Members of Congress demand IRS reverse decision denying tax exemption to Christian group

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report this ad CPCURRENT PAGE: POLITICS | TUESDAY, JUNE 29, 2021 | CORONAVIRUS → Members of Congress demand IRS reverse decision denying tax exemption to Christian group By Michael Gryboski, Christian Post Reporter Twitter| Tuesday, June 29, 2021 FacebookTwitterEmailPrintMenuComment1 IRS A security camera hangs near a corner of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service building in Washington, May 27, 2015. Tax return information for about 100,000 U.S. taxpayers was illegally accessed by cyber criminals over the past four months, U.S. IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said on Tuesday, the latest in a series of data thefts that have alarmed American consumers. | (Photo: Reuters/Jonathan Ernst) A group of Republican members of Congress have urged the Internal Revenue Service to change their stance on denying a Texas-based Christian nonprofit tax-exempt status because the government body had deemed it too political.

In May, the IRS denied a request by Christians Engaged to be given an exemption under Section 501(c)(3), which would label the group a charitable organization and receive benefits such as tax-deductible contributions.

Rep. Chip Roy of Texas sent a letter to IRS Commissioner Charles P. Rettig last Friday, urging him to change their position on Christians Engaged and to remove all IRS employees who were responsible for that decision.

“The IRS must objectively analyze applications for tax-exempt status and cannot allow political biases to creep into its decisions,” read the letter in part.

“We urge you to immediately review Christians Engaged’s application for 501(c)(3) status personally, and terminate the IRS staff involved in the flawed and politically motivated reasoning behind the determination.”

Other signatories of the letter included Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida, and Reps. Burgess Owens of Utah, Bob Good of Virginia, and Lauren Boebert of Colorado.

In a statement last Friday, Roy argued that the denial of the exemption for Christians Engaged “further exposed the corruption and liberal bias running rampant at the IRS.”

“This discriminatory action against a Christian nonprofit is an overt attack on religious liberty by a tyrannical federal government,” Roy added.

“Moreover, this decision comes at a time when members of both parties are trying to increase the ability of the IRS to harass individual Americans, businesses, and organizations.”

Based in Garland, Texas, Christians Engaged is led by Bunni Pounds, a political consultant and conservative activist who ran for Congress in 2018 but lost in the Republican primary.

The religious organization filed for nonprofit status in 2019 and received a notice of denial from IRS Exempt Organizations Director Stephen A. Martin on May 18.

“You engage in prohibited political campaign intervention,” argued Martin. “You are also not operated exclusively for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3), because you operate for a substantial non-exempt private purpose and for the private interests of the [Republican] party.”

Martin also contended that the group could not receive a tax-exempt status because it worked to instruct people on what the Bible says about issues like the sanctity of life and marriage, which "generally distinguish candidates and are associated with political party platforms."

Christians Engaged has appealed the decision, with the First Liberty Institute, a conservative legal nonprofit that often handles religious freedom litigation, overseeing the appeal.

“Only a politicized IRS could see Americans who pray for their nation, vote in every election, and work to engage others in the political process as a threat,” said First Liberty Counsel Lea Patterson in a statement earlier this month.

“The IRS violated its own regulations in denying tax-exempt status because Christians Engaged teaches biblical values.”

Patterson also noted that the IRS granted a tax exemption to former first lady Michelle Obama and her activist group called When We All Vote.

In 2013, the IRS garnered national outrage when the agency admitted to having targeted conservative groups' tax-exempt applications that had the terms “Tea Party” or “Patriot” during the 2012 presidential election season.

Lois Lerner, then director of the IRS Exempt Organizations Division, apologized for the attacks, stating at the time that it was “absolutely inappropriate and not the way we should do things.”

When Lois Lerner of the IRS did the same thing to Conservative Groups when she was still Director, Congress subpoenaed her and eventually held her in contempt of Congress.

What kind of punishment did she receive? ANSWER: NOTHING!!

If corrupt conduct is not punished, it sends a signal that they can continue doing it without consequences.

You go to jail for being held in contempt of court. What do you get for contempt of congress? A big fat six figure yearly pension.

And if the IRS says, NO, then what? Will they draft a strongly worded letter? Will they vote to censure the IRS? Will the go on Fox one Sunday morning and tell Chris Wallace that the IRS is bad?

Who gives a sh*t? Not any of them, that’s for sure. Nothing but blowhards trying to appease the masses.

Come out with some legitimate research on how effective a Consumption Tax would be or the Fair Tax....whichever is your liking...and present that to everyone and anyone. Even if they won’t listen.

Being in favor of a Consumption Tax, so everyone chips in, show how tax revenue won’t slip if it’s done. Show how, even those that aren’t paying income taxes on April 15th, are still contributing.

And, at the end of the day....Let the IRS know that they are not needed.

This is what happens when criminals get away with crimes. They keep doing it because they can. That farce about the deleted records and Lois Lerner and that snake looking man was a joke and then Sessions came in and said no big deal. Our government is so corrupt I just don’t see how it can last.

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