IRS Accused of Coercing Pro-life Groups

IRS officials refused to grant tax-exempt status to two pro-life organizations because of their position on the abortion issue. That’s according to a non-profit law firm, which said that one group was pressured not to protest a pro-choice organization that endorsed President Obama during the last election.

The Thomas More Society said in one case, the IRS withheld approval of an application for tax-exempt status for the Coalition for Life of Iowa. In a phone call to the group’s leaders back in 2009 the IRS agent told the group to send a letter to the IRS with the entire board’s signatures stating that, under the threat of perjury, they would not picket/protest or organize groups to picket or protest outside of Planned Parenthood. The agent reportedly added, “Once the IRS received this letter, their application would be approved.”