Massive hack reveals anti-LGBTQ Liberty Counsel may have broken IRS rules

[ItsjustMe]

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2022/08/massive-hack-reveals-anti-lgbtq-liberty-counsel-may-broken-irs-rules/

A massive hack of the Liberty Counsel — a right-wing Christian legal advocacy group that has been certified as an anti-LGBTQ hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SLPC) — has revealed that its affiliated nonprofits may have broken IRS tax rules forbidding nonprofits from endorsing candidates for political office.

The hack — carried out by an unknown person affiliated with the Anonymous hacktivist collective and published online at the website Enlace Hacktivista — contained several hundreds of gigabytes worth of web pages, emails, documentation, and financial donor data from Liberty Counsel and its affiliated nonprofits, including Liberty Counsel Action, Faith & Liberty, and Christians in Defense of Israel.

In a press release the hacker wrote, “Noticing a worrying trend of far-right and anti-abortion activists aligning themselves with the evangelical Christian movement, hiding their funding sources behind laws that allow church ministries to keep their donations secret, we decided to bring about some much-needed radical transparency.”

Liberty Counsel Action is designated by the IRS as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, which allows it to endorse or oppose candidates for office. However, the IRS designates Faith & Liberty and Christians in Defense of Israel as 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. As such, they’re forbidden by the IRS from endorsing or opposing candidates for office.

[AllaN01Bear]

1. so, when are they going to get shut down and or loose their n.p status ? never.

[NullTuples]

7. A: When the IRS opens an investigation

Problem is, that part of the process is still broken.

[speak easy]

9. 'Liberty Counsel Action is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, which allows it to endorse or oppose candidates'

It's a subsidiary that's in trouble - "the IRS designates Faith & Liberty and Christians in Defense of Israel as 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. As such, they’re forbidden by the IRS from endorsing or opposing candidates for office."

[magicarpet]

2. The new fashion for extremist right wing Fascist groups to declare themselves a church.

This conceals their mega donation sources from public scrutiny and prevents them from annual tax filings and audits.

The Fascist right wing group The Family Research Council recently filed paperwork declaring themselves a church organization. Funny thing is they heavily endorse extremist fascists for political office.

(snip,)

The Family Research Council is a notorious right-wing policy think tank and lobbying group that has for decades promoted anti-LGBTQ causes with such intensity the Southern Poverty Law Center labeled it a hate group.

But according to a report from ProPublica published on Monday, since 2020, it has also been designated as an “association of churches.”

In practical terms, this means that the FRC, as a religious institution, does not need to publicly file a Form 990 that allows anyone to get insight into its financial workings, including into certain assets, grants, and large salaries. It also makes it harder for the IRS to audit the group.

It does not mean, however, that the FRC has suddenly remade itself into something entirely new. Instead, according to ProPublica, it simply claimed it had “partner churches” that shared in its goal of promoting pro-life and “religious freedom” causes, as well as helping “families flourish,” which is typically code for opposing LGBTQ rights. (The FRC also opposes pornography and divorce and promotes abstinence-based sex education and “parental rights.”)

The FRC also claimed, on tax forms, that it holds chapel services at its office building for employees.

(end snip,much more at link below.)

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/07/family-research-council-church-state-separation.html

[magicarpet]

3. Bang bang Boebert says....

"The Church is suppose to direct the government...."

Fuck this separation of church and state bullshit...

The founding fathers wanted Jeebuz taught in public schools with daily buybull study classes every day for all children...

https://youtube.com/shorts/lCG41BmwCTk?feature=share

[calimary]

5. She's an idiot.

Evidently never bothered to stay awake during civics class.

[Lonestarblue]

6. Evidently never bothered to stay awake in any of her classes since she had to get a GED.

And I recall reading somewhere that even that took several tries. Not the brightest bulb in the room.

[underpants]

4. Good info.

Thanks.

[maxsolomon]

8. Put those 87,000 armed IRS agents on the case!

Wait, you're telling me that's not how this works? That's not how any of this work?

[paleotn]

10. Nice to know, but not much will come of it.....

Mention gawd and the feds are completely hands off. They're scared to death it seems of enforcing anything outside of of outright criminal violations on religious groups. Christian nutters have been endorsing candidates from the pulpit for decades in direct violation of IRS rules and nothing has ever come of it. The Johnson Amendment is dead for all practical purposes.

[czarjak]

11. Religious Rube Rule?

[twodogsbarking]

12. Is it ok to root for the IRS ?