Overview: Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a candidate for California’s governorship, attended a “Make Heaven Crowded” event organized by Turning Point USA, a far-right organization. The event’s title and the organization’s association with Trump and the late Charlie Kirk, who was known for his racist and homophobic rhetoric, have raised concerns about the blurring of lines between religion and politics. Additionally, the organization’s founder, Greg Laurie, has been named in a civil lawsuit related to allegations of child sexual abuse by a former pastor at his church. The article suggests that Bianco’s association with such controversial figures and organizations could harm his chances of being elected governor of CA.
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Freedom of religion is foundational to the U.S. Constitution and solidifies the nation’s stance on the separation of church and state.
With the fever of theocrats, however, many Christian nationalists/extremists believe that Christianity should rule the day in America. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, is among those who wears his Christianity like he does his sheriff’s badge. So, it was not surprising that he couldn’t resist an opportunity to endear himself to the MAGA religious royalty of Turning Point USA, in his quest to become California’s next governor.
Bianco attended the organization’s kick-off of the strangely named, “Make Heaven Crowded” tour at Riverside’s Harvest Church last week.
Erika Kirk, Turning Point USA’s new CEO who is leading the tour, is the widow of murdered Turning Point USA founder, Trump acolyte, right-wing-extremist and certified racist, Charlie Kirk. Subsequent to his death, the Republican party worked to morph C. Kirk’s image into that of a faux hero.
A number of House Democrats, including some who represent us here in the IE, joined Trump’s “red brigade”, drank the Charlie-Kirk-Kool-Aid, and through their “yes” votes on House Resolution 719: Honoring the life and legacy of Charles “Charlie” James Kirk, are now complicit in this lie. In the tradition of the ole’ Confederacy, they helped whitewash and weave another myth into the fabric of America’s story. In the process, they gave credibility to the poison Kirk spewed–dishonoring Blacks and their ancestors in the process. They gave credibility to someone who peddled hate at the expense of many of the very same Black, brown, LGBTQ+ and other voters who sent them to Washington, D.C. to represent us.
H. Res 719: Honoring the Life and Legacy of Charles “Charlie” James Kirk September 19, 2025 at 10:53 a.m. ET.
(This was a vote to agree to H.Res. 719 in the House.)
These officials offered a weak explanation for their yes votes, claiming they weren’t honoring Charlie Kirk, but voting against political violence. The Democrats folded again–including some of the Black and brown Congressional leaders of the Democratic Party. I’m not sure what they were trying to prove.
Obviously, what they did was give the C. Kirk bill a veneer of legitimacy. Republicans relished in the legislative victory and have continued to excoriate Democrats in Congress, spewing Charlie Kirk type propaganda on nearly every issue regardless of how the Democrats voted on this issue. Meanwhile, the political violence has not stopped. I sometimes wonder who was more cowardly, the 58 Democrats who voted Yes or the combined 60 Democrats who hid behind “Present” votes, or who did not vote at all, versus having the courage and conviction to vote No. What a waste of their reputations. No wonder there are so many calls for a change in leadership among Democrats.
I equate the misplaced hero worship and un-earned praise heaped upon C. Kirk, as typical white supremacy/Christian nationalist behavior. But, the truth is what it is. C. Kirk belittled, berated and disrespected with his rhetoric—words that viciously, aggressively, eagerly and grossly disparaged anyone not like him…male, white and Christian. For readers who say I shouldn’t speak ill of the dead, I am not. I am speaking the truth about what he professed.
Make Heaven Crowded
Returning to E. Kirk and the “Make Heaven Crowded” tour. The title is certainly provocative and open to a number of interpretations. Do MAGA leaders and their religious right supporters have plans to fast-track more people into heaven? Judging from the rash of recent ICE murders, it makes you wonder. Or, are they just calling for the “Rapture” …. “Tribulation”? Or, something even more sinister? Who knows? The true intent is most probably buried in Project 2025.
Reports indicate that the tour’s title was actually inspired by E. Kirk herself. When speaking about her late husband to FOX News last year, she said Charlie was “alongside Jesus right now.” She further declared that in death, Charlie is “making heaven crowded.” Country singer Cole Swindell was so inspired by the phrase he released a Christian song in honor of C. Kirk and named it “Making Heaven Crowded”.
Curious, I took a look at the lyrics to the song and was intrigued by this segment, “What if good ran off the bad? Them streets of gold up there’d be packed. This whole world would look a lot better than we found it. If we make Heaven crowded.”
I’m not sure who is included among the good or the bad; nor, exactly how, so many good folks would arrive in such great numbers that it would make heaven crowded. What does he mean … “if the good ran off the bad?”
If E. Kirk was not so calculating, I would chalk her sentiments about Charlie and heaven, up to those of a grieving widow. Yet, I find this whole ‘Charlie’s in heaven,’ proclamation quite interesting because I was always taught that God has a special place for people like C. Kirk, who spewed dehumanizing rhetoric and fueled hatred in order to justify bigotry and exacerbate divisions, all the while accruing nearly $12 million dollars in personal wealth for doing so. Cashing in on bigotry and hate is apparently quite profitable. Being “the good” Christian, E. Kirk claims to be, I’m sure she is familiar with the biblical saying that, “It is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”
The grieving widow?
I also have no doubt E. Kirk is grieving in her own way. Having lost my own spouse just two years ago, I understand. However, her actions have raised questions and left her open to criticism. You can judge for yourself.
On Tuesday, Jan. 27, leaked audio was posted to social media. On the audio recording you hear what sounds like E. Kirk, as she spoke to Turning Point USA team members subsequent to the public memorial event that honored her husband, Charlie, just 11 days following his death.
On the audio, E. Kirk sounds bubbly, enthusiastic, overjoyed with the event’s success. Calling it the “event of the century”, she thanked the team members for their efforts. She is also heard giggling as she talks about the number of attendees, the number of people they registered to vote, celebrated how much merchandise they sold and were continuing to sell.According to reports, the audio was leaked by right-wing influencer Candace Owens. “My husband’s dead, ” E. Kirk said near the end of the audio clip. “Like, I’m not trying to be morbid, but he’s dead. And it puts life into perspective of how short life is, and relationships.”
No judgement here, but critics say she did not exactly project an image of the grieving widow.
Evangelist being sued in civil court for allegedly enabling a pedaphile is event’s main speaker
The Make Heaven Crowded event is being marketed as a “gospel centered gathering calling people to repentance, faith, and bold obedience to Jesus.” And, in Bianco’s case, it was also a free campaign event.
If calling people to repentance, faith, and obedience to Jesus is really the objective of this tour, I’m willing to go on record saying they missed the mark even before they started.
I say this because beyond the organization’s racist and homophobic philosophies, this roadshow is being facilitated with evangelist and author, Greg Laurie. Laurie, who is being featured as the tour’s primary speaker, is also the founder and senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship where the tour kick-off event was held.
Here I must pause and ask: What is it with some of those associated with the current president and odd and random connections to accused pedophiles, sexual abusers and/or those who enable them?
Trump’s long-time friend/associate Jeffrey Epstein’s pedophile case continues to unfold. Meanwhile, one of his favorite organizations, Turning Point USA, is closely associated with a different pedofile case. Last September, Laurie was named in a number of civil lawsuits after a former Harvest Christian Fellowship pastor, Paul Havsgaard, was charged with sexually abusing minors and child trafficking.
Two men said they were abused by Havsgaard when they were children at a shelter in Bucharest, Romania overseen by Harvest Christian Fellowship–at least 12 men now claim they were abused there as children. The abuse purportedly took place over a period of about eight years and involved dozens of other children beyond the two complainants.
According to the publication, Ministry Watch, the allegations “include children being tied to radiators; being made to kneel down on walnut shells; being touched inappropriately, and being ‘pimped out’ for sex.” In other words, according to complainants, the children were tortured, trafficked and sexually abused for years.
Laurie founded Harvest Christian Fellowship in 1973. The church has four campuses in California and Hawaii with about 15,000 members. Ministry Watch revealed the plaintiffs lead attorney, Dr. Ann Olivarius, shared that due to a number of decisions and actions taken by Laurie and other church leaders here in California, she believes he bears responsibility for what happened to the children. “The abuse they have endured must be remedied,” Olivarius stated. “How Laurie did nothing to protect them, even after he received powerful evidence of sexual abuse, is hard to understand…”
The civil lawsuits accuse the church of negligence and blame Laurie and other church leaders for failing to supervise Havsgaard even though several red flags were raised repeatedly by donors, visitors and others. Havsgaard started at least ten orphanages in Romania between the late 1990s and early 2000s. Public records reviewed by one outlet apparently shows Harvest Christian Fellowship knew about the accusations against Havsgaard as far back as 2004 and yet the organization did not report it to police officials until Sept. 2, 2024—a full 20 years later. How many more children suffered because they failed to act? Meanwhile, church officials claim although they supported Havsgaard’s work financially, they claim they had no oversight responsibilities?
The Other Erika Kirk Controversy . . .
Just another quick aside, E. Kirk, through a non profit she founded in 2006, Everyday Heroes Like You, and another of her initiatives, Romanian Angels—also happened to spend time in Romania. And, like Havsgaard, we see she is also connected to Laurie.
E. Kirk’s charitable organization in Romania included sponsored gifts for poor and orphaned children. Her nonprofit also supported an orphanage there in the early 2010s. Currently, there is no evidence that she knew Havsgaard, though it is a strange coincidence that they were both in Romania and both are connected to Harvest Christian Fellowship. Currently, there is a lot of information on social media regarding E. Kirk and Romania that has been dismissed and debunked as false information or should I say it remains unproven.
I guess Romania is just the place to go for white Christian nationalists who want to save/support Romanian orphans and other poor Romanian children. Or, is it the place where pedophiles flock to have their way with children? The reason I ask is that during my research for this piece I ran across an interesting report by an online news outlier titled, The Phaser. The reporter claimed his work is based on other reporting by Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, People and a Romanian publication titled, The Romanian Insider. To date, I’ve independently verified some of what’s been reported but not the most salacious information.
By now you may have seen the social media battle between E. Kirk and Texas Congressional Democrat, Jasmine Crockett. Crockett has inferred E. Kirk may have been a recruiter for Epstein through her charity in Romania. Something E. Kirk vehemently denies. There doesn’t appear to be evidence supporting it. But once again . . .strange coincidences.
There are also rumors that E. Kirk (known as Erika Frantzve at that time) may have the coincidental “six degrees–or less– of separation” with at least two other accused pedophiles with ties to Romania, including epic child trafficker and child molester, Jeffrey Epstein; and Colonel Otto Busher III, previous commander of the US Forces stationed in the Kogălniceanu military base in Romania.
The Epstein story is already well known. So, let me introduce you to Colonel Otto Busher, III. Busher was stationed in Romania in the same area where E. Kirk ran her charities. He, along with one of his military subordinates, were accused by a woman of trafficking and molesting girls as young as 16. However, research to date has not revealed any charges against him.
Media reports in Romania and unconfirmed reports in America, claim Busher set up a brothel for American soldiers where “several young women (including some minors) were sexually exploited.” According to the woman who made the report, the young women were also “kept under guard”. However, there is no evidence of any charges being filed against him.
Reports say E. Kirk connected with Busher in Romania through her nonprofit program, Romanian Angels. Busher’s men supported her charity with toys/items for the children she served.
The International Business Times did a deep dive on this E. Kirk/Romania controversy and stressed there is no proof to support these allegations. However, the controversy persists.
Like most of the other random pedophile connections, this one seems to be just another strange coincidence. You can review the social media clip below and judge for yourself.
What about Chad Bianco?
Our Sheriff turned gubernatorial candidate, Bianco, who says he is a Chhristian man and I have no reason to doubt him, either failed to do his due diligence regarding Laurie; doesn’t care about the pedophile- enabling charges against Laurie; or, maybe doesn’t feel his association with Laurie will matter to voters. Also, regarding any political damage that can come from connections with pedophile enablers, Bianco may think pales, when compared to the potential political benefits that can come from his association with E. Kirk and Turning Point USA.
Bianco may believe, like his hero Donald Trump, that it doesn’t matter whether he associates with alleged pedophile enablers as long as MAGA and its Christian nationalists/extremists continue to be the wind beneath his wings. Bianco may also be temporarily buoyed by the 1% lead he has in the governor’s race according to some recent polling.
However, those of us striving to build a better community, a better state, a better nation, a better tomorrow, know Bianco will be as disastrous for the state of California as Donald Trump is for America, as pedophiles are for children.
Bottom line, whether he associates with pedophile enablers or not, Bianco’s pipe dream of being elected governor of California in November 2026, will not come true . . . Not on our watch.
Of course, this is just my opinion. I’m keeping it real.