Senator Raphael Warnock faces an ethics complaint over his rent-free occupancy of a nearly $1 million luxury home purchased by his church, while his financial disclosure forms make no mention of this arrangement.
Quick Takes
- Senator Warnock has been living rent-free in a $989,000 luxury home purchased by Ebenezer Baptist Church since 2023
- Ethics watchdog groups have filed complaints alleging the arrangement may violate Senate ethics rules and IRS regulations
- The housing benefit is questioned as excessive given Warnock’s $31,815 annual salary for his part-time pastoral role
- Critics note the irony of Warnock’s free luxury housing while his church reportedly attempted to evict low-income tenants over small amounts
- Warnock’s financial disclosure forms do not mention this substantial housing benefit
Luxury Church-Funded Housing Raises Red Flags
Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock has been residing rent-free in a luxury home in DeKalb County since 2023, purchased by Ebenezer Baptist Church where he serves as a part-time senior pastor. The property, built in 2022, was marketed as a luxury residence and sold for $989,000. The home features upscale amenities including a 100-bottle wine fridge, bluetooth-enabled cooking range, and remote-controlled privacy curtains. This arrangement has now attracted the attention of ethics watchdogs who question whether such a benefit is appropriate for a sitting U.S. Senator.
The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) filed an ethics complaint on Monday, alleging that the arrangement may breach the Ethics in Government Act. The complaint specifically questions the substantial housing benefit provided to Warnock given his part-time status at the church and his annual church salary of just over $31,000. Ethics experts are examining whether this living arrangement constitutes an improper gift under Senate regulations, particularly since Warnock’s financial disclosure forms reportedly make no mention of this benefit.
BREAKING: Raphael Warnock Slapped With Ethics Complaint for Living in Free $1 Million Luxury Home https://t.co/e07kINZJKZ
— Conservative War Machine (@WarMachineRR) April 21, 2025
Church Housing vs. Tenant Evictions
The complaint against Warnock comes amid previous scrutiny regarding Ebenezer Baptist Church’s real estate dealings. The National Legal and Policy Center had earlier filed a complaint concerning the church’s management of an apartment building it owns, citing aggressive eviction practices against low-income tenants. Critics have pointed to the apparent contradiction between providing Warnock with a free luxury residence while simultaneously pursuing evictions against struggling tenants for relatively minor rent delinquencies.
“It’s obscene that Senator Warnock’s church allows him to live rent-free in a new million-dollar house while it evicts poor black residents from its apartment building for being late in paying back rent for as little as $28,” said Paul Kamenar, a lawyer for the NLPC.
The timing of the church’s purchase of the luxury home has also raised questions. Records indicate Warnock moved into the property in 2023 and subsequently sold his own residence. This sequence of events has contributed to the concerns expressed by ethics watchdogs about the nature of the arrangement and its timing relative to Warnock’s election to the Senate.
Potential Ethics and Tax Implications
Beyond Senate ethics rules, experts have raised questions about potential IRS implications of the arrangement. The substantial housing benefit provided to a part-time employee could potentially trigger tax penalties if deemed an excessive benefit under IRS regulations. Paul Kamenar noted, “Moreover, this benefit and his pay for being a part-time pastor may be an excessive benefit under IRS rules and trigger tax penalties.”
“This is a matter of plain common sense. It is difficult to fathom [how] any citizen could look at this situation (a U.S. Senator being a part-time employee of an organization that happens to buy him a million-dollar house to live in for free after he was elected to Congress, and after which he sells his own house) and not think something potentially very wrong is afoot,” said Kendra Arnold, executive director of FACT.
The Senate Ethics Committee has yet to announce whether it will take any action regarding the current complaint. Some ethics experts suggest the arrangement may not violate Senate ethics rules, as such benefits can be allowed under certain circumstances, though the specifics of this case continue to raise questions.
