Nonprofits Warn Against IRS Approving Church Political Speech

A group of charitable nonprofits is rebuking the IRS’s proposed lawsuit settlement that could allow churches to engage in political speech.

In a letter addressed to President Donald Trump, which organizers say has already attracted 1,000 signatures from nonprofits, the signers say the administration shouldn’t weaken the so-called Johnson Amendment, which bars churches and other entities with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status from engaging in certain political activities. The IRS and religious groups said in a proposed consent decree July 7 aimed at settling a lawsuit that churches can speak about political candidates and campaigns without losing their tax-exempt status.

• The nonprofits argue in the letter that the proposed consent decree will erode public trust, put pressure on houses of worship to engage in politics, and create a way to deduct political contributions.
• “If the IRS proceeds, we will see a fundamental shift in how political money flows through our system,” Lisa Gilbert, co-president of nonprofit advocacy group Public Citizen, said in a statement Wednesday.
• The nonprofits’ sign-on campaign is led by Public Citizen as well as the National Council of Nonprofits, American Humanist Association, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Freedom From Religion Foundation, Independent Sector, and Interfaith Alliance. The groups are collecting signatures through Aug. 8.