From www.au.org
December 4, 2007
Americans United Asks IRS To Investigate Falwell's Liberty University
For Endorsement Of Mike Huckabee
Liberty Chancellor Used School Resources To Promote Presidential
Candidate, Church-State Watchdog Group Says
Liberty University Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. violated federal tax
law by using school resources to endorse Republican presidential
candidate Mike Huckabee, Americans United for Separation of Church and
State told the Internal Revenue Service today.
In a complaint filed with the federal tax agency, Americans United
noted that Falwell hosted the candidate at Liberty University and then
sent an email message on Liberty University letterhead endorsing
Huckabee.
In a "Liberty News Alert" dated Dec. 1, 2007, Falwell wrote,
"Recently, Governor Mike Huckabee called to brief me on the progress
of his campaign for the presidency. I invited the Governor to speak to
the Liberty University students in Convocation on November 28. He
graciously accepted. I was so impressed with the Governor's sincerity
and his positions on the issues that are important to conservative
Christians that I personally endorsed Governor Huckabee before he left
Lynchburg."
Falwell goes on to say, "My father strongly supported Governor
Huckabee when no one thought that he had any chance to succeed in the
presidential race. I believe with all my heart that, if my father had
witnessed Governor Huckabee's surge in the polls and his ascension to
first place in the Iowa polls, he would have endorsed Governor
Huckabee without hesitation."
The alert was accompanied by an article from a university-run online
publication implying that Huckabee is God's candidate.
Americans United sent a letter to IRS officials today, asking them to
investigate the matter. The letter notes that on Nov. 19, the IRS
issued a press statement reminding charities and churches about the
ban on politicking and asks the tax agency to back that up with
enforcement in this case.
"Falwell surely knows that these types of political endorsements are
illegal," remarked the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of
Americans United. "Tax-exempt religious institutions may not be used
to support or oppose candidates for public office."
Falwell seems to be following in the footsteps of his late father
Jerry Falwell Sr. In 1993, Falwell Sr.'s Old Time Gospel Hour had its
tax exemption retroactively revoked for the years 1986 and 1987 and
the ministry was required to pay $50,000 because of involvement in
partisan politics.
Pastors and heads of 501(c)(3) non-profit groups are free to endorse
candidates as private individuals, but the Internal Revenue Code does
not allow them to use institutional resources, such as official
publications, Web sites and other forms of communication, to back or
oppose candidates.
"Falwell seems determined to misuse tax-exempt resources, just like
his father did," said Lynn. "The IRS needs to step in and break this
chain of flagrant disregard for the law."
Americans United is a religious liberty watchdog group based in
Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans
about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding
religious freedom.
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Rich Goranson
Amherst, NY, USA
aa#MCMXCIX, a-vet#1
EAC Department of Cruel and Unusual Choreography
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