IRS Sued for Monitoring U.S. Churches
Bob Unruh reports at WND:
In a lawsuit settlement with the atheist Freedom from Religion Foundation [FFRF], the Internal Revenue Service admitted it had monitored churches for allegedly illegal political activity, but the details never were released because the group withdrew its complaint.
Now, Washington watchdog Judicial Watch has filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the IRS seeking any records relevant to IRS monitoring of churches and other tax exempt organizations regarding alleged political activity. . . .
"The atheist organization filed a lawsuit in 2012 alleging the IRS ignored its complaints about the speech of churches that cite the Bible regarding issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage," Unruh reports. FFRF said the "statements violate the law, because the moral issues were being addressed in a political arena."
According to WND, "The atheists also complained of what they called 'blatantly political' newspaper ads on the religious and moral issues. Then, in June, an agreement was reached in which the IRS admitted it had been monitoring churches and other houses of worship for 'electioneering and other political activity'."
"Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said Americans have 'the God-given right to both express their religious views and to engage in the political process'," WND reports.
"It is even more disturbing that the IRS would violate federal law, The Freedom of Information Act, in order to keep secret its monitoring of Americans praying together in church," Fitton also reportedly said.
"To be clear, the very IRS that abused tea partiers for Obama’s election now purports to be able to 'audit' houses of worship in order to protect politicians from criticism. I am sure the Obama administration is more than happy to use the excuse of a lawsuit by a leftist group to use the IRS to punish churches that oppose Obama’s war on religious freedom," Fitton said, according to WND.
