Kamala Harris Violates Federal Tax Laws By Directly Endorsing Candidates To Virginia Churches

The following report is from The Blaze. See commentary at the end:

Vice President Kamala Harris is being accused of helping Virginia churches break federal law prohibiting tax-exempt churches from engaging in overt political activity.

What Is Harris Doing?

More than 300 “black churches” across Virginia will reportedly view a pre-recorded message from Harris over the next several weeks urging them to vote for Democrat Terry McAuliffe in the upcoming Virginia gubernatorial election.

According to CNN reporter Eva McKend, the message began airing Sunday and will be continue to be broadcasted through Nov. 2. The message “will air during morning services as part of outreach effort aimed to boost @TerryMcAuliffe,” McKend reported.

NEW — More than 300 Black churches across VA will hear from @KamalaHarris btwn Sun. and November 2 in video message that will air during morning services as part of outreach effort aimed to boost @TerryMcAuliffe.#VAGOV

Video first obtained by CNNhttps://t.co/vaefXtWqUe pic.twitter.com/l8re0KUkN1

— Eva McKend (@evamckend) October 16, 2021

In her message, Harris does not hide her endorsement of McAuliffe. Not only does she urge parishioners to “vote after today’s service,” but Harris tells church-goers that, “I know that you will send Terry McAuliffe back to Richmond.”

What Is The Problem With Harris’ Message?

The explicitly political message, which certainly endorses a political candidate, seemingly violates the Johnson Amendment.

The Internal Revenue Service explains:

In 1954, Congress approved an amendment by Sen. Lyndon Johnson to prohibit 501(c)(3) organizations, which includes charities and churches, from engaging in any political campaign activity. To the extent Congress has revisited the ban over the years, it has in fact strengthened the ban. The most recent change came in 1987 when Congress amended the language to clarify that the prohibition also applies to statements opposing candidates.

Currently, the law prohibits political campaign activity by charities and churches by defining a 501(c)(3) organization as one “which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.”

The IRS further explains that tax-exempt organizations that violate the law are subject to losing their tax-exempt status.

Under the Internal Revenue Code, all section 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office. Contributions to political campaign funds or public statements of position (verbal or written) made on behalf of the organization in favor of or in opposition to any candidate for public office clearly violate the prohibition against political campaign activity.

Violating this prohibition may result in denial or revocation of tax-exempt status and the imposition of certain excise taxes.

Tax-exempt organizations, however, are permitted to engage in “certain voter education activities” and “other activities intended to encourage people to participate in the electoral process” so long as they are “conducted in a non-partisan manner.” Harris’ message clearly goes beyond such permitted activity.

Anything Else?

White House press secretary Jen Psaki appeared to skirt the Hatch Act last week when she seemingly endorsed McAuliffe during a press briefing from the White House.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has filed an ethics complaint over Psaki’s remarks.

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AUTHOR COMMENTARY

A few points to make here:

Firstly, yes, it goes without saying that what Harris is doing is plainly an obstruction of the law. It’s more “rules for thee and not for me.”

However, going into my second point, the sheer hypocrisy here is astounding. Whenever pastors and preachers endorsed Trump behind the pulpit, then the rightwing media cheered for it and made no mention of this.

And speaking of Trump, this was yet another broken campaign promise. He talked about ending the “Johnson Amendment” he called it, but never actually did. Why do you suppose that is? Did you really think the federal government was going to relinquish their leash on the braindead hirelings who WILLINGLY signed up for their tax exempt status, even though they were NEVER forced or REQUIRED to do so?! Don’t kid yourself. Trump’s executive order NEVER got rid of it, just minimized it’s effects on paper. In other words, it was all for show.

So leave it to The Blaze to be quick to point out Harris’ disregard for the unjust laws, but not condemn it when Trump supporters have and still do it, or when TRUMP HIMSELF DOES IT…

Trump Creates An Ecumenical National Advisory Board. Gives Support For The “Moonies” Cult

The owner and founder of The Blaze is Glenn Beck, who went to a private Roman Catholic high school and Jesuit college, and then turned Mormon. Of course, anyone who is educated and privy to Jesuitry knows that this is laughable; and while he himself did not write this report, The Blaze plays into a lot of the religious fakery in this country.

I am mentioning this report to not only demonstrate the hypocrisy of The Blaze, Harris’ typical puppet string actions that are for show, and also how the IRS (if they wanted to), could crackdown hard and fast on their laws when need be. What Trump and the media do not tell you about 501(c)3 (and other very similar tax exemptions) is that the building is then a part of the public sector, viewed as a corporation, with the head pastor as the CEO and the staff as part of the business payroll. They have to meet all kinds of different regulations, too. This is why these churches have to keep dumping sick money into these buildings to keep them up to snuff, and then brownnose the congregants to tithe and “evangelize.” When the government needs to clamp down, they will. And I think we are going to see more of that coming up, presuming more people die this Winter because of the death shots.

[34] For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery. [35] They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit.

Job 15:34-35

When corporate powers combine with the state, this is called fascism, as defined by Mussolini.

Richard Wurmbrand once warned of government-state ran “churches,” where he faced immense persecution for his faith. Now we have had it for many years, and the hirelings cry for it with glee.

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[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).

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