Letter: Charity supports Obama

Published: Sunday, June 10 2012 12:00 a.m. MDT

Planned Parenthood Advocate Rachael Munkacsi, left, protests during Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's Oregon fundraiser Monday, June 4, 2012, in Portland, Ore.

Associated Press

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Summary

The U.S. tax law of charities provides IRS code section 501(c)(3) charity status to nonprofit, educational organizations. Recent news reports indicate Planned Parenthood has this charity status, but that it recently endorsed President Barack Obama for president in the next election. IRS code section 501(c)(3) expressly prohibits any such charity from campaigning for any candidate for public office.

Apparently, we will soon see whether the IRS under Obama will enforce this law, as it has done strictly in the past, and revoke the exempt status of Planned Parenthood, or whether Obama's people will cause the IRS to wink at this violation — abusing the IRS's powers as President Nixon was properly denounced for doing.

Edwin H. Beus

Sandy

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The Real Maverick

Orem, UT

So corporations are people but charities are not?

1:31 a.m. June 10, 2012
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Truthseeker

SLO, CA

To Mr. Beus, the letter writer:

It was the Planned Parenthood Action Fund which made a political endorsement, not Planned Parenthood. The Planned Parenthood Action Fund is organized as a 501(c)4, not a 501(c)3 as Planned Parenthood is, More..

5:39 a.m. June 10, 2012
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Esquire

Springville, UT

Go down this road, and challenges will be made about conservative groups. There are a number of churches that have crossed the line, for example.

9:25 a.m. June 10, 2012
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