NW Valley Times

Arizona congressional candidate Blake Masters (R) said that a $38 million federal fine against Grand Canyon University is an example of “Biden’s weaponization of the government against Christians.”

“Biden’s weaponization of the government against Christians continues,” Masters posted on X, formerly Twitter. “Grand Canyon University is being persecuted because it is a Christian school, it has low tuition, and it produces competent, successful, Christian graduates.”

“So the regime hates it,” said Masters. “It’s that simple.”

The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) said GCU “lied” to students about the cost of the university’s doctoral programs and announced a $38 million fine against GCU. 

GCU President Brian Mueller called the fine “ridiculous” and said the university will appeal.

Mueller also said that “it’s interesting” that the “two largest Christian universities in the country, this one and Liberty University, are both being fined almost the identical amount at almost the identical time,” reported the Associated Press.

He was referring to a proposed $38 million federal fine being imposed on Liberty University. 

Masters shared a video of U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) speaking about the fine, as well as criticizing the DOE’s denial of GCU’s request to change from for-profit to non-profit status, even though the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which had approved the university’s request for non-profit status.

GCU filed a lawsuit against the DOE over the department’s refusal, citing the IRS’s approval.

Headquartered in Phoenix, GCU is the largest Christian university in the world. The university had more than 101,000 students — a combination of on-campus and online — as of September 2023, reported College Navigator. 

Masters is one of three candidates currently running in the Republican primary to represent the 8th Congressional District. 

The district is currently represented by U.S. Rep. Debbie Lesko (R), who announced last month that she will be retiring at the end of the current term. 

Masters ran for U.S. Senate in 2022, losing to incumbent U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly (D) by a vote of 51.4% to 46.5%. Kelly reportedly outspent Masters by $66 million in that race. 

After growing up and attending high school in Tucson, Masters graduated from Stanford University and received his J.D. from Stanford Law School. He then co-founded legal research startup Judicata.

He is co-author of the bestselling business book, “Zero to One: Notes on a Startup” with Peter Thiel, and served as president of the Thiel Foundation. Masters married his wife, Catherine, in 2012 and they have three sons.