c. 1996 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) The attorney for the Christian Coalition’s suspended chief financial officer said Friday (June 19) that his client reported allegations of financial irregularities to federal authorities only after organization executives failed to give a”proper response”to her concerns.

Judy Liebert _ who has been the Christian Coalition’s top financial official for four years _ was suspended June 1 after going to the United States attorney’s office in Norfolk, Va., with allegations that her attorney, Moody Stallings, said involved a direct-mail services vendor who has been paid millions of dollars for its work.

Despite the suspension, Liebert, who earns $85,000 a year, is still on the payroll. She has, however, been barred from the Christian Coalition’s offices in Chesapeake, Va.

Neither the vendor nor the nature of the alleged irregularities have been disclosed. Moody did say that”we’re calling them irregularities, but others would probably call them criminal.” Stallings said the vendor is still being paid.

Speaking by telephone from his Virginia Beach office, Stallings said Liebert spoke to federal authorities”because she felt she was not getting the proper response from the powers that be at the Christian Coalition, and that because of the great amount of money involved, as chief financial officer, it could reflect poorly on her if this wasn’t properly handled and quickly so.” Stallings said Liebert was shocked by her suspension.”She thought they would be proud of her,”he said.”Their reaction is not what you would expect from an organization, whether it’s the Christian Coalition or Wal-Mart, when the chief financial officer tells you someone is conning you.” Attempts to reach the Christian Coalition for comment were unsuccessful Friday.

However, Mike Russell, the organization’s chief spokesman, earlier told the Associated Press that Liebert’s suspension was a”personnel matter.” While declining to discuss the case further, Russell did say that Liebert was suspended because”she was charged with financial responsibility of overseeing this process.”He did not elaborate.

Stallings said he has been in touch with the Christian Coalition in an attempt to resolve Liebert’s employment status.

This is not Stallings’ first brush with the Christian Coalition. He was a Democratic state senator in Virginia in 1991, when the Christian Coalition helped his Republican opponent unseat him.

The Christian Coalition, created in 1989 by religious broadcaster Pat Robertson, has emerged as the religious right’s leading organization. Ralph Reed, the Christian Coalition’s executive director, has become a major power broker within the Republican Party.

Reed has been credited with engineering the South Carolina primary victory that all but assured Bob Dole the Republican presidential nomination.

More recently, Reed has played a key role in trying to resolve disputes over the party’s staunch anti-abortion stand that religious conservatives fear could be undermined as Dole seeks to reach out to moderate Republican voters.

MJP END RIFKIN