The Baptist and 4 square church near me just had a GOP picnic with an

[thebaghwan]

appearance of a GOP Washington State Senate candidate. It was ol George (I'm for term limits except for myself) Nethercutt. The two churches are across the street from one another. Isn't this a violation of the church's tax exempt status? What can be done about it?

[prolesunited]

1. Report them to the IRS

with as much detailed information that you have. Know anyone in attendance? Get eyewitness accounts. Also, a call to your local paper to get a story or at perhaps write a letter to the editor.

[Cleita]

2. Try to get a complaint about it in front of a federal judge?

I really don't know. How do you enforce this? Make a complaint to the IRS? Legal eagles? Any thoughts? Maybe there is no way to enforce this. It could be why they are violating their tax status so blatantly.

[WMliberal]

3. def report to the IRS, ACLU, and write a LTTE

maybe the ACLU will know more about how to report them to the IRS.

[alcuno]

4. What is a GOP picnic?

Was it just a picnic with a GOP Senate candidate in attendance? That's not a violation.

[thebaghwan]

5. It appeared to be a picnic just for GOPers. Their sign said "GOP Picnic"

and the GOP senate candidate appeared as a campaign stop I presume (will check his website for an announcement). If it is not a violation, why isn't it a violation?

[sandnsea]

6. Did you take a picture?

Get literature? Tape record it? We have to do this stuff. A church having a GOP picnic just doesn't seem legal to me.

[liberalrecruiter]

7. GOP picnic..

um, first, I can't resist saying that's an oxymoron. On to the
serious. I'd call the ACLU and maybe your Attorney General's
office and ask about the tax-exempt thing and possible
violation of church and state issues for maintaing the
exemption??? Hope you've got pics -or testimonials. Maybe you
can an least get an IRS investigation. Let us pray...   

[newyawker99]

12. Hi liberalrecruiter!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[jdj]

8. If it was today, you can go back and take a picture.

Look in their trash, the sign might still be there.

[Shopaholic]

9. They'll probably use the excuse my church did when they invited * to speak

at the Family Life Center in 2000--"We as a church didn't invite him. They rented the facilities."

[jdj]

10. the IRS rules are pretty specific about what you can and can't

allow. Someone posted them awhile back but I don't have this on this computer. You can have politicians speak, but the church cannot openly endorse a politician to vote for. I don't know if this violates anything or not, it's just a shame churches want to affiliate themselves with one of the most corrupt groups on the face of the earth.

[vetwife]

11. This has to stop ! 501 c (3) cannot keep an exemption and do

all of this ! This is ridiculous !

[Eloriel]

13. CONTACT AMERICANS UNITED FOR THE SEPARATION

OF CHURCH AND STATE --

http://www.au.org


Get as much verification/evidence as possible in the meantime. But contact them immediately. They are top notch on their complaints to the IRS, lawsuits, etc.