WallBuilders

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WallBuilders LLC is a right-wing advocacy and media organization that promotes alternative versions of history attempting to frame the United States as a fundamentalist Christian nation destined be a theocratic state based on Christian principles. The organization was founded by controversial author David Barton and is based in Aledo, Texas.

WallBuilders is a vehicle to promote Barton's historical theories through public advocacy and communication. The organization promotes Barton's catalog of books, including Original Intent: The Courts, The Constitution, and Religion and The Jefferson Lies, which are sold on the group's website.[1] WallBuilders is engaged in targeting politicians and government officials specific materials, facilitating meetings between Christian ministers and politicians, and encouraging Christians to become more active in public life. WallBuilders claims to possess a large library of original documents written by the founders of the United States. The organization has produced dozens of books and articles purporting to show American history in a right-wing religious light and claims "these materials are used extensively by public officials as well as by individuals, churches, Christian educators, and various organizations across the nation. In fact, even public schools and colleges are using these materials in their classrooms.[2] WallBuilders also engages in digital and radio media, producing videos and radio spots.

News and Controversies

Attacks on the Separation of Church and State

WallBuilders and David Barton have repeatedly attacked the principle of the separation of church and state, often referring to it as a "liberal myth." In the 2000 book Original Intent: The Courts, The Constitution, and Religion Barton argued that secular and liberal historians were pushing in a conspiracy to cover up the “truth” about America’s Christian origins for their own goals.[3] The WallBuilder's website hosts a page titled "How to Respond to 'Separation of Church and State.'” The page makes assertions such as "Students had been praying over their lunches for over 180 years under the Constitution with no problem, as well as doing other religious activities that were always constitutional."[4]

Inaccuracies in Thomas Jefferson Book

In August 2012, Christian book publisher Thomas Nelson pulled Barton's book The Jefferson Lies: Exposing the Myths You've Always Believed About Thomas Jefferson from shelves citing a "loss of confidence" due to numerous historical inaccuracies. The book attempted to portray Jefferson as a civil rights leader and claims he was a devout Christian who held church services in the U.S. Capitol building. By the time the book was removed from shelves, it had already been placed on the New York Times bestseller list. However, the book had been subjected to numerous complaints and criticism. Readers of the "History News Network" voted "The Jefferson Lies" the most inaccurate history book in print.[5]

Criticism for the book came from those on the right and other Christian scholars as well. Warren Throckmorton, an evangelical professor of psychology at Grove City College, a conservative Christian school in Pennsylvania stated, “Books like that makes Christian scholarship look bad. If that’s what people are passing off as Christian scholarship, there are claims in there that are easily proved false.”[6] Brian Hampton, a representative of Thomas Nelson stated, "The truth is, the withdrawing a book from the market is extremely rare. It's so rare I can't think of the last time we've done this. If there are matters of fact not correctly handled or the basic truth is not there, we would make a decision based on that."[7]

Politicization of the Courts

WallBuilders has worked with Focus on the Family and the Family Policy Alliance to influence the composition and judicial selection processes for judges in state courts across the country. They form part of a broad right-wing coalition, including the Republican State Leadership Committee, Americans for Prosperity and other groups in the Koch brothers network.[8]

Racist and Anti-Semitic Views

In his book, The Myth of Separation, David Barton argues that the founding fathers intended only Christians to hold elected office, excluding Jews and other religious sects.[9]

Barton was previously a speaker at meetings of the far-right Christian group Christian Identity which "holds that Jews are the Satanic offspring of Eve’s liaison with the serpent in the Garden of Eden, while Africans are a separate species of “'mud people.'” Other speakers of in front of the group have been the Holocaust denier Malcolm Ross and white supremacist Richard Kelly Hoskins.[6]

Dismissal of the History of Slavery

Barton has decried what he calls the inaccuracies of liberal media outlets and academics to argue that America's founders were not "a bunch of slave-owning racists." He believes "once we separated from Great Britain, then you find that three out of four Founding Fathers released slaves, freed slaves, started abolitionist societies, went on to crusade against slavery."[10] Barton has asserted that any characterization of America's founders as slave owners or promoters of racial inequality is driven by politically correct historians seeking their own political gain.[3]

The assertion that Thomas Jefferson was a civil rights leader in his Barton's book The Thomas Jefferson Lies, glossing over his ownership of hundreds of slaves, was one of the primary criticisms which drove the books publisher to remove the book from circuation.[7] The book falsely argues that Jefferson wanted to free his slaves but was prohibited from doing so by Virginia law.[6]

Project Blitz, the ALEC of the Christian Right?

WallBuilders collaborated with the Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation (CPCF), an offshoot of the Congressional Prayer Caucus to established Project Blitz, a "bill mill" promoting model legislation at the state level to promote right-wing Christian policies. The organization published a 116-page playbook to disseminate model legislation promoting policies such as "In God We Trust" signs in public facilities. The group has been called the ALEC of the Christian-right.[11]

Restore Courage Rally

In 2011, WallBuilders partnered with radio and TV talk show host Glenn Beck to organize a rally called "Restore Courage" in Jerusalem. The rally attempted to fly out members of congress using tax-deductable funding. However the plan was denied after House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and the House Ethics Committee rejected the request by a number of House members to travel at the expense of the International Israel Allied Caucus Foundation to Beck’s rally in Jerusalem.[12]

Connections to ALEC

WallBuilders was an exhibitor and advertiser at 2011 ALEC Annual Conference.[13]

The website of Citizens for Self-Governance (CSG) features a link to “The Bible & Politics,” a website that appears to be a partnership between CSG and WallBuilders. CSG is founded by Mark Meckler, also a founder of the Tea Party Patriots, launched in 2012, and it has participated in ALEC conferences since 2013. Sarah Palin has cut at least two videos promoting it, and encouraged her followers to weigh in on state-level resolutions.[14]

Funding

WallBuilders Presentations Inc. recieved $85,000 from the Thirteen Foundation in 2011. The Thirteen Foundation is heavily funded by the Wilks brothers, whose fortune comes from fracking, give tens of millions to right-wing groups and anti-choice "pregnancy centers," anti-LGBT groups, and organizations affiliated with ALEC.[15]

Core Financials

2016[16]

  • Total Revenue: $3,360,595
  • Total Expenses: $3,802,701
  • Net Assets: $1,754,969

2015[17]

  • Total Revenue: $2,523,588
  • Total Expenses: $2,490,235
  • Net Assets: $2,193,704

2014[18]

  • Total Revenue: $2,608,591
  • Total Expenses: $2,608,591

Personnel

Staff as of July, 2018:[19]

  • David Barton, Founder
  • Tim Barton, President and COO
  • Rick Green, Former Texas State Representative
  • Rene Diaz, Former Judge
  • Matt Krause, Texas State Representative
  • David Pate, Principle at C.M.A.

Board of Directors:[20]

  • Charles D. Barton, President
  • Rose Barton, Director
  • Richard Watson, Director
  • Stephen McDowell, Director
  • Tim Brooks, Director
  • Knox Ross, Member
  • Gabe Barton, Member
  • David Pate, Member
  • Cheryl Barton, Secretary Treasurer

Contact Information

WallBuilders
PO BOX 397
Aledo, TX, 76008
Telephone: 800.873.2845; 817.441.6044
Website: https://wallbuilders.com/about-us/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WallBuilders1776/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/davidbartonwb
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/wallbuilders

Articles and Resources

Related PRWatch Articles

External Resources

References

  1. ↑ WallBuilders, Books, accessed July 19, 2018.
  2. ↑ Wallbuilders, About Us, accessed July 17, 2018.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Tara Isabella Burton, Understanding the fake historian behind America’s religious right, "Vox", January 25, 2018.
  4. ↑ WallBuilders, How to Respond to “Separation of Church and State”, accessed July 22, 2018.
  5. ↑ David Austin Walsh, What is the Least Credible History Book in Print?, "History News Network", July 16, 2012.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Michelle Goldberg, David Barton, Christian Scholar, Faces a Backlash, "The Daily Beast", August 11, 2012.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Elsie Hu, Publisher Pulls Controversial Thomas Jefferson Book, Citing Loss Of Confidence, "NPR", August 9, 2012.
  8. ↑ Arn Pearson, Conquering the Courts: The Religious Right's Fight to Rig the Rules and Undermine Judicial Independence, "Center for Media and Democracy", May 1, 2018.
  9. ↑ Don S. Wilkey, Jr., "A Christian Looks At the Religious Right" Responding to David Barton, "The Constitutional Principle: Separation of Church and State", April, 2002.
  10. ↑ Chris Woodward and Steve Jordahl, Millennials schooling profs on fundamentals of U.S., "One News Now", July 5, 2018.
  11. ↑ Fredrick Clarkson, “PROJECT BLITZ” SEEKS TO DO FOR CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM WHAT ALEC DOES FOR BIG BUSINESS, "Religion Dispatches", April 27, 2018.
  12. ↑ Eli Clifton, Major Funder For Glenn Beck’s Israel Rally Linked To Anti-Semitic Group, "Think Progress", August 19, 2011.
  13. ↑ American Legislative Exchange Council, "Solutions for the States," 38th Annual Meeting agenda, on file with CMD, August 3-6, 2011
  14. ↑ Peter Montgomery, WILL CORPORATIONS, THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT, AND THE TEA PARTY GET TO REWRITE THE CONSTITUTION?, "Political Research Associates", October 16, 2017.
  15. ↑ Peter Montgomery, Meet the Billionaire Brothers You Never Heard of Who Fund the Religious Right, "The American Prospect", June 13, 2014.
  16. ↑ 2016 IRS 990 Form for WallBuilders Presentations, Inc., accessed July 23, 2018.
  17. ↑ 2016 IRS 990 Form for WallBuilders Presentations, Inc., accessed July 23, 2018.
  18. ↑ 2015 IRS 990 Form for WallBuilders Presentations, Inc., accessed July 23, 2018.
  19. ↑ WallBuilders, About Us, accessed July 22, 2018.
  20. ↑ 2016 IRS 990 Form for WallBuilders Presentations, Inc., accessed July 23, 2018.
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