Trio of Texas Churches Donated to Political Candidate Despite Clear IRS Prohibition - Others put candidate election signs on their property

[essentialsaltes]

A candidate for the Abilene, Texas, City Council said that three churches made an honest mistake by donating to his campaign and that he is returning the money. The race has been beset by allegations of electioneering by churches.​

Three churches in West Texas have made financial contributions to a pastor running for a hotly contested seat on the Abilene City Council, a clear violation of federal rules prohibiting nonprofits and churches from endorsing candidates, financial disclosure records show.

“This is absolutely something every church should know — and probably does know — that they’re not allowed to do,” said Sam Brunson, a law professor specializing in religion and tax exemption at Loyola University Chicago.

ProPublica and The Texas Tribune reported last year that church leaders in Texas and across the country endorsed candidates from the pulpit at least 20 times in apparent violation of the Johnson Amendment, a law passed by Congress in 1954. Three experts on nonprofit law, including Brunson, reviewed the sermons and said they crossed a line.

The IRS can strip violators of their tax-exempt status, but there’s only one publicly known example of it doing so, nearly 30 years ago. Brunson said this lack of enforcement has emboldened bad actors, and he called on Congress to explicitly tell the IRS it can also fine violators.

The Abilene City Council race has been marked by allegations of Johnson Amendment violations for months. At least five churches have displayed campaign signs for three conservative Christian candidates who have all vowed to protect children by removing what they deemed to be obscene books from the public library and banning family-friendly drag shows from the city.

Beard stands by his belief that the nation was founded as a Christian nation and if it doesn’t turn back to God, it will fall like the Roman Empire and other great civilizations have throughout history.

 

[Hammster]

Yawn.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Yawn.

Not surprising that a Rushdoony fan would not care about these particular laws being broken.

 

[Hammster]

Not surprising that a Rushdoony fan would not care about these particular laws being broken.

There’s that. But also the hypocrisy.

 

[USincognito]

The "law and order" party proving once again that they think the rules don't apply to them.

 

[essentialsaltes]

There’s that. But also the hypocrisy.

“The alternative to law is not grace; it’s lawlessness.” Rushdoony

Yes, your complacency with respect to this lawlessness is on display for all to see.

 

[Hammster]

“The alternative to law is not grace; it’s lawlessness.” Rushdoony

Yes, your complacency with respect to this lawlessness is on display for all to see.

Not all all. It’s my disdain for the hypocrisy of some on the left that’s on display.

 

[Hammster]

The "law and order" party proving once again that they think the rules don't apply to them.

This is the type of hypocrisy I reference above.

 

[High Fidelity]

Tax exemption should just be done away with or severely limited to less than $100,000 a year towards upkeep. Many are clearly businesses anyway.

 

[Hammster]

Tax exemption should just be done away with or severely limited to less than $100,000 a year towards upkeep. Many are clearly businesses anyway.

How did you come up with that number and that reasoning?

 

[essentialsaltes]

Another church, this one in Florida, that clearly seems to have violated the rules against candidate endorsements.

Two legal experts contacted by the Tampa Bay Times reviewed the complaint and found a handful of instances in which the church is likely in violation of the IRS’ rules.

An endorsement video Oliver made for City Council member Richie Floyd when he was a candidate in 2021 shows Allendale’s famous message sign and exterior shots of the church. It cuts to Oliver in his collar inside the church’s main sanctuary with colorful stained glass behind him.

“He’s endorsing in his capacity as a pastor using the church as a backdrop,” said Samuel D. Brunson, a professor at Loyola University Chicago School of Law who teaches tax and nonprofit law. “That violates the terms of the tax exemption.”

 

[USincognito]

This is the type of hypocrisy I reference above.

What hypocrisy?

 

[Hammster]

What hypocrisy?

Where we never hear complaints, for instance, when black churches let candidates actually come and speak from their pulpits and the churches actually endorse the candidates.

Personally, I think the law is stupid. Churches should be exempt from taxation, and should be allowed to let the people know who to vote for, and what issues are important.

 

[durangodawood]

Good to see churches undeterred from performing their primary function in American life as the ideological reinforcement arms of political parties.

 

[USincognito]

Where we never hear complaints, for instance, when black churches let candidates actually come and speak from their pulpits and the churches actually endorse the candidates.

I see conservatives complaining ahh them all the time. If preachers in black churches are violating the law, they should be held accountable.

Now that we've discussed that sidebar, how, exactly, was my noting that the Reps claim to be party of law and order but really aren't hypocrisy?

Personally, I think the law is stupid. Churches should be exempt from taxation, and should be allowed to let the people know who to vote for, and what issues are important.

That's nice.

 

[Hammster]

I see conservatives complaining ahh them all the time.

Can you recall a single thread on CF where liberals complained about it?

 

[SimplyMe]

Where we never hear complaints, for instance, when black churches let candidates actually come and speak from their pulpits and the churches actually endorse the candidates.

Personally, I think the law is stupid. Churches should be exempt from taxation, and should be allowed to let the people know who to vote for, and what issues are important.

As a general rule, I've not seen Black churches endorse a candidate. Yes, they have let some politicians in to speak but, from my understanding, those churches will allow that of most candidates (particularly national ones) of either party. It also ignores the number of Republican candidates that speak in churches, much less the number of churches that outright endorsed Donald Trump and other candidates.

I tend to like the Johnson Amendment. Churches are free to talk on political issues, just not to endorse candidates. Unfortunately, the Federal government seems to have lost any desire to uphold the law, and I suspect nothing will happen to the church in this case, either.

 

[Hammster]

As a general rule, I've not seen Black churches endorse a candidate. Yes, they have let some politicians in to speak but, from my understanding, those churches will allow that of most candidates (particularly national ones) of either party. It also ignores the number of Republican candidates that speak in churches, much less the number of churches that outright endorsed Donald Trump and other candidates.

I tend to like the Johnson Amendment. Churches are free to talk on political issues, just not to endorse candidates. Unfortunately, the Federal government seems to have lost any desire to uphold the law, and I suspect nothing will happen to the church in this case, either.

Why shouldn’t churches be allowed to endorse candidates?

 

[rambot]

I think these incidents should be on a case by case basis. As SOON as a church donates, no forgiveness, no anything. They know hte rules.

You do that, you lose tax exempt status as an individual organization.

Why shouldn’t churches be allowed to endorse candidates?

Because of the social pressure. I wouldn't say that is illegal but it is not okay. If your church started to promote a candidate you disagreed with, how would you respond to that? There's a lot of social pressure involved there.

I had ONE dude in my church pray for a certain party to win an election and our church came down on him. He didn't lose office but he had a reprimand and he no longer ever led prayers of the people.....as should be.

 

[Hans Blaster]

Why shouldn’t churches be allowed to endorse candidates?

Donations to churches are tax deductible. Donations to political parties, committees, and candidates aren't. If a church acts as a political committee then your donations aren't deductible anymore (at least if the law is applied.)