Milford's Churches Take Part In 1st Amendment Lawsuit

Friday, May 29, 2009, 3:00 p.m. – In United States District Court today, attorneys representing the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport filed a lawsuit against officials of the State of Connecticut Office of State Ethics (OSE), seeking a court order to stop them from an unconstitutional application of state lobbying laws.

These officials are requiring the Diocese – and presumably all other organizations – to register as a lobbyist in order to engage in activities such as a rally at the State Capitol or using its website to encourage its members to contact their elected representatives. Application of the law in this manner would subject the First Amendment rights of Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion, and Freedom of Assembly to government oversight and penalties.

First Amendment Response

Bishop William E. Lori stated today, "Following the surprise introduction of Bill 1098, a proposal that singled out Catholic parishes and would have forced them to reorganize contrary to Church law and the First Amendment, our Diocese responded in the most natural, spontaneous, and frankly, American, of ways: we alerted our membership – in person and through our website; we encouraged them to exercise their free speech by contacting their elected representatives; and, we organized a rally at the State Capitol. How can this possibly be called lobbying?"

"This cannot possibly be what our Legislature had in mind when it sought to bring more transparency and oversight to a legislative process that has been corrupted by special interests and back-room deals. If it is, then it should shock the conscience of all citizens of the Constitution State," Bishop Lori added.

Background

On April 23, 2009, the Diocese received a letter from Thomas K. Jones, Ethics Enforcement Officer for the OSE, stating that it was "the subject of an Office of State Ethics evaluation," which was "being conducted to ascertain whether the Diocese had violated [Connecticut General Statutes Sections] 1-94, 1-95 and 1-96 by failing to register as a lobbyist in Connecticut, by failing to submit all other appropriate lobbyist filings, and by failing to follow all applicable registration procedures."

The OSE claims the Diocese acted as a "lobbyist" by: participating in a March 11, 2009, State Capitol rally against Raised Bill 1098 (the unconstitutional attempt to reorganize Catholic parishes contrary to Catholic teaching and tradition); making statements on its website urging its members to contact their elected representatives to oppose Raised Bill 1098; and making statements on its website urging its members to contact their legislators to oppose another bill, Raised Bill 899 (regarding same-sex marriage).

Taking Stands

"I certainly did not consider any of my or the Diocese’s activities in opposing Raised Bill 1098 and seeking religious-freedom amendments to Raised Bill 899 to be 'lobbying,'" Bishop Lori said in an affidavit filed in court today. "In undertaking those activities, the Diocese was merely defending itself from unconstitutional interference by the state. The Diocese was not seeking special treatment or financial advantages from the Connecticut legislature. Never did I imagine that our activities defending ourselves from a government attack on our right of religious self-governance would be met with another government action subjecting our Church to an ‘evaluation’ for those activities!"

"The Diocese is not a registered lobbyist and does not devote itself primarily to legislative or political matters," Bishop Lori continued. "Nonetheless, from time to time, the Diocese’s religious mission compels me and the pastors within the Diocese to take stands, consistent with our religious beliefs, on legislation that concerns the moral issues of the day, and to urge our parishioners to act on the basis of Church teachings. We communicate these messages to our parishioners through the Diocese’s website, in newsletters, at Mass and other religious services, and through a variety of other means."

Court Order

The Diocese maintains that a court order barring the OSE from applying the lobbying laws to the Diocese in this manner is essential to preserving its First Amendment rights.

"I believe the OSE’s extension of the lobbying laws to these activities will interfere with the Diocese's ability to mobilize its members and, if necessary, to urge them to rally at the Capitol, in the event the General Assembly again introduces legislation resembling Raised Bill 1098 or otherwise tries to interfere with the internal workings of the Diocese or its parishes or to attack the Church," Bishop Lori said.

"I believe that an order from the Court barring Mr. Jones and his colleagues at the OSE from applying the lobbying laws to the Diocese in this manner is necessary to enable the Diocese to continue to carry out its mission without fear of incurring civil penalties, exposure to possible criminal prosecution, burdensome administrative requirements, and intrusive oversight by the State," Bishop Lori concluded.

Hal Turner, FBI Operative, Arrested In Hartford

FBI operative Hal Turner has been arrested for inciting violence, according to The Hartford Courant. Turner allegedly incited Catholics to “take up arms” and singling out two Connecticut lawmakers and a state ethics official. He was arrested by state Capitol police in Connecticut.
In 2008, Turner was exposed as an FBI operative.

Turner was charged in a warrant with inciting injury to persons or property and will be presented in a New Jersey courthouse today for extradition to Connecticut.

Remarks on Turner’s blog “were a reaction to the recent controversy over a bill that would have changed the way the Roman Catholic Church is governed, taking power away from church officials and turning it over to lay members. It was pulled in mid-March following an outcry from Catholics across the state and questions about its constitutionality,” according to the newspaper.

“It is our intent to foment direct action against these individuals personally. These beastly government officials should be made an example of as a warning to others in government: Obey the Constitution or die,” commentary on Turner’s blog stated. “If any state attorney, police department or court thinks they’re going to get uppity with us about this, I suspect we have enough bullets to put them down, too.”

Turner promised to publicize the home addresses of the Connecticut officials Wednesday night, but was taken into custody before that could happen.

Hal Turner is no stranger to controversy and has issued threats in the past.

In 2005, he publicized the names of three federal court judges. He posted the judges’ names and addresses on his Web site. “We may have to ASSASSINATE some of the people you elect on Nov. 7! This could be your LAST ELECTION CHANCE, to save this Republic… Sorry to have to be so blunt, but the country is in mortal danger from our present government and our liberty is already near dead because of this government. If you are too stupid to turn things around with your vote, there are people out here like me who are willing to turn things around with guns, force and violence. We hope our method does not become necessary,” Turner declared on the website.

On April 4, 2008, Turner encouraged violence against Lexington, Massachusetts school superintendent Paul Ash for establishing a new curriculum supporting gays and lesbians. “I advocate parents using FORCE AND VIOLENCE against Superintendent Paul B. Ash as a method of defending the health and safety of school children presently being endangered through his politically-correct indoctrination into deadly, disease-ridden sodomite lifestyles,” Turner wrote. He went on to provide Ash’s personal information, including his address.

Turner claims to be a white supremacist and nationalist. He advocates antisemitism, including rounding up and killing Jews. He has also advocated assaulting and killing African-Americans.

Hal Turner’s arrest feeds into the Department of Homeland Security’s effort to conflate Second Amendment advocates, “antigovernment” activists, and veterans with white supremacists. As Infowars reported today, the DHS and “terrorism experts” are attempting to portray those maligned by the DHS as dangerous terrorists in league with al-Qaeda and a demented Islamic “thinker” who has proposed launching an anthrax attack on the White House.

In 2008, Turner was exposed as an FBI operative. “Hal Turner, rising in fame as the most blatant hate talk radio host, self-proclaimed neo-nazi, antisemite, racist who hinted at the need to eradicate Jews — turns out to have been fronting a typical FBI COINTELPRO sting operation,” writes Richard Evans. Hackers managed to gain access to his forum server and revealed correspondence with an FBI agent who was apparently Turner’s handler.

The FBI is notorious for subsidizing, arming, directing and protecting the Klu Klux Klan and other so-called right-wing groups under COINTELPRO in the late 1960s and early 70s.