WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - Megachurches and other religious organisations with ties to vocal supporters of US President Donald Trump were approved for millions of dollars in forgivable loans from a taxpayer-funded pandemic aid bailout, according to long-awaited government data released this week.
Among those approved for loans through the massive government relief programme were a Dallas megachurch whose pastor has been an outspoken ally of the president; a Florida church tied to Trump spiritual adviser and "prosperity gospel" leader Paula White; and a Christian-focused non-profit where Mr Jay Sekulow, the lawyer who defended the president during his impeachment, is chief counsel.
Evangelical Christians played a key role in Mr Trump's victory in the 2016 presidential election and have remained a largely unwavering contingent of his base.
Vice-President Mike Pence spoke at a rally last month at the First Baptist Church of Dallas, whose pastor, Mr Robert Jeffress, has been on Mr Trump's evangelical advisory board. The church was approved for a US$2 million (S$2.8 million) to US$5 million loan, the data showed.
Launched on April 3, the Paycheck Protection Programme (PPP) allows small businesses, non-profits and individuals hurt by the pandemic to apply for forgivable government-backed loans. Some say allowing religious institutions to qualify for loan forgiveness highlights a breakdown in the American tradition of a strict separation of church and state.
"The notion of separation of church and state is dead, and the PPP loan programme is the evidence of that," said Professor Micah Schwartzman of the University of Virginia School of Law.
"The money is going to fund core activities of many organisations, including religious organisations. That's something we've not seen before."
The list of religious organisations approved for about 88,400 small business loans also included Faith and Freedom Coalition Inc in Georgia, which qualified for a US$150,000-US$350,000 loan. The evangelical group's founder and chairman Ralph Reed praised Mr Trump for his photo-op at a church near the White House after the authorities hurled tear gas and shot rubber bullets at protesters.
Cross Church of Arkansas, whose pastor emeritus has been a member of Mr Trump's evangelical advisory board, received a US$1.8 million loan and will seek loan forgiveness if the requirements are met, a spokesman told Reuters.
The American Centre for Law and Justice Inc, a non-profit founded by televangelist Pat Robertson and also known as Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism Inc, was approved for a US$1 million-US$2 million loan. Mr Sekulow is listed as chief counsel on the organisation's website.
City of Destiny Inc of Florida, where, Ms White, Mr Trump's spiritual adviser, is listed as an oversight pastor, was approved for a loan of US$150,000-US$350,000, the data showed.
Other than Cross Church of Arkansas, the other churches and organisations did not respond to requests for comment.
Data released this week by the US Treasury Department and Small Business Administration named borrowers that were approved for loans of US$150,000 or more under the US$660 billion Paycheck Protection Programme.
The data showed religious organisations accounting for more than 1 million of the 51.1 million jobs protected by the high-profile programme. The list of named religious organisations was heavily skewed towards Christian denominations, according to a Reuters analysis.
A White House official said: "This programme was about supporting jobs of all backgrounds and political affiliations. We didn't discriminate based on one ideology or another."
