Planned Parenthood accused of violating tax-exempt status with abortion van at DNC

Michie · Aug 23, 2024

The pro-life group 40 Days for Life has filed a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over a mobile abortion clinic operated by Planned Parenthood in Chicago this week.

The abortion giant offered free abortions and vasectomies to residents and visitors in Chicago as the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) was held in the city’s downtown from Aug. 19-22.

Planned Parenthood described the service as a “mobile health clinic” set up in the city’s West Loop neighborhood. The van reportedly sold out of abortion appointments before it opened.

In a complaint obtained by CNA, 40 Days for Life told the IRS that Planned Parenthood, in using its abortion van, may have engaged in “potentially prohibited political activities” that could “impact the tax-exempt status” of the abortion provider.

The mobile clinic “openly advertise[d] and provide[d] free services from not-for-profit entities to participants of and in direct relation to a nationwide political rally for one party and certain political candidates,” the complaint said.

Continued below.

Planned Parenthood accused of violating tax-exempt status

The abortion giant offered free abortions and vasectomies to residents and visitors in Chicago as the 2024 Democratic National Convention was held.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

Fantine · Aug 23, 2024

Were their services open to the public or only to attendees of the event? If open to all, there's no case, as far as I can see.
Even if there were ads to attendees, it was widely publicized, mostly by outraged pro-life activists. Counter-intuitively, by publicizing their outrage, more people might have learned about it and signed up for vasectomies.

Tuur · Aug 23, 2024

Michie said:
The pro-life group 40 Days for Life has filed a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over a mobile abortion clinic operated by Planned Parenthood in Chicago this week.

The abortion giant offered free abortions and vasectomies to residents and visitors in Chicago as the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) was held in the city’s downtown from Aug. 19-22.

Planned Parenthood described the service as a “mobile health clinic” set up in the city’s West Loop neighborhood. The van reportedly sold out of abortion appointments before it opened.

In a complaint obtained by CNA, 40 Days for Life told the IRS that Planned Parenthood, in using its abortion van, may have engaged in “potentially prohibited political activities” that could “impact the tax-exempt status” of the abortion provider.

The mobile clinic “openly advertise[d] and provide[d] free services from not-for-profit entities to participants of and in direct relation to a nationwide political rally for one party and certain political candidates,” the complaint said.

Continued below.

Planned Parenthood accused of violating tax-exempt status

The abortion giant offered free abortions and vasectomies to residents and visitors in Chicago as the 2024 Democratic National Convention was held.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

I've got to ask: Just what political activity were they involved with? The DNC already supports abortion. I doubt those who went to the clinic intend to vote for Trump. They didn't have Harris speaking from in front of the mobile unit. "Could have" isn't the same as "did," so unless there is specific evidence of a 501(c)(3) violation, this will likely go nowhere.

BobRyan · Aug 23, 2024

Fantine said:
Were their services open to the public or only to attendees of the event? If open to all, there's no case, as far as I can see.
Even if there were ads to attendees, it was widely publicized, mostly by outraged pro-life activists. Counter-intuitively, by publicizing their outrage, more people might have learned about it and signed up for vasectomies.

IT seems the slightest whim is all it takes to get some folks to sign up to terminate a human or end their own ability to have children.

One has to wonder about the sort of thinking that leads to that outcome.

In any case everyone has free will and can choose as they wish.

I for one am glad that they made this one so glaringly obvious.

jas3 · Aug 23, 2024

Tuur said:
I've got to ask: Just what political activity were they involved with?

Them being in Chicago during the DNC, minutes away from where the DNC was being held, is clearly a show of support for the Democrats.

As an example, here's a text version of an IRS course on prohibited political activities: https://www.stayexempt.irs.gov/se/files/downloads/PoliticalCampaigns_Print.pdf

Activities that fall under "possible political campaign intervention" are as broad as a statement being "published during a political campaign" or "rais[ing] an issue on which the candidates disagree."

I agree though that this will probably go nowhere. Who knows, maybe the IRS that was found to be targeting conservative 501c3 groups just a few years ago will apply even a fraction of that level of scrutiny to Planned Parenthood, but I wouldn't count on it.

Tuur · Aug 24, 2024

There is the fig leaf of plausible deniability. Planned Parenthood can make the argument they went because of the crowds coming to the convention. I think they were there because that's where their compadres were. But being there at the same time isn't the same as campaigning. It's close to a public endorsement of all things Democrat (Hmm....maybe NPR can make a show with that name) but what of churches that hand out voter guides without publicly endorsing a candidate. From the guides you have a good idea who the congregation supports, but it's not an actual endorsement.

Really, though, who were they influencing? Not the delegates. Abortion on Demand has practically become a DNC creed. It was more like a sales pitch for Planned Parenthood to their main patrons. "See? See? We're with you guys." It was like a portable temple to Moloch that went to where their worshipers gathered.

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Planned Parenthood accused of violating tax-exempt status with abortion van at DNC

Michie

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