THE SAVEDATE JUNE2018 8-9, WCS2018

Principled Ideas from the Centennial Institute Publisher, Dr. Donald W. Sweeting Volume 10, Number 1 • January 2018 Editor, Jeff Hunt

PETITION FOR JUSTICE, FOR LIBERTY, I was honored to be invited, but I did remind him that I AND FOR FREEDOM had filed a lawsuit against them. He said that he had heard Jay Sekulow, WCS17 about that, but he said, “Do you remember having any political conversation when you were with our office 35 years ago on a case?” The truth was that I never did. It wasn’t about politics; it was about law. That is something that I’ve remembered during the ups and downs of many cases, especially the recent IRS case. Let’s talk about that IRS case for a moment because it is very relevant when we are talking about freedom and liberty. You had the IRS targeting conservative groups because they didn’t like the positions they were advocating. That’s not the way it’s supposed to work in the United States of America. The government’s job is not to tell us what to do or what to believe. But, in this particular case, the IRS had a dragnet, and it started with, be on the lookout for Jay Sekulow, speaking at the 2017 Western Conservative Summit. groups that use the words liberty or patriot in their name. Can you imagine that in the United States of America? In 1914, when he was just 14, my grandfather left his family The Founding Fathers would have needed Jay Sekulow as in Russia and came to the United States. He left his home to their lawyer. escape religious persecution against Jews and the pogroms that were going on at that time. Schmulik Sekulow was But it got worse. You remember Lois Lerner. She gets up his name, Samuel in the United States. And like so many before a tax conference after this action by the IRS had been others, he sailed past the Statue of Liberty found out. We caught them, and they and into Ellis Island to create a new life. When I was with apologized. (By the way, try apologizing He built a life for himself and his children to the IRS the next time you get audited and then his grandchildren. Today, Sam the IRS, it wasn’t and see if that works out well for you.) Sekulow’s grandson gets to argue cases about politics, it Anyway, Lerner offers an apology, and before the Supreme Court of the United you know what I said? Apology not States and represent the President of was about the law. accepted. Because we should not allow the United States. Isn’t that amazing? an unelected, bureaucratic agency run Only in America. and ruin our lives. It is as if we have a fourth branch of government. As the IRS case matured, we learned the One thing that everybody leaves out of my introduction is IRS, the Department of Justice, and the Federal Election my first job out of law school where I worked in the Office Commission were in cahoots and they were denying it of the Chief Counsel, . I was a publicly. Remember when Lois Lerner said it was some lawyer for the Department of the Treasury. Ironic that one of the biggest political scandals of the last decade involved Jay Sekulow is Chief Counsel for the American Center for Law & Justice (ACLJ), host of a radio and television talk show, a frequent guest commentator on the my old agency. A couple of years back, we had the 35th Christian Broadcasting Network and the Channel, and a member of anniversary of our incoming class to the Office of Chief President 's personal legal team. Consul, Internal Revenue Service, and I was asked to come Centennial Institute sponsors research, events, and publications to enhance back and participate. I got a call from my former boss, Jack public understanding of the most important issues facing our state and nation. Morton, the regional counsel for the IRS and one of the By proclaiming Truth, we aim to foster faith, family, and freedom, teach citizenship, and renew the spirit of 1776. five senior lawyers for the entire Internal Revenue Service. Unfortunately, things are not always so positive. When you watch and read the news, it looks like Bedlam in Washington, D.C., but it’s not. I’ve been litigating and handling cases since 1980, and I’ve learned a thing or two. At 61, you know what you’re doing. And I think, in everything I have been trained for all of these years, all of the cases I’ve handled, I’ve learned that we can be victorious. I’ve handled really complex matters in Supreme Court cases and Congressional investigations like the issue with the IRS. And I want you to have hope because, at the end of this, we win. Now, it does not mean that we’re not going to have days where it’s difficult. Look at what we’re facing on the world scene. A big worry of course is ISIS. They operate more like Hamas than Al-Qaeda; Al-Qaeda hides in caves, Hamas Sekulow is on President Donald Trump's personal legal team that is charged with advising the President. is a military. ISIS is more like a military and they run governments or sections of territory that they control as rogue agents in Cincinnati? I had the emails and the a government. Now, with the new Trump administration, letters from IRS officials in Phoenix, Los Angeles, and we’ve taken the battle to ISIS. We are beating them, you Washington, D.C. with Lois Lerner’s name on them. Did won’t hear about it, but the President has given his generals they not think I had those? We went to the district court authority to take action. And we are seeing results. Even so, first and we fought hard; the district court judge denied our this is an inter-generational conflict. I’ve had the privilege claim. We took it to the court of appeals and there we won of representing the Israeli Minister of Justice, Minister of unanimously and beat the Internal Foreign Affairs. I’ve done cases at Revenue Service. After we won, the International Criminal Court eight years after they had applied, Eight years after they in The Hague. The Israelis don’t like the last group to get their nonprofit war, but when it happens, six days 501c3 status from the IRS was the had applied, the last is a good one. The young people Albuquerque Tea Party. Samuel tea party group got don’t mind two weeks, that’s okay. Sekulow’s grandson got to represent But, the enemies of freedom, the the clients against his old agency. their IRS 501c3. Islamic Jihadist terrorists, they’re That’s what America is about. not thinking about what’s going to My very first case before the U.S. happen in the next five minutes or Supreme Court was in 1987: 86-104, Board of Airport five years or even fifty years. This is a civilization war and Commissioners v. . Probably not the case my they are in this for the long haul and for complete victory. grandfather thought I’d be arguing, but there I was. One They’ll aim at targets in Israel and here, in Europe and of the legal periodicals reported that I was rude, aggressive, even among people in their own countries. Look what has and obnoxious. Just recently one of the newspapers did a happened to Syria in the minority religious communities. piece where they quoted that old 1987 story trying to make The danger of these Islamic Jihadist terrorists is so me look bad. But you know the truth? The decision in that pronounced that we have to start thinking in the long first case was 9-0 in our favor. That worked out pretty well. term, and I am happy to say we now are.

CENTENNIAL REVIEW is published monthly by the Centennial Institute at Colorado Christian University. The authors’ views are not necessarily those of CCU. Designer, Justin Jones. Illustrator, Benjamin Hummel. Subscriptions free upon request. Write to: Centennial Institute, 8787 W. Alameda Ave., Lakewood, CO 80226. Call 800.44.FAITH. Or visit us online at centennial.ccu.edu.

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Centennial Review ▪ January 2018 ▪ 2 Clearly there are great challenges. I’ve got grandkids The ACLU lawyer who argued one of the cases at the 4th now. You think about the world differently when you’ve Circuit Court of Appeals, which is Virginia, actually said that got grandkids. Our adult children can handle it, but the if the order was signed by Hillary Clinton, it would’ve been grandchildren—I don’t want them in a world where this constitutional, but, if it was signed by President Trump, it kind of conflict is prevalent. The previous administration would not be. He argued that and the 4th Circuit thought was worried about labels and taking words out from training that was okay. Fortunately, the nine justices of the Supreme manuals. How was that authorized? First we had ISIS then Court said they got it wrong. In talking with the President ISIL. We were defining and redefining the enemy. That “L” about it, I knew that when it went to the Supreme Court, in ISIL stood for “Levant,” which is the greater Middle we were going to carry the day, because it is, after all, the East including Israel. That was their aspiration, to take over constitutional authority under Article II of the Presidency the entire Middle East. Don’t define the enemy by their of the United States. That does not change because one aspiration. That was a fundamental mistake by the previous party or the other is in the White House. That’s not the administration, and it’s not happening way it works in a constitutional republic. now. That’s why I’m glad we’ve got an The President We’ve had issues as a country, no doubt. administration now that acknowledges we But on the religious liberty front, I feel are in a conflict, is determined to eradicate has the authority really good. You’ve got a case coming out the enemy, and is going to win the battle. to say who comes of Colorado that is an important religious People forget this because it seems like a liberty case. I believe cases like this one lifetime ago, but we’ve had a new Supreme into the United will be 5-4, but still a win. Of course, Court justice confirmed from Colorado, States and who every case cannot be a win. I’m grateful Neil Gorsuch. We’ve had cases in front when we win, but every case is not a win. of Justice Gorsuch. I know his judicial does not. But sometimes you can lose and still win philosophy, I know the kind of justice he because sometimes you are taking the case will be. because the principles at stake. I’ve had that happen. It’s Then came the travel ban, as they called it. Constitutionally, the nature of the practice of law. the President has the inherent authority and statutory It’s an honor to represent the President of the United States. authority to say who comes into the United States and It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. And what I’m seeing is who does not. There is no question in my mind. I told the an attack on the presidency. And when you know that, you President, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is the highest cut through what you’re reading and seeing, and defend reverse court. When this goes to the Supreme Court of the the First Amendment aggressively. I believe in freedom of United States, we’re going to win this, because what was speech, in freedom of the press, in freedom of the right done was constitutional. to petition your government for a redress of grievances. I believe the Founders were geniuses in the way they put that together. But you’ve got to fight for freedom and you’ve got to understand the nature of what it is. When I get a case, the first thing I say is “how do we define victory here?” A win would be changing Obamacare so that we can actually have a healthcare system that works and not give Planned Parenthood $500 million of our taxpayer money. It would also be putting a healthcare system in place where doctors can actually do their job, run their practice, and take care of their patients. Because what we have today is not winning. Remember when the Democrats made fun of our worry about death panels and our concerns about government control of our healthcare. The system is not working today. We have markets where costs are sky high and there’s no competition Jay Sekulow played drums with the 2017 Western Conservative Summit Big Band! because insurance companies have pulled out. We have

Centennial Review ▪ January 2018 ▪ 3 Centennial Institute Colorado Christian University 8787 W. Alameda Ave. Lakewood, CO 80226

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Jay Sekulow is widely regarded as one of the foremost free speech and religious liberties litigators in the United States, having argued 12 times before the U.S. Supreme Court in some of the most groundbreaking First Amendment cases of the past quarter century. As Chief Counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), he is a renowned constitutional attorney, an international expert on religious liberty, and an acclaimed and distinguished broadcaster. Sekulow’s extensive body of work includes securing the right of religious organizations to have equal access to public facilities, protecting the free speech rights of young people to participate in the political process, and affirming the free speech rights of pro-life advocates to communicate their lifesaving message free from criminal prosecution. His acumen extends beyond the courtroom as he is a widely listened to broadcaster, is regularly sought after for his experience in constitutional law, and has been asked to testify before Congress on the constitutionality of proposed legislation. He also hosts a talk show, which airs on radio and television. Sekulow is a frequent guest commentator on the Christian Broadcasting Network and the Fox News Channel. A self- described Messianic Jew, Sekulow built a legal and media empire over a thirty-year period by representing conservative, religious and anti-abortion groups.

doctors who no longer accept health insurance because “How much more will our Father do if we continue to the regulations are ridiculous. We need a revolution in our petition Him?” healthcare system and it starts in the United States Senate. So let us remember our hope of hopes. Let us remember that It is dirty business but we must engage in the process. we are not the ones in control of the universe. This moment, Look, the nature of the battle is real. this date, this time we’re in, this phase, Are you willing to fight it out? Are this culture, this governmental system, you willing to hold our elected officials It is our job today these battles, these are not accidents. We accountable and push them to do to defend and have to be like that woman who knocks something in Washington, D.C. than at the judge’s door. We have to continue just talk? Yes! preserve the very to petition for justice, for liberty, and One of my favorite parables of the Bible vision our Founders for freedom. It’s the very reason my is Luke 18, the Parable of the Unjust laid before us. grandfather came to this country 103 Judge. A woman wants justice so badly years ago: for liberty, for freedom, and that she goes to the judge’s house and for the pursuit of happiness. And it is knocks on the door. She didn’t fear God, she didn’t fear our job today to defend and preserve the very vision our men, she wanted justice, and she kept knocking. Finally, Founders laid before us. Don’t give up. Keep hope. Fight the judge had enough, and he opened the door, and the hard. Engage. Don’t look back; look forward. We must woman gets justice for her family. What did Jesus say? win; we have no other option. n

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