Pro-life vid of day: IRS sought content of pro-life group’s prayers
by Hans Johnson
In the wake of the recent IRS scandal, the Thomas More Society, representing three pro-life groups that received unwarranted scrutiny, presented Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL) 150 pages of information. This is a description of one of those cases:
Coalition for Life of Iowa found itself in the IRS’s crosshairs when the group applied for tax exempt status in October 2008. Nearly ten months of interrogation about the group’s opposition to Planned Parenthood included a demand by a Ms. Richards from the IRS’ Cincinnati office unlawfully insisting that all board members sign a sworn declaration promising not to picket/protest Planned Parenthood. Further questioning by the IRS requested detailed information about the content of the group’s prayer meetings, educational seminars, and signs their members hold outside Planned Parenthood.
Last Friday Rep. Schock questioned outgoing interim IRS chief Steven Miller about the report, and the propriety of the IRS’ request: “Please detail the content of their prayers.”
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrXyNxmJLhc[/youtube]
Fox19 of Cincinnati has uncovered documents that contradict testimony given that the misconduct began not in 2010, but as early as April 2009.
Email dailyvid@jillstanek.com with your video suggestions.
[HT: TheBlaze]
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
So, now what? A long search for the executive who ordered this abuse of power? As if we don’t already know?
Congress needs to get to work themselves, on a process that will make sure this can never happen again. Some sort of check to balance these attempts of the Executive Branch to abuse their power.
Too cute by half.
From their press release – “Since we focussed on educational forums and not picketing or protesting…..”, followed by “…raise as many funds to put on educational forums, while participating in prayer activities outside Planned Parenthood…”
And if the ‘prayers’ they conduct whilst picketing and protesting (how very 501(c)(3) compliant) consist of an audible “We pray for these murdering accolytes of (insert most relevant pro-choice politician)” then its probably justifiable to be asking some questions.
Too many groups have flouted the spirit if not the detail of the exemption laws for too long.
Reality,
This is America and the gov’t has no business asking anyone the content their prayers, whether they are white supremists, radical Muslims, or devil worshippers.
Reality: you are making accusations with no evidence. And you look foolish having a knee-jerkk reaction to anything pro-life.
a 501(c)(3) can engage in poltical activity such as endorsing a political candidate.
http://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Charitable-Organizations/Exemption-Requirements-Section-501(c)(3)-Organizations
At that site, a good resource/review is the link to “Lobbying Issues” in the fourth paragraph.
A group seeking/having 501(c)(3) status can only devote a certaon portion of their efforts to lobbying activity. Lobbying activity is joining in tro advance legislation or advance one candidate or one party in elections.
So, any 501(c)(3) can lobby.
To accuse a 501(c)(3) of violating that status by lobbying is foolishness. You would have to accuse them of doing too much lobbying.
Also: the current IRS scandal is not largely about 501(c)(3) organizations. It is largely about 501(c)(4) organizations seeking that status and being treated badly in the application process by the IRS under direction from your heros. Why? So they would be delayed until after the 2012 election from having maximal influence.
Reality: have you noticed, yet, that the IRS scandal largly focuses on Ohio groups? Why Ohio? Do you recll Ohio being highlighted as a leading swing state? Or has that gone down the memory hole?
You are going to have to wait for marching orders from Party Central to eplain the Ohio detail. We await.
A general comment to readers: like a kid in a candy store, we turned the reigns of the executive branch over to a bunch of people who don’t care for the Constitution, or for America, and they have gone hog wild with their power over the IRS audit mechansism.
Not just “tea parties” have been targeted. Plain ol’ adoptive parents may have been targeted.
http://forums.adoption.com/general-adoptive-parent-support/388994-anyone-else-getting-audit-adoption-refund.html
http://www.lifenews.com/2013/05/22/irs-audited-69-of-adoptive-families-while-defending-planned-parenthood/
The first link notes this phenomenon from back in 2011, before the IRS story broke. Just one adoptive parent talking to others on an adoption website.
The problem is that we Americans cannto detect when these marxists do stuff like this because we just see an audit as an individual thing, not part of abortion rights poltiics.
I urge people to discuss this with adoptive parents to inform them. They may have been audited and thought it was just an indiv thing.
I cannot tell these parents what to do, but they have the opportunity to get organized and illuminate yet another way these America-hating international marxists are advancing their agenda ouside of normal American poltiics. They get away with it if they don’t get caught.
These are not regular, American democrats. They want you, and want Reality, to believe this.