Joshua Kaplan, Justin Elliott, Alex Mielesky, Tennessee Observatory
February 28, 2025
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In 2021, Steve Berger, an evangelical pastor who attacked the separation of churches and nations as “devils” and called multinational corporations “devils,” set out on an ambitious project. His stated goal: Ministers of Congress, “What they learn will be translated into policy.” His sales location is a six-bedroom townhouse block from the US Capitol, $3.7 million.
Recently, the pastor has won an astonishing coup on the Political Impact Project, which has been able to avoid public scrutiny for the time being. He got a new roommate.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has been staying at home since early this year, according to interviews and videos obtained by Propublica.
The House is owned by major Republican donors and Tennessee’s automotive masses who joined Berger to advocate multiple legislation before Congress.
For the past four years, Burger and his wife, Sarah Burger, have been dedicated to what they call their DC. In addition to Johnson, an evangelical conservative, the pastor has developed close ties with several other influential and conservative politicians. According to the three, Dan Bishop, who is now nominated for the powerful Trump White House post, apparently lived in the house while he was a lawmaker last year.
A Johnson spokesman said the speaker would “pay a fair market value to a portion of Washington, DC Townhomes with the monthly rent for Washington, DC Townhomes, which he occupy. He didn’t answer questions about how much Johnson was paying. Housing Ethics Rules allow council members to live anywhere as long as they pay fair market rent.
The spokesman added that Johnson “had never spoke to Mr. Berger about issues of legislative or public policy.” Burger and Bishop did not respond to requests for comment.
Berger describes their mission as revitalizing political allies to take action. “It’s just iron that cuts iron,” Sarah Berger said on a podcast last summer. “Yes, that’s why I stand firmly in this policy.”
Steve Berger claims he personally promoted the law. “It’s humble,” he said in a sermon in late 2022. “You get text messages from the senators, because now I’m writing bills that will make even more sense in this country.”
Berger’s interests go beyond his solid social conservatism. He and House-owned donor Lee Beaman are collaborating on many specific policy changes, including bills that will make it easier to fire federal employees and regulations that will reduce fuel economy standards for the auto industry. After the 2020 election, they both President Donald Trump is the rightful winner and has signed a letter declaring that Congress would ask for the outcome to be overturned.
Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, did not answer questions about how he stayed at home. Beaman did not respond to requests for comment.
Propublica’s earliest dates were able to be confirmed in mid-December that Johnson was in Berger House. A video reviewed by Propublica shows Johnson visited the house on December 15th with two women who look like their wife and daughter. They remained outside before entering, but Johnson pointed around the building and headed towards the basement entrance as if he was on tour. Two days later, Burger sent a note to his supporters on social media.
Since the beginning of the year, videos and interviews have been shown, so Johnson regularly leaves the house in the mornings and returns in the evening. One day, the day Johnson was there recently, Burger was home too, opening his barefoot at the bottom of his pyjamas. (It appears Johnson is primarily staying in the two-bedroom basement at the house.)
Washington Piece a Tail can prove to be a great expense for members of Congress when splitting time between the capital and its hometown. Johnson is less wealthy than many other lawmakers. He worked for a conservative nonprofit before entering public services, but in his latest financial disclosure form he did not declare a single asset. When Johnson was promoted to a lecture in 2023, News reports are shown It may be sleeping in his office rather than renting an apartment. (Deputies should report their debts, income, and many financial holdings on the disclosure form, but they do not need to list living expenses like rent.)
Burger’s home is located in the upscale DC district, filled with lobbyists and corporate lawyers. It’s not clear what residential basements will win in the open market, but it’s not uncommon for two bedrooms in the area to rent for up to $7,000 a month. Experts say rent discounts are generally prohibited as an inappropriate gift by the home ethics regulations.
On sermons and social media, Berger mentioned some of the topics he had discussed with Johnson and other members of Congress. Last year, Berger, a passionate supporter of Israel’s right, said he had been having a “great conversation” with the chairman about Israel.
According to Berger, Johnson recently described his conversation with Trump with the pastor. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Berger said in a sermon that he advised “some lawmakers” to see the conflict through the lens of Ezekiel 38 and 39. He did not specify what it meant from a policy perspective.
A energetic 60-year-old who likes to preach in white goat beard and sneakers and jeans, Berger has strong views on a wide range of issues, including economic policy and public health. He has been vehemently opposed to the World Health Organization, and Trump has been trying to withdraw the US since last month, and recently predicted that the Covid-19 vaccine would “dead young people everywhere.” He has attacked the World Economic Forum at length in a recent sermon, accusing Covid-19 of “utilizing” “devil conspiracy.”
Berger also opposes same-sex marriage and says that he “opens the door to all sorts of sexual desertion and evil,” but he says he has “friends who practice gay people, people I care about.” He opposes homosexuality and “heterogeneity crimes” on equal measures, and refers to actions such as watching pornography and sex among unmarried adults, he said.
Berger Operations are organized as a nonprofit organization Ambassador Services International operates on a budget of approximately $1 million a year. Tax declaration. The Washington registered home, and the home Johnson is staying, were purchased in early 2021. It was the home of abolitionist Frederick Douglass, and later housed the Smithsonian Museum of African Art, which was promoted as a “fourth-level Second Reich Style Townhouse.”
The buyer was Crockett Ventures LLC. The company’s application shows its sole owner, Beeman, donor and businessman, who built his fortune in the chain of car dealers that his father started. He gave Republican political groups millions of people. This includes large donations to the Trump campaign, as well as the Political Committee for the Heritage Foundation and the House Freedom Caucus. He also served as treasurer for the Congressional Campaign.
Beeman once was tired of the restrictions that came with owning a home in a “government-controlled lake,” so he purchased vast property on its own 50-acre private lake. Profile In an architectural book. He has become a fixture for Nashville Media in recent years due to the sleazy allegations his fourth wife made during his divorce. Beeman’s lawyer I wrote it at that time His wife’s submission included “an involuntary scandalous matter that meant harassing Mr. Beeman.”
Beeman attended the Tennessee Church, which Berger founded, but it is not clear what role he plays in the Washington Pastor’s Influence Project. It is also unclear whether the pastor’s nonprofit will pay for the use of Capitol Hill Townhouses.
Berger became prominent in his hometown as a longtime pastor at Grace Chapel, a large church outside Nashville, whose members include the current governor. In 2021, Berger left the church and he and his wife began the project in Washington.
According to Bergers, he soon began a Bible study session with senators, representatives and parliamentary aides. Meanwhile, Sarah Berger “had spent time in relations and pouring with his wife in Congress,” the tax return says.
Steve Berger quickly built connections at the highest Republican level.
“Listen, I confessed to Steve that I wouldn’t normally confess to others,” says Mark Meadows, the first Trump administration’s White House Chief of Staff, who remains a key ally of the president. “We pray together and do Bible studies weekly. Not just me, but a few members of the Congress.”
A group of lawmakers gathered on stage Together we will speak at the pastor’s 60th grade party in October, including Bishop, Rep. Barry Moore, Rep. Andy Ogles and Warren Davidson. All four are current or former members of the Hardline Conservative Freedom Caucus. (None of the four responded to requests for comment.)
Evidence suggests that Bishop also recently lived in Capitol Hill Townhouse. Three neighbors told Propoblica that the FBI visited them this month and asked about the bishop as part of a background check for his White House work. “They said the address,” one neighbor said, adding that the agent showed a photo of the bishop. “They said: “He lived there a few months ago. Do you know him?”
Trump recently appointed the bishop to be deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, a powerful White House office that moved to freeze funding sources throughout the federal government. Burger celebrated the nomination on Instagram. “I want to congratulate my best friend and brother, Rep. Dan Bishop, for accepting this incredible opportunity.”
Jeff Frankl contributed to his research.
Is there anything you need to know about Steve Berger and speaker Mike Johnson? Josh Kaplan can be contacted by email at joshua.kaplan@propublica.org at 734-834-9383. Justin Elliott can be contacted by email at justin@propublica.org at Signal or WhatsApp at 774-826-6240.
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