After repeated statements from the Bush Administration that senior officials were not in contact with the Salvation Army about a regulation allowing religious charities to discriminate against gay employee applicants, The Washington Post revealed that Karl Rove, President Bush’s primary advisor, began the Salvation Army negotiations according to several anonymous White House employees. Rove reportedly committed the White House to issuing a regulation protecting religious charities from state and local efforts to prevent discrimination against gays in hiring.
A White House official involved in the situation said that there was “an implied quid pro quo,” in which the administration would seriously consider issuing the regulation if the Salvation Army endorsed Bush’s faith-based initiative. However, after press attention to the matter, the White House abruptly dropped consideration of the regulation.
For more information, see the Feminist Daily News from July 10th and July 11th, 2001.
