CHRISTIAN COALITION LOSES TAX EXEMPT STATUS: IRS RULING AFTER TEN-YEAR
DELAY RECOGNIZES GROUP'S 'CLEAR PARTISAN NATURE,' SAYS PFAWF PRESIDENT
SHIELDS
The Internal Revenue Service has reportedly ruled that the Christian
Coalition is so thoroughly partisan that it does not deserve tax-exempt
status, a development welcomed by People For the American Way Foundation
President Carole Shields, who called the ruling "long overdue but worth
the wait."
"For a decade we have urged the IRS to recognize the Christian
Coalition's clear partisan nature," said Shields. "We welcome this clear
signal that everyone has to play by the rules, even Pat Robertson."
Last year, People For the American Way Foundation sent a letter to the
IRS urging such a conclusion and sending additional evidence of the
Christian Coalition's partisanship gleaned by PFAWF researchers from
court filings in an unrelated Federal Election Commission lawsuit
against the Christian Coalition.
Shields said it is too early to tell how the Christian Coalition's
planned restructuring will affect its political operations, but she
noted that Pat Robertson has recently concentrated control of the
organization in his own hands and announced plans to raise and spend
more than $20 million for efforts directed at the 2000 elections.
PFAWF has available its 1996 report, "Breaking the Rules: The Christian Coalition and Elections," which documents the group's abuse of its tax status, its use of slanted voter guides and its partisan activities at the 1996 Republican National Convention. For more information about the Christian Coalition's political activities, or for copies of People For the American Way Foundation's correspondence with the IRS in this area, please call 202-467-4999.