the church is considered necessary. Warnock also reported receiving $120,000 from the church in 2021, $89,000 of which he claimed as a tax-free parsonage allowance to pay for his $1 million home. His pastoral pay made up a small portion of his total income, with book royalties being the main source, totaling $656,000 in 2022. Warnock and the church did not respond to requests for comment.
