$1 Million Gospel Tracts Dealt Court Setback

A federal judge in Dallas yesterday ruled against a Christian group whose "million-dollar" gospel tracts were seized by the U.S. Secret Service as "counterfeit money," and a wheelchair-bound man in Las Vegas claims a Secret Service agent threatened him with arrest for passing out the same tracts.
Brian Fahling of the American Family Association Center for Law and Policy, which is representing the Denton, Texas-based Great News Network, had asked the judge to order immediately the return of 8,300 tracts seized by the Secret Service and to prevent the government agency's local field office from arresting anyone who distributes them.

Fahling told WorldNetDaily he's unsure at this point what the judge's negative decision will mean for the Christian evangelists who have been using the tracts, which mimic U.S. currency but have disclaimers along with a gospel message on the back.

"I can't fathom how the judge went their way," said Fahling, who added, nevertheless, he's confident "we'll get relief."

Meanwhile, Fahling is in contact with a man who claims a Secret Service agent threatened him with arrest in downtown Las Vegas for passing out the tracts.

Fahling said he will appeal the rejection of a preliminary injunction to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, a process that will take at least a few months. In the meantime he'll continue with the discovery phase of the case, in preparation for a hearing.

There is no order preventing Great News Network from distributing the tracts. But the Secret Service's Dallas field office, which has no judicial authority, has issued a letter advising the group that it believes the tract is illegal.

The Secret Service insists the tract violates a federal law that says reproductions of currency cannot be regulation size and cannot be two-sided.

Fahling contends the sections of the U.S. code's title 18 cited by the government, 475 and 504, don't apply.

He argues 475 deals only with authorized denominations – there is no $1 million bill – and 504 pertains only to exact copies of currency. The tracts have numerous differences, including the gospel message on the back, he points out.

The judge in Dallas yesterday, in his rejection of the preliminary injunction request, indicated the tract is not sufficiently distinct from actual currency.

Fahling said that judgment judgment would "separate him from 5 million people who would conclude otherwise."

The attorney explained the legal test is whether a reasonable person would be deceived.

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