Illegal Campaign Activity in Non-Profits

The NY Times has a story about the increasing number of IRS investigations into non-profit's activities that may violate the prohibition of advocating or fundraising for specific candidates. While both liberal and conservative non-profits are under investigation, the violations are most egregious in the conservative churches. For example, the article describes a drive by Jerry Falwell to raise money and support for Bush:

The complaints by the group include one on July 15, 2004, against Jerry Falwell Ministries, saying falwell.com had endorsed President Bush and urged readers to donate $5,000 to the Campaign for Working Families. Such activities are illegal, Mr. [Barry] Lynn [head of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State] said, and the Web site was quickly changed.

Most of the complaints against liberal non-profits were centered around criticism of President Bush rather than urging monetary or other support for candidates. In one of the more blatantly political moves, the East Waynesville Baptist Church in North Carolina kicked out all the members who voted for John Kerry after the 2004 presidential elections. This whole train of political events involving churches demonstrates why it is increasingly dangerous for churches to mix with politics and government, not just for government, but for religion as well.