IRS Demands that Coalition for Life of Iowa Swear It Will Not Oppose Planned Parenthood: Thomas More Society Attorneys Request that IRS Stop the Harassment and Violation of Coalition’s Constitutional Rights to Prayer and Legal Protests Outside Planned Par

Today the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) was put on notice that the Thomas More Society in Chicago stands ready to defend the Coalition for Life of Iowa against the prejudicial questioning by the IRS, which has delayed granting tax exemption to the non-profit religious organization. After questioning the “educational” nature of the Coalition’s materials, prayer meetings, talks and other Pro-Life activities, the IRS stated that it would not grant tax exemption until the Coalition swore to limit its “picketing” and “protesting” of Planned Parenthood. In their response, attorneys of the Thomas More Society defending the Coalition, argued that the IRS is in danger of violating the First Amendment and that the request for tax exemption should be promptly granted. The repeated questioning of the Coalition suggests that the IRS may be denying or delaying tax-exempt status to an eligible organization based solely upon its religious affiliation and speech.