Posted on 05/16/2013 9:11:22 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
The Inspector General of the Treasury reported this week that the IRS began applying extra scrutiny and conducting harassment of Obama administration opponents as early as March 2010. However, for at least two pro-life groups, that scrutiny appears to have started a year earlier. Joel Gehrke reports that one group was told its tax-exempt application depended not on promising to stay out of electoral politics, but on pledging not to protest Planned Parenthood — a prominent supporter of Barack Obama:
IRS officials refused to grant tax exempt status two pro-life organizations because of their position on the abortion issue, according to a non-profit law firm, which said that one group was pressured not to protest a pro-choice organization that endorsed President Obama during the last election.
“In one case, the IRS withheld approval of an application for tax exempt status for Coalition for Life of Iowa. In a phone call to Coalition for Life of Iowa leaders on June 6, 2009, the IRS agent ‘Ms. Richards’ told the group to send a letter to the IRS with the entire board’s signatures stating that, under perjury of the law, they do not picket/protest or organize groups to picket or protest outside of Planned Parenthood,” the Thomas More Society announced today. “Once the IRS received this letter, their application would be approved.”
Most have assumed that the obstructionism on the application from conservative groups came because the IRS assumed that they would get involved in politics, but the laws on 501(c)4s don’t prohibit that, as Mary Katharine explained yesterday. Their purpose and work has to be primarily for “social welfare,” but that can take on any number of forms.
In this case, though, there wasn’t even a pretense of suspicion about electioneering. If this is true, then the IRS was actively attempting to intimidate a pro-life group into curtailing its perfectly legal activism. In fact, protests against Planned Parenthood by this group would be exactly the kind of “social welfare” protected by an exemption. This not only infringed on the group’s free-speech rights, but also its religious liberty, at least indirectly.
According to the Thomas More Society, the same is true in another case:
In another similar case, the IRS withheld approval of an application for charitable tax-exempt recognition of Christian Voices for Life, questioning the group’s involvement with “40 Days for Life” and “Life Chain” events. The Fort Bend County, Texas, organization was subjected to repeated and lengthy unconstitutional requests for information about the viewpoint and content of its educational communications, volunteer prayer vigils, and other protected activities.
“The application of Christian Voices for Life clearly indicated that the organization qualified as a charitable organization under section 501(c)(3),” stated Sally Wagenmaker. She added, “The IRS seemed to be intent on denying or delaying tax-exempt status based upon the organization’s pro-life message, rather than any legitimate exemption concern, through its exhaustive, cumbersome questioning. The implication that Christian Voices for Life somehow intended to engage in illegal activity was insulting.”
Insulting? That’s the least of it.
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IRS to pro-life group: Send letter pledging not to protest Planned Parenthood to get your tax exemption
I am not happy that the IRS did this.
the person who resigned yesterday wasn’t with the IRS until AFTER the 2012 election.
What are the options?
Why haven’t these victims of IRS Tyranny been posting these unlawful IRS demands on-line for the last 3 years?
Photocopy, redact as necessary, PDF, and upload!
Oh....you probably meant “legal” options.....
Indirectly? This is an intentional and direct assault on freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and equal protection. This is an intentional abuse of power motivated by absolute confidence that the rule of law is no longer relevant, not for those acting on Obama's behalf. This is a battle between good and evil, and the Obama White House has staked out their side. Those of us on the side of good have to stand up to these thugs.
And I think that was going on.
Absolutely!
2010??
Someone just arrived from Mars.
Joe the Plumber.
2008.
As to the clueless who still can't connect the dots (including Bill O'Reilly) forget emails.
Forget correspondence.
Forget internal memos.
The totalitarians with utter disregard for the rule of law get their marching orders indirectly. Remember this?
Obama:
“They Bring a Knife…We Bring a Gun”
Obama to His Followers:
“Get in Their Faces!”
Obama on ACORN Mobs:
“I don’t want to quell anger. I think people are right to be angry! I’m angry!”
Obama to His Mercenary Army:
“Hit Back Twice As Hard”
Obama on the private sector:
“We talk to these folks… so I know whose ass to kick.“
Obama to voters:
Republican victory would mean “hand to hand combat”
Obama to lib supporters:
“It’s time to Fight for it.”
Obama to Latino supporters:
“Punish your enemies.”
Obama to democrats:
“I’m itching for a fight.”
Obama to his "people":
Our Time has Come!
I suppose "reasonable" is like "Transparency;" you know, all laws will be fully discussed on C-Span?"
Transparency can morph into invisibility, then into non-existence in the mind of a megalomaniac.
In 1990 we had 6 million Local, State & Federal government workers; now (2010) we have 38 million.
And most may be ignorant low-IQ Obama and Holder's peeps, but they're not stupid, and they hear the relentless drumbeat of the message - constant and untraceable.
Only idiots can fail to see the connection.
Talk about FAKERY and SHOW by Obama.!
Government censorship and THREATS!
It's not too late!
Put the call out; document every abuse of power criminal act for the permanent record.
Read them all into the congressional Record.
Loss of job and benefits, and serious Jail Time.
From the bottom all the way to the top.
What part of “ “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof” does the Obama minions not understand.
The one case seems to have involved a phone conversation with an IRS employee, so that complaint might not hold up. But I would think that anyone who had a letter or other similar evidence would surely have kept it. (I never discard any letter from the IRS, state revenue dept., etc., unless it is purely an “informational bulletin” that does not apply to me).
So, as you say, make the evidence public, and in as many places as possible, now.
Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:
Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of general interest.
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