Which in itself is total bullshit.
Correct. It is perfectly legal. The church may get it's 501c3 tax exemption pulled by the IRS, but it is legal. Having the tax exemption pulled might be very painful for churches financially, but it is a one-time only punishment. The church is then free to advocate for candidates and issues as they see fit.
501c3 status does not grant churches tax-exempt status. Tax exempt status is granted by the Constitution. Anyone can register a non-profit organization for almost any purpose without submitting to 501c3 registration. The only requirement is that all monies be used for the pursuit of the stated purpose of the organization.
What 501c3 does is grant is a liability limitations to the organizers at the cost of expressly placing themselves under the regulatory and reporting requirements. It shields church officials from being held personally liable for church actions.
In other words, the IRS says, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”
And the church leaders say yes.
Just the very notion that we have a tax code that punishes free speech, especially free speech of RELIGION tells you all you need to know about how pathetic things are.
The IRS should be abolished and those that work for them thrown in jail for crimes committed against the American people. They are complicit!