Public records posted to the Oklahoma State Courts Network reveal that Tulsa radio shock jock Michael DelGiorno has again proven to be a hypocrite of biblical proportions as he is being sued in a foreclosure action calling for civil relief of more than $10,000 in Tulsa County. This legal action would not be news except for DelGiorno’s continual public promotion of himself as a religious leader personally following Christian Scripture and dedicated to truth.
Tulsa Today first revealed DelGiorno’s hypocrisy in 2005 over the issue of gambling. While preaching on-air against the activity, Michael DelGiorno personally engages in it and on August 29, 2005 he was thrown out of the Cherokee Casino for bad behavior. The Tulsa World added to our work in 2006 as DelGiorno was involved in another incident at the Creek Casino.
DelGiorno, after being confronted with evidence of his duplicity and hypocrisy by both Tulsa Today and the Tulsa World cried an apology on-air saying he “most regretted embarrassing God.” Followers of faith questioned what part of God’s credibility he believes he reduced. One critic quipping, “I keep forgetting which side of God DelGiorno believes he sits on – the arrogance of the man is simply astounding.”
At this writing, the public record reflects that DelGiorno has not yet been served notice that he is being sued, but he has spoken on-air of his family’s recent move to the Tulsa suburb of Broken Arrow. Apparently, funds for that relocation came in part from his failure to pay his mortgage. The amount in arrears is suspected to be substantial as most mortgage companies do not start foreclosure actions quickly, but the attorney for plaintiff Bank of New York, James H. Thiessen of Oklahoma City, did not return calls for comment.
According to Christian Scriptures, the only time Jesus Christ exploded in rage was in response to religious hypocrisy. Jesus said, “Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like the whitewashed tombs that look handsome on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of corruption. In the same way you appear to people from the outside like good honest men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” Matthew 23:27
Failure to pay debt is a violation of law. Also in the most fundamental way, Christians are called to be law abiding and, further, to avoid debt. “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another.” Romans 13:8
Tulsa Today sent a young reporter to interview DelGiorno in October of 2005 and while some of that taped interview has been previously published (DelGiorno Delusions Part One and DelGiorno Delusions Part Two) some has not. He spoke extensively during that exclusive interview at his radio station office of his religious authority and position.
DelGiorno said, “I got saved at fourteen years old and became a born-again Christian. I actually went to an Assembly of God church most of my life. I guess my values and beliefs come from Scripture, and my viewpoint of the world and life is certainly driven by Scripture, and certainly not by culture or politics … I wake up every day as a born-again Christian that God’s revealing every day who’s making me and I take my truth from His Scripture and I apply it to common-sense, to everyday life, and that’s what dictates where I stand.
“It’s the Michael DelGiorno Show, so every time I speak, it’s a personal opinion. But my job is really to inform people of what’s going on and to give them my perspective. That’s my job. Well, I am a Christian; therefore I follow that God. I believe that the very life of Christ lives through me by His holy spirit,” DelGiorno said.
Twice during the interview, DelGiorno spoke of hypocrisy. First he said, “The only thing that would trip up a very good man, to do the opposite of what he said he would do.” Then in regard to his criticism of former-Mayor Bill LaFortune, DelGiorno was asked if he thought a new mayor would solve Tulsa’s problems. He said, “Not a new mayor, a real leader. Someone who would be a reformist, someone who would be conservative [and] someone who would be what they say they are.”
In DelGiorno’s own words, “I will get my way. I will be right. I am right … I’ve been called to be light in the darkness. I’ve been called to be godly in the midst of an ungodly world. I’ve been called to be solid … I speak the truth as I understand it through the Old and the New Testament, and I do it unapologetically, and if that ruffles someone’s feathers or offends them, turn it off. It’s that simple.
“I’m not looking for the approval of people. Everything I live for is that moment that Christ says, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant.’ I live the truth, I speak the truth, I do so unapologetically. I don’t think ten years from now, twenty years from now, thirty years from now – I live every day as if Christ was going to return tonight.
“I live to be faithful to God. My eternity with Christ has already begun. I have a relationship with him. And that’s the only thing I look forward to, where that relationship goes from faith to faith to faith. If that makes me a crazy, right wing, Christian white person, well, that’s what I am,” DelGiorno said.
Also as previously reported, Tulsa Today could not find one character witness that would speak publicly in support of DelGiorno’s assertions of faith. Even Michael Bates – an evangelical who appears regularly on the show – would not go on the record to vouch for DelGiorno’s character. After publication of that first Tulsa Today story, DelGiorno asked Bates on-air why he would not vouch for DelGiorno’s Christian faith. Bates replied that this writer had asked trick questions similar to “How often do you beat your wife.” Bates also challenged Tulsa Today to publish the questions asked of him about DelGiorno.
Tulsa Today believes the original story stands strong without detailing those questions. However, with this most recent example of DelGiorno’s failure to live his public words of faith, it increases the relevance of those questions and additionally why Michael Bates would refuse to answer. Is it possible that hypocrisy on this subject is not limited to DelGiorno and that ambition to be a “political leader” or “media pundit” silenced Bates?
The following are those questions and a note sent to Michael Bates by e-mail in 2005:
Topic # 1: Michael DelGiorno promotes himself as knowledgeable and wise in matters of public policy.
Question # 1: Is he in your opinion and can you quantify that level of knowledge and wisdom?
Question # 2: What knowledge do you have of his education, experience, or other certification that provide credibility for his assertion?
Question # 3: What have you observed to be his fundamental principles of public policy?
Topic # 2: Michael DelGiorno promotes himself as a spirit filled, honorable, honest, straightforward Christian.
Question # 1: Is he following the teachings of Christ in his personal and professional life by your observation and what specific examples of his Christian virtue in action (not talk) come to mind?
Question # 2: What church has he professed to you to attend?
Topic # 3: General Character Questions in your opinion from your personal and professional dealings with him.
Question # 1: Is Michael DelGiorno honest?
Question # 2: Is Michael DelGiorno considered in his positions or emotionally egocentric and reactionary?
Question # 3: Is Michael DelGiorno vindictive to others?
Question # 4: Does Michael DelGiorno really want to help Tulsa and if so how?
Question # 5: Has Michael DelGiorno contributed positively to our community and if so how?
Question # 6: Is there anything Michael DelGiorno would not do to advance his radio show’s ratings?
Question # 7: Do you trust him?
NOTE: All of these questions arise from Michael DelGiorno’s assertions on-air – he has placed these issues within the public domain and they are fittingly tested by what others have observed of him. Feel free to answer any way you would like or not, but consider that you have been asked for the record. Short answers are encouraged. You are not the only associate of Michael DelGiorno to be asked these questions. It has been surprisingly hard for Tulsa Today staff to find non-coworkers that will personally and/or professional speak in support of his character so if you know others – please let us know.
Michael Bates is now also a regular editorial columnist for Urban Tulsa Weekly in addition to his role as a regular guest on the Michael DelGiorno Show. If he or anyone would like to answer the questions listed above or in other ways publicly stand for DelGiorno’s character in faith, please e-mail editor@tulsatoday.com.
Last Updated ( Saturday, 27 January 2007 )