Raw Story:
A tax-exempt Catholic pro-life group’s lobbying against President Barack Obama’s health care reform legislation may be in violation of its 501(c)(3) status.
The American Life League (ALL) is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization which claims to be the “largest grassroots Catholic pro-life education organization in the United States.” During a Sept. 12, 2009 rally in Washington, D.C. sponsored by right-wing lobbyists, the health-care industry and other partisan groups, numerous protesters carried a sign which said “Bury Obamacare with Kennedy.” The ALL logo can be plainly seen at the bottom right-hand corner of the sign.
ALL as an anti-abortion lobbying group
As a 501(c)(3) educational organization, ALL is prohibited from direct involvement in political campaigns and is sharply limited in the extent to which it can lobby for or against legislation. According to the IRS:
In general, no organization may qualify for section 501(c)(3) status if a substantial part of its activities is attempting to influence legislation (commonly known as lobbying). A 501(c)(3) organization may engage in some lobbying, but too much lobbying activity risks loss of tax-exempt status.
The American Life League acknowledges the prohibition against political activity on its website but describes it only in terms of direct support of or opposition to political candidates.
No comments:
Post a Comment