Logo for InfluenceWatch InfluenceWatch

Donate
Non-profit

Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism (CASE)

Location:

Tucker, GA
Tax ID:

94-3037261
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2019):

Revenue: $55,155,028
Expenses: $53,067,362
Assets: $58,101,505
Founded:

1986 1

References

  1. “American Center for Law and Justice / Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism.” Cause IQ. Accessed April 30, 2022. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/american-center-for-law-and-justice,943037261/

Contact InfluenceWatch with suggested edits or tips for additional profiles.

Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism, also known as CASE, is a nonprofit organization founded by religious broadcaster Pat Robertson and run by attorney Jay Sekulow. 1

It is a sister nonprofit with the American Center for Law and Justice and focuses heavily on advocacy and litigation concerning free speech and freedom of religion. 2

The Democratic state attorneys general of New York and North Carolina investigated the finances of the groups after The Guardian newspaper from the U.K. reported on June 2017 that CASE had pushed more than $60 million to Sekulow, his family, and their businesses since 2000. 3

Background

Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism says it is dedicated to the view that religious freedom and freedom of speech are inalienable, God-given rights. The organization says it works to “conciliate and where necessary, litigate,” to protect such rights. 4

Pastor and broadcaster Pat Robertson, who ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 1988, founded the American Center for Law and Justice in 1986. Conservative attorney Jay Sekulow is the general counsel. 5  Sekulow also represented then-President Donald Trump during Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation and during his 2020 Senate impeachment trial. 6

The organization, also known as CASE, is the sister organization of the American Center for Law and Justice. 7 The ACLJ website says the ACLJ is “d/b/a” or doing business as Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism. 8

CASE has national broadcasts that include the “Jay Sekulow Live” on 1,069 outlets nationally and on XM satellite radio; the “Jay Sekulow Weekend Edition” heard on 533 stations nationally and the one-minute “Law and Justice Journal” heard on 673 radio stations. 9

Jay Sekulow, his wife and two sons were the only voting members of the CASE board of directors, as reported by the Washington Post in 2017. 10

In 2011, the ACLJ arranged to have donations solicited in its name directed to CASE, the Washington Post reported. The ACLJ relies on CASE for nearly its entire budget. 11

Financial Controversies

The Guardian reported on June 2017 that CASE pushed more than $60 million to Sekulow, his family, and their businesses since 2000. The left-wing British newspaper reported that since 1998, the organization spent $15.4 million on the Constitutional Litigation and Advocacy Group, a law firm 50 percent owned by Jay Sekulow; $5.7 million to pay Sekulow’s brother Gary Sekulow for working as CFO of both the ACLJ and CASE; and $2.74 million in private jet lease payments to Regency Productions, a company owned by Jay Sekulow, and PFMS, a company owned by his sister-in-law, Kim Sekulow. 12

A spokesman for CASE and the ACLJ said that all financial arrangements concerning the entities are “regularly reviewed by outside independent compensation experts and have been determined to be reasonable.” The spokesman added that each entity has “annual independent outside audits performed by certified public accounting firms” and that the “IRS has previously conducted audits of the ACLJ and CASE and found them to be in full compliance of all applicable tax laws.” 13

Democratic state attorneys general in New York and North Carolina opened investigations shortly after The Guardian’s reporting, but never brought charges. 14

References

  1. Pentrice, Chris. “Televangelists, megachurches tied to Trump approved for millions in pandemic aid.” Reuters. July 6, 2020. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-ppp-religious-idUSKBN2480CB
  2. “Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism.” Charity Navigator. Accessed April 30, 2022. https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/943037261
  3. Swaine, Jon. “Authorities to investigate Jay Sekulow nonprofit after ‘troubling’ revelations.” The Guardian. June 28, 2017. Accessed April 30, 2022. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jun/27/trump-lawyer-jay-sekulow-obamacare-repeal-christian-nonprofit
  4. “Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism.” Charity Navigator. Accessed April 30, 2022. https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/943037261
  5. Pentrice, Chris. “Televangelists, megachurches tied to Trump approved for millions in pandemic aid.” Reuters. July 6, 2020. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-ppp-religious-idUSKBN2480CB
  6. Samuelsohn, Darren. “The Trump Lawyer Who Survived.” POLITICO, February 6, 2020. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/02/06/sekulow-trump-111265.
  7. Jacobs, Peter. “‘I can’t imagine this situation being acceptable’: Trump’s new lawyer reportedly steered more than $60 million from his nonprofit to family members.” Business Insider. June 27, 2017. Accessed April 30, 2022. https://www.businessinsider.com/jay-sekulow-reportedly-steered-millions-from-nonprofit-to-family-2017-6
  8. American Center for Law and Justice. Homepage. Accessed April 30, 2022. https://aclj.org/
  9. “American Center for Law and Justice / Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism.” Cause IQ. Accessed April 30, 2022. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/american-center-for-law-and-justice,943037261/
  10. Davis, Aaron and Boburg, Shawn. “Trump attorney Jay Sekulow’s family has been paid millions from charities they control.” The Washington Post. June 27, 2017. Accessed April 30, 2022. https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/trump-attorney-jay-sekulows-family-has-been-paid-millions-from-charities-they-control/2017/06/27/6428d988-5852-11e7-ba90-f5875b7d1876_story.html
  11.  Davis, Aaron and Boburg, Shawn. “Trump attorney Jay Sekulow’s family has been paid millions from charities they control.” The Washington Post. June 27, 2017. Accessed April 30, 2022. https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/trump-attorney-jay-sekulows-family-has-been-paid-millions-from-charities-they-control/2017/06/27/6428d988-5852-11e7-ba90-f5875b7d1876_story.html
  12. Swaine, Jon. “Trump lawyer’s firm steered millions in donations to family members, files show.” The Guardian. June 27, 2017. Accessed April 30, 2022. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jun/27/trump-lawyer-jay-sekulow-donations
  13. Swaine, Jon. “Trump lawyer’s firm steered millions in donations to family members, files show.” The Guardian. June 27, 2017. Accessed April 30, 2022. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jun/27/trump-lawyer-jay-sekulow-donations
  14. Swaine, Jon. “Authorities to investigate Jay Sekulow nonprofit after ‘troubling’ revelations.” The Guardian. June 28, 2017. Accessed April 30, 2022. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jun/27/trump-lawyer-jay-sekulow-obamacare-repeal-christian-nonprofit
  See an error? Let us know!

Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: March 1, 1988

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2019 Dec Form 990 $55,155,028 $53,067,362 $58,101,505 $7,687,418 N $53,103,154 $0 $785,147 $1,347,077 PDF
    2018 Dec Form 990 $55,324,742 $52,609,678 $54,101,639 $9,178,446 N $52,495,249 $0 $712,829 $1,306,779 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990 $55,253,082 $53,139,333 $56,125,097 $9,855,212 N $53,585,250 $0 $715,982 $1,321,403 PDF
    2016 Dec Form 990 $53,045,992 $46,301,402 $53,101,754 $11,038,951 N $52,098,571 $0 $551,794 $1,208,147
    2015 Dec Form 990 $53,021,540 $43,852,401 $37,058,537 $2,175,120 N $52,309,818 $0 $599,404 $1,133,790 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990 $49,968,665 $42,675,708 $28,509,001 $2,022,373 N $49,327,080 $85,417 $336,810 $890,844 PDF
    2013 Dec Form 990 $45,932,699 $38,850,143 $21,604,701 $2,526,663 N $45,079,980 $244,900 $94,872 $845,315 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990 $40,213,985 $40,504,304 $18,290,389 $6,670,822 N $40,087,269 $0 $106,759 $779,638 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990 $40,456,605 $42,195,118 $18,304,318 $6,797,730 N $40,215,278 $0 $130,426 $710,261 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism (CASE)

    100 Crescent Center Pkwy, Suite 670
    Tucker, GA 30084