Damien Thorn Doctor

Role in the Christian Coalition[edit]

Reed was hired by religious broadcaster-cum-Presidential candidate Pat Robertson as executive director of the Christian Coalition in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Robertson, his son, Gordon P. Robertson, Dick Weinold, a Robertson activist from Texas, and Billy McCormack, a pastor from Shreveport, Louisiana, were the original four directors of the organization. McCormack also held the title of “vice president” and had been his state director of “Americans for Robertson” in 1988.[9]

Reed led the organization from 1989 to 1997. After Republicans lost in the 1996 elections many thought Reed would not be long for the Coalition, and would soon depart seeking new challenges. [10] Some alleged that another factor in Reed’s decision was an investigation by Federal prosecutors due to charges made by the Christian Coalition’s formerchief financial officer, Judy Liebert,[11] Reed resigned from his post, and moved to Georgia. The Coalition’s finances were collapsing, and the Internal Revenue Service and Federal Election Commission were investigating.

The Coalition organized former Robertson supporters and other religious conservatives to oppose political liberalism. Eschewing confrontational tactics of street protest learned in college, Reed attempted to project a “softer” public face for Christian conservatism, self-described as “guerrilla“, putting “enemies” in “body bags” before they even realized he had struck.[12]

In the 1990s, Reed and the coalition protested against the Clinton administration‘s policies. They were credited with mobilizing Christian conservatives in support of Republican candidates in the 1994 Congressional elections.[citation needed] Reed appeared on the cover of Time on May 15, 1995, under the title “The Right Hand of God: Ralph Reed of the Christian Coalition.”

In 1996, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) brought an enforcement action in United States District Court,[13] alleging Reed and the coalition “violated federal campaign finance laws during congressional elections in 1990, 1992 and 1994, and the presidential election in 1992.” After a 3 year investigation and lawsuit against the Christian Coalition, the FEC was determined in August 1999 by Federal Judge Joyce Hens Green to have failed. The Coalition paid a small fine for two minor infractions, only a fraction of the millions in judgment the FEC had hoped for. [14]