Washington Examiner: IRS Denied Tax-exempt Status to Pro-lifers on Behalf of Planned Parenthood
Aimee Herd : May 17, 2013
Joel Gehrke – Washington Examiner
"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." –Thomas More Society
According to a report posted Thursday in the Washington Examiner, tax-exempt status was denied to two different pro-life organizations because of their views against abortion.
This, the latest in a long list of illegal activities by the IRS that have recently come to light, was announced Thursday in an article on the website of the Thomas More Society (TMS).
"In one case, the IRS withheld approval of an application for tax exempt status for Coalition for Life of Iowa," notes the Thomas More report. "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. Once the IRS received this letter, their application would be approved."
As if that's not bad enough, the Thomas More Society cites another instance of bullying on the part of the IRS.
"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," reads the TMS report. "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."
Following admissions by the IRS last week that the tax collection agency had targeted conservative and Tea Party groups for discriminatory audits and reviews of their applications for tax-exempt status, a criminal investigation has been initiated by the Justice Department.