How the reactionary legal activist, radical Catholic zealot & dark money maestro built alliances to capture the Court and impose his extremist agenda on America
Extremist all over the globe that make us cringe and we think thank god we are in America- nothing like this could ever happen here, when in reality, we are closer to the handmaids tale than ever before. I have said for years it’s time to remove all tax free status from churches. Separation of church and state is and should be top priority for us etc etc etc
Repeat ad nauseam, but you will hear the pigs squeal like never before. It is the trough that feeds the herds of traitors, rich or just shysters. Anyone supporting a religious takeover is a traitor, make no mistake about that. The irony of it being led by the least religious person on the planet is a sick joke. Just another version of Elmer Gantry’s flim flam man.
Whoever told him to say that is very religious too. Sort of like a mother of a student that I visited in the projects who was reading the Bible upside down. She would likely be the most religious.
Excellent article and commentary Greg, Gail, Michael B and of course Jeri! I once believed in the Constitution’s legitimacy, however, today’s right leaning Supreme Court has consistently challenged that belief! Separation of Church and State is a must! Little fairies in the sky hold no place in government period!
It makes no sense why the churches are not taxed. I get if it's like a modest house by a small church, but for these megachurches and Scientology to pay zero is just wrong. The Frank Zappa clip from 1980something is making the rounds again. He nailed it.
The only reason Scientology calls itself a religion is for the tax-free status. Absolutely disgusting! The IRS tried to challenge it, and they were met with threats of a tidal wave of lawsuits. Big money (greed).
🎼If I were a rich man, ta da da da de da… One man, one vote, seems fair. One lifetime to acquire wealth ain’t enough for most of us. Especially me. If i was a billionaire I wonder what I’d do. I hope I’d give it back. Sigh. Easy come, easy go.
Thanks Greg for teaching us. For homework I googled Mr Leo and learned too little. 😟 now I have some new things to fret about. Billserle.com
I'm glad that the Vatican's role in the ongoing destruction of our democracy is finally being recognized. I learned early on about the underbelly of the Vatican as a former seminarian at a Benedictine monastery. The Vatican MO being used by LL has been honed by centuries of the same in nearly every nation on Earth. Some of those nations like Ireland have finally begun to resist Vatican influence. Others like Hungary still have a long way to go. Maybe with investigative reports like yours and others the U.S. will also begin to resist Vatican influence. Thank you.
It's not farfetched to imagine Leonard Leo being canonized by the Vatican after his death. If there were any justice he would be excommunicated while alive.
As a "perfect guy" trump might qualify for being a pope as well. (snark)
The Vatican and gop work hand in hand with very little difference between the two. Both are hierarchical, undemocratic, paternalist, misogynist, dictatorial, and ruled over by white males. Moreover, both consider their dear leaders, trump and pope, as infallible.
What a spider hiding away in ambush doesn't want is exposure, especially the hot spotlight of public attention, or their web, their most fragile and exposed artifice, being brushed away in some manner.
So, do the non-evangelical churches like the Methodists, the Episcopalians, the Lutherans, the Presbyterians and others realize the threat concerning this plot to basically subjugate, replace and/or eliminate them from American culture?
Opus Dei, the Spanish/Franco inspired fascist arm of the Catholic Church, appears to be Leo's little helper. Anyone ever asked the Pope about this? Is it a Church objective? Was Callista (and Newt Gingrich) ambassador to the Vatican for a particular reason? Infallible is a very interesting word, especially applied to institutions.
However, it is almost impossible to ask him such questions about their intent wrt to the Church proper. Right now, they may not have his blessing but I don't see much restraint, either. As an aside, this is really a small dance floor.
Like Mr. Rhodes below notes, Francis' age is a big factor at this point.
I got wind of this insanity called religion practiced by 80 percent of the world in 1954. At 84 i am still assaulted daily by the discriminatory practices of "KOOKS."
Greg, excellent breakdown of Leonard Leo and his evil ways. Yes, he does it for greed. Yes, he has something like 30 companies, all so-called, “non-profits” he has established. I recommend that you also follow the great Sheldon Whitehouse who waging war against him, Crow, and other dark money participants. Plus, follow Mudpuppy on Shitter(X). This person has created charts and info also. Carter may know about this person, also, in case you need verification.
I know enough about Leonard Leo because of your previous accounts to shudder when his name comes up again— much like reading of another mass shooting or toxic chemical spill. But your research is so thorough and your writing so compelling that I read on. I’m glad I did, because, as a survivor of Evangelicalism, I’m interested in the unholy collaboration between it and Catholicism, and how the former gets a disproportionate amount of news coverage pertaining to threats to our democracy.
Thanks, Earl. I think the Evangelicals are easier to criticize because it's not as cohesive as the Catholic Church, not as old, not as top-down. But to make clear: this is not all Catholics, just the radical extremists.
I’m sort of surprised there is no mention of what Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has been doing in the Senate to get all this nasty skulduggery into the Congressional Record. All that said, this will be an ugly place to live should this unholy alliance come to fruition via donald trump. He’s their conduit and ignorant enough of history to realize what happens to “little guys” like he is when he tries to swim in the big boys pool. They will eat him alive and never belch once afterwards. Sic semper tyrannis.
Senator Whitehouse has been a guest on my podcast, I'm proud to say, and we talked about all this stuff. One thing he told me really stood out: There is, right now, no popular appetite for expanding the court. Most people don't care.
Most depressing post I have read in years. I knew the outline of this scenario, but not as many specifics. One certainly doesn’t hear much about this on the MSM, and I doubt on social media. The repubs are apparently in on the plan and I assume that chump is aware of who doles the money out, and what they want in return. But the MAGAts likely don’t, nor do they care. Just useful idiots.
I was around when JFK was elected and remember the whole brouhaha about Catholic control. I thought that was likely settled. Silly me. Even though Leo was born in 1965, he obviously was not oblivious to the situation. One wonders who his influences were. Seems that Gorsuch’s mother was a prime mover for his current radical positions. When I read about Said’s 1.6 billion dollar war chest, I figured that much of it would go to burnish chump, or maybe reinvent chump for some. Also, makes donations to Dems seem futile. But we can’t get discouraged. The price is too high, higher than at any moment in my long life. Thank you for the nuts and bolts of the long term planned takeover of our world. The inquisition is indeed at our door. For any who have forgotten that history, a refresher is in order.
The irony, of course, is that we have a Catholic president -- a non-extremist, mainstream Catholic, who genuinely practices the good stuff the Church preaches -- and they don't like him. They prefer the Antichrist. Sotomayor is Catholic, too.
The reality is this version of patriarchy is imposed on Catholics who do not believe in their (%*&. This is an age old male dominated quest for global power without using sledge hammers or catapults. They are termites eating away at the structures of all democracies for profit. They practiced in South and Central America and have brought it to the US...
This interview with Tom was the first time I had heard of Opus Dei. It surely tied together some loose ends and made sense of the Supreme Court's actions on Roe v Wade. Coincidentally I am currently reading Dr. Steven Hassan's The Cult of Trump where I read about Opus Dei and the Catholic Right in the chapter on The Influencers. Bill Barr is mentioned as being involved with Opus Dei.
Extremist all over the globe that make us cringe and we think thank god we are in America- nothing like this could ever happen here, when in reality, we are closer to the handmaids tale than ever before. I have said for years it’s time to remove all tax free status from churches. Separation of church and state is and should be top priority for us etc etc etc
JFC
I wholeheartedly agree, "it’s time to remove all tax free status from churches."
Repeat ad nauseam, but you will hear the pigs squeal like never before. It is the trough that feeds the herds of traitors, rich or just shysters. Anyone supporting a religious takeover is a traitor, make no mistake about that. The irony of it being led by the least religious person on the planet is a sick joke. Just another version of Elmer Gantry’s flim flam man.
Come now, Trump is very religious. He loves him some Two Corinthians.
Whoever told him to say that is very religious too. Sort of like a mother of a student that I visited in the projects who was reading the Bible upside down. She would likely be the most religious.
Excellent article and commentary Greg, Gail, Michael B and of course Jeri! I once believed in the Constitution’s legitimacy, however, today’s right leaning Supreme Court has consistently challenged that belief! Separation of Church and State is a must! Little fairies in the sky hold no place in government period!
Amen.
It makes no sense why the churches are not taxed. I get if it's like a modest house by a small church, but for these megachurches and Scientology to pay zero is just wrong. The Frank Zappa clip from 1980something is making the rounds again. He nailed it.
True dat, the opulence of the Vatican is ridiculous, but apparently what these Mega-churches strive to accomplish! Tax them all!!
The only reason Scientology calls itself a religion is for the tax-free status. Absolutely disgusting! The IRS tried to challenge it, and they were met with threats of a tidal wave of lawsuits. Big money (greed).
🎼If I were a rich man, ta da da da de da… One man, one vote, seems fair. One lifetime to acquire wealth ain’t enough for most of us. Especially me. If i was a billionaire I wonder what I’d do. I hope I’d give it back. Sigh. Easy come, easy go.
Thanks Greg for teaching us. For homework I googled Mr Leo and learned too little. 😟 now I have some new things to fret about. Billserle.com
Thanks, Bill. You wouldn't be a billionaire and neither would I. We're too unconcerned with money!
I'm glad that the Vatican's role in the ongoing destruction of our democracy is finally being recognized. I learned early on about the underbelly of the Vatican as a former seminarian at a Benedictine monastery. The Vatican MO being used by LL has been honed by centuries of the same in nearly every nation on Earth. Some of those nations like Ireland have finally begun to resist Vatican influence. Others like Hungary still have a long way to go. Maybe with investigative reports like yours and others the U.S. will also begin to resist Vatican influence. Thank you.
The Vatican mafia
It's not farfetched to imagine Leonard Leo being canonized by the Vatican after his death. If there were any justice he would be excommunicated while alive.
Well put.
The thing about Leo and his crew is, they don't like the Pope. The Vatican has actively moved to contain them. THAT'S how bad they are.
And they have the perfect guy to make this happen. He’ll do anything they want as long as they make him king.
As a "perfect guy" trump might qualify for being a pope as well. (snark)
The Vatican and gop work hand in hand with very little difference between the two. Both are hierarchical, undemocratic, paternalist, misogynist, dictatorial, and ruled over by white males. Moreover, both consider their dear leaders, trump and pope, as infallible.
Trump is a new version of Alexander VI
Superb article, Greg. Leo is indeed the scariest fckwit in DC, especially with the proactive help of Gini Thomas et al.
Given he can easily afford hundreds of millions in lawyers when needed, I don't see any practical way to neutralise his toxicity
Thanks, WIlliam. There is one way to do it: expand the court to, like, 21 justices. All his hart work goes poof in the blink of an eye.
Bingo. Even Biden is thinking about this now. And 12 new liberal justices would provide a century of justice and progress ❤️
What a spider hiding away in ambush doesn't want is exposure, especially the hot spotlight of public attention, or their web, their most fragile and exposed artifice, being brushed away in some manner.
So, do the non-evangelical churches like the Methodists, the Episcopalians, the Lutherans, the Presbyterians and others realize the threat concerning this plot to basically subjugate, replace and/or eliminate them from American culture?
Opus Dei, the Spanish/Franco inspired fascist arm of the Catholic Church, appears to be Leo's little helper. Anyone ever asked the Pope about this? Is it a Church objective? Was Callista (and Newt Gingrich) ambassador to the Vatican for a particular reason? Infallible is a very interesting word, especially applied to institutions.
I always wondered about Callista’s sojourn to the Vatican. Of course, hubby Newt is the ideal Catholic presidential candidate. Snark to the max
I forgot about Callista. Yikes.
Is there such a thing as a female vampire?
The current Pope, much beloved by most American Catholics, does not seem to dig this particular faction too much.
Popes come and go. Francis won't last much longer due to his age. I just hope the next one won't be another Paul VI.
However, it is almost impossible to ask him such questions about their intent wrt to the Church proper. Right now, they may not have his blessing but I don't see much restraint, either. As an aside, this is really a small dance floor.
Like Mr. Rhodes below notes, Francis' age is a big factor at this point.
A very interesting video interview with James Carville on Christian Nationalists and how they will partner with Trump
https://youtu.be/wOz5YKmy1uU
Glad they are getting exposure
Greg thanks for the reminder and updates.
I got wind of this insanity called religion practiced by 80 percent of the world in 1954. At 84 i am still assaulted daily by the discriminatory practices of "KOOKS."
Thanks, Cal. It's a madness, it really is. Especially when the underlying value systems are quite similar.
Greg, excellent breakdown of Leonard Leo and his evil ways. Yes, he does it for greed. Yes, he has something like 30 companies, all so-called, “non-profits” he has established. I recommend that you also follow the great Sheldon Whitehouse who waging war against him, Crow, and other dark money participants. Plus, follow Mudpuppy on Shitter(X). This person has created charts and info also. Carter may know about this person, also, in case you need verification.
*who is waging…*
Thanks, Marlene. Senator Whitehouse, I'm proud to say, has been a guest on my podcast. : )
Kudos to you, Greg! He’s my kinda guy.
I know enough about Leonard Leo because of your previous accounts to shudder when his name comes up again— much like reading of another mass shooting or toxic chemical spill. But your research is so thorough and your writing so compelling that I read on. I’m glad I did, because, as a survivor of Evangelicalism, I’m interested in the unholy collaboration between it and Catholicism, and how the former gets a disproportionate amount of news coverage pertaining to threats to our democracy.
Thanks, Earl. I think the Evangelicals are easier to criticize because it's not as cohesive as the Catholic Church, not as old, not as top-down. But to make clear: this is not all Catholics, just the radical extremists.
I’m sort of surprised there is no mention of what Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has been doing in the Senate to get all this nasty skulduggery into the Congressional Record. All that said, this will be an ugly place to live should this unholy alliance come to fruition via donald trump. He’s their conduit and ignorant enough of history to realize what happens to “little guys” like he is when he tries to swim in the big boys pool. They will eat him alive and never belch once afterwards. Sic semper tyrannis.
Senator Whitehouse has been a guest on my podcast, I'm proud to say, and we talked about all this stuff. One thing he told me really stood out: There is, right now, no popular appetite for expanding the court. Most people don't care.
Would you provide the link to your Whitehouse interviews please? I would love to listen to them .
THANK YOU!! Sharing.
Thanks!
Most depressing post I have read in years. I knew the outline of this scenario, but not as many specifics. One certainly doesn’t hear much about this on the MSM, and I doubt on social media. The repubs are apparently in on the plan and I assume that chump is aware of who doles the money out, and what they want in return. But the MAGAts likely don’t, nor do they care. Just useful idiots.
I was around when JFK was elected and remember the whole brouhaha about Catholic control. I thought that was likely settled. Silly me. Even though Leo was born in 1965, he obviously was not oblivious to the situation. One wonders who his influences were. Seems that Gorsuch’s mother was a prime mover for his current radical positions. When I read about Said’s 1.6 billion dollar war chest, I figured that much of it would go to burnish chump, or maybe reinvent chump for some. Also, makes donations to Dems seem futile. But we can’t get discouraged. The price is too high, higher than at any moment in my long life. Thank you for the nuts and bolts of the long term planned takeover of our world. The inquisition is indeed at our door. For any who have forgotten that history, a refresher is in order.
The irony, of course, is that we have a Catholic president -- a non-extremist, mainstream Catholic, who genuinely practices the good stuff the Church preaches -- and they don't like him. They prefer the Antichrist. Sotomayor is Catholic, too.
This crowd, and the evangelicals, don't even acknowledge that Joe is a Christian. Indeed, they do prefer the antichrist. Would Jesus be surprised??
Why does Google not know, or won’t tell if the mentioned Barre Seid is related to the Mohammad Barre Seid who ruled Somalia?
I highly doubt it.
The original died in 1995, but bet he left some bucks around
The reality is this version of patriarchy is imposed on Catholics who do not believe in their (%*&. This is an age old male dominated quest for global power without using sledge hammers or catapults. They are termites eating away at the structures of all democracies for profit. They practiced in South and Central America and have brought it to the US...
Thanks, Diane. Well put. It's infuriating!
This interview with Tom was the first time I had heard of Opus Dei. It surely tied together some loose ends and made sense of the Supreme Court's actions on Roe v Wade. Coincidentally I am currently reading Dr. Steven Hassan's The Cult of Trump where I read about Opus Dei and the Catholic Right in the chapter on The Influencers. Bill Barr is mentioned as being involved with Opus Dei.
Thanks for subscribing, Jody.
It's Barr and a lot of people. I write about it in this piece, my first one on Leo:
https://gregolear.substack.com/p/leo-the-cancer