Senator Raphael Warnock faces scrutiny over living rent-free in a church-purchased luxury home valued at nearly $1 million while his church simultaneously evicts low-income tenants for minor rent delinquencies.

Top Takeaways

• Senator Warnock has been living rent-free since 2023 in a luxury home valued at $989,000 that was purchased by Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he serves as a part-time pastor.
• The arrangement has triggered an ethics complaint alleging violations of Senate rules and the Ethics in Government Act, as Warnock did not disclose this benefit on financial forms.
• Ethics watchdogs question the appropriateness of the arrangement given Warnock’s part-time role and $31,815 annual church salary compared to the substantial housing benefit.
• The church that provides Warnock’s luxury housing has been criticized for attempting to evict residents from a low-income apartment building it owns, sometimes for as little as $28 in back rent.
• The timing of the church’s home purchase and Warnock’s subsequent real estate transactions has raised further questions about potential conflicts of interest.

Church-Funded Luxury Living

Senator Raphael Warnock has been residing in a luxury home in DeKalb County, Georgia since 2023 without paying rent. The property, valued at $989,000, was purchased by Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Warnock serves as a part-time senior pastor. Built in 2022, the residence features high-end amenities including a 100-bottle wine fridge, bluetooth-enabled cooking range, and remote-controlled privacy curtains. Despite this substantial benefit, Warnock’s financial disclosure forms reportedly do not mention this living arrangement.

The National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) has previously raised concerns about Ebenezer Baptist Church’s real estate dealings, particularly regarding an apartment building it owns that allegedly engaged in aggressive eviction practices against low-income tenants during the COVID-19 pandemic. This contrast between Warnock’s luxurious living arrangements and the church’s treatment of vulnerable tenants has drawn significant criticism from ethics watchdogs.

“It’s obscene that Senator Warnock’s church allows him to live rent-free in a new million-dollar house while it evicts poor black residents from its apartment building for being late in paying back rent for as little as $28,” said Paul Kamenar, a lawyer for the NLPC.

BREAKING: Raphael Warnock Slapped With Ethics Complaint for Living in Free $1 Million Luxury Home https://t.co/e07kINZJKZ

— Conservative War Machine (@WarMachineRR) April 21, 2025

Ethics Complaints and Legal Questions

The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) filed a formal ethics complaint on Monday, alleging that Warnock’s housing arrangement may breach the Ethics in Government Act. The complaint questions whether the benefit constitutes an excessive and unreasonable compensation given Warnock’s part-time role at the church. Specifically, FACT argues that the value of the housing far exceeds what would be appropriate for Warnock’s limited church duties and his $31,815 annual church salary.

“This is a matter of plain common sense, It is difficult to fathom [how] any citizen could look at this situation (a U.S. Senator being a part-time employee of an organization that happens to buy him a million-dollar house to live in for free after he was elected to Congress, and after which he sells his own house) and not think something potentially very wrong is afoot,” FACT executive director Kendra Arnold said in the complaint.

While some ethics experts suggest the arrangement might not violate Senate ethics rules under certain circumstances, others have raised concerns about potential IRS violations. Paul Kamenar has suggested that the benefit may constitute an “excessive benefit under IRS rules” that could trigger tax penalties. The Senate Ethics Committee has not yet announced whether it will take any action on the complaints.

Pattern of Housing Controversies

This is not the first time Senator Warnock’s housing arrangements have come under scrutiny. During his 2022 reelection campaign, he faced questions about a $7,417-per-month tax-free housing allowance he received from the church. The timing of the current arrangement has also raised eyebrows. According to reports, the church purchased the luxury home around the same time that Warnock sold his own residence, leading some critics to question whether this sequence of events was coincidental or coordinated.

The controversy highlights broader questions about the propriety of significant benefits provided to elected officials by outside organizations, particularly when those officials maintain employment relationships with the organizations in question while serving in Congress.