Rep. McIntyre acknowledges ties to secretive Christian group

[waiting for hope]

By Amanda Greene
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Published: Friday, July 24, 2009 at 3:42 p.m.
Last Modified: Friday, July 24, 2009 at 3:42 p.m.

Congressman Mike McIntyre on Thursday acknowledged his association with a secretive Christian group in Washington alternately known as The Family, The Foundation or The Fellowship that seeks to influence national and international political figures.

The group maintains a three-story house called The C Street House that hosts prayer meetings and receptions and is where several Washington lawmakers live. The house is registered with the IRS as a church.

McIntyre's remarks were in response to press queries following an article posted on Salon.com by author Jeff Sharlet that named 23 senators, representatives and previous political leaders who have been associated with the C Street House or counseled by the organization. Sharlet recently published the book "The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power."

Though the group says it exists to help lawmakers better understand the teachings of Christ, recently the group has been associated with the sex scandals of three lawmakers - Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford and former Rep. Chip Pickering, R-Miss.

The Salon article alleges that Pickering's mistress met him at the C Street House during their affair and accuses The Family of helping to cover up Ensign's affair and paying for official policy trips for Ensign to Asia and the Middle East.

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Why - why are real Democrats supporting these Blue Dogs? This is my rep, and I have just vowed to support any Democratic challenger to his seat, but there is some talk of him gunning for Burr's senate seat .. then I would be most happy to support any other Dem challenger there as well.