Falwell Fined for Mixing Finances

The sale of Bibles by a political organization controlled by the Rev. Jerry Falwell to one of his religious organizations has been ruled an illegal mixture of finances, according to the Federal Election Commission, which fined each group $6,000.

Commission spokesman Fred Eiland said the transaction involved the sale of Bibles by the I Love America political action committee to the Old Time Gospel Hour in 1983.

Eiland said the price paid for the Bibles was inflated by $28,000 to cause a transfer of funds from one organization to the other.

Falwell told a congressional subcommittee and a national television audience on Tuesday that no funds ever had been shifted from his religious ministries to political organizations.

But Eiland said the Gospel Hour and the political action committee signed agreements in May accepting the penalties and admitting to the transactions. The FEC withheld announcement of the agreements until this week, Eiland said, adding: “I don’t have an explanation for the delay.”