Liberty University illegally hosted Ted Cruz’s presidential announcement speech

[babylonsister]

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/danthropology/2015/03/liberty-university-illegally-hosted-ted-cruzs-presidential-announcement-speech/?utm_content=buffer4b4c1&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Liberty University illegally hosted Ted Cruz’s presidential announcement speech
March 26, 2015 by Dan Arel


Americans United for the Separation of Church and State issued a letter to the IRS today claiming that Liberty University violated federal laws in hosting Ted Cruz to announce his candidacy for President of the United States.

The letter which is addressed to IRS Commissioner John Koskinen states,

Liberty University is a tax-exempt organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. As such, it is prohibited from endorsing or opposing candidates for public office. Yet it is difficult to view Liberty’s choice to allow Sen. Cruz to hold a campaign rally on campus as anything less than an endorsement of his candidacy, notwithstanding the university president’s perfunctory disclaimer to the contrary.

Indeed, it appears that Sen. Cruz chose Liberty because it offered him certain advantages, and Liberty was more than happy to work in coordination with the senator to assist his cause. Sen. Cruz wanted potential donors and conservative voters to believe that he has the support of thousands of young people at the largest Christian university in the world. And Liberty helped sell that idea by making attendance at the senator’s rally mandatory for students. (In fact, anyone who failed to show up without an approved excuse faced a fine of $10.)

Sadly the IRS will fail to act in this case as they are still bared from auditing and investigating non-profits because of the moratorium placed on the office by congressional republicans over the faux IRS scandal they created last year.

However action of some form must be taken as religious organizations abuse their tax-exempt status to push a political agenda.

[liberal N proud]

1. #1 reason I no longer go to church...

They were pushing a political agenda and informing members that they couldn't be Christian unless the we're republican. I asked where that was written in the bible and left.

[libodem]

2. Cool

They were forced to go. Or they were fined $10.00. Liberty, my ass.

Church and State. How inconvenient.

[Cha]

3. Can't cruz get anything right about his "I am running for president"..

Announcement! Yeah, ".. Liberty was more than happy to assist his cause.. " like fining the students $10 bucks if they didn't attend.

mahalo babylonsistah

[Faryn Balyncd]

4. Why should Liberty University get a free ride on paying taxes?

[Dont call me Shirley]

7. Yeah, who are the real freeloaders, Liberty?

[onenote]

5. Probably not

Candidates of both parties have routinely made campaign appearances at private colleges and churches. For example, during primary season in 2008, then Senator Obama spoke at a Howard University convocation. The fact that attendance at Liberty was "mandatory" is a distinction, but not one that is likely to have legal significance particularly since the school didn't prevent students from wearing Rand Paul shirts to the event.

[progressoid]

6. Doubt it will stick unless Liberty endorses Ted.

[cstanleytech]

8. It's sad that Cruz believes himself to be so unpopular that he felt the need for a captive audience.

[Wella]

11. He certainly avoided protests by going to Liberty. At UCLA, he'd have been vehemently protested

That would have been fun to watch.

[AndyTiedye]

9. Attendance Was Mandatory

They not only hosted the kickoff for Ted Cruz's campaign, they required all their students to attend.

[world wide wally]

10. Did anybody find out who owns that phone number that Cruz asked students to text to at the end?

[raven mad]

12. NO religion in politics is an admirable goal.

It will never work - everyone who has one (religion) is going to listen to their king, priest, pastor, mullah, whatever - but the staging for Cruz was a blatant defiance of federal law. And NO religion should be tax-exempt, period.

Great post. Thank you!