As Democrats convene, the contrast between the political parties couldn't be more clear. One of the many stark differences highlighted at the conventions is campaign finance reform. Democrats understand that big money in politics is corrupting our system and that we need accountability, disclosure, and contribution limits to help give everyday Americans a voice.
Republicans, on the other hand, are flatly calling for more money and less transparency in our elections. Donald Trump himself singled out the Johnson Amendment as a target of repeal in his acceptance speech last Thursday as well as in his introduction of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate the prior Saturday, saying he would let, “people of religion talk without being afraid to talk.” The Republican platform (called “the most extreme in recent memory”) repeats this goal in two separate locations.
As usual, Donald Trump doesn’t know what he’s talking about – perhaps he got the idea from reading “Two Corinthians.” The Johnson Amendment exists to protect churches and charities and their tax exempt status. It also protects us from being fooled into contributing to a fraud charity designed only to conduct political action and not for the social good.
The Amendment does not forbid pastors or congregation members from stating their personal political views or from donating to candidates – for instance, Jerry Falwell Jr. endorsed Trump in January. It does, though, prohibit churches, charities, and other 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profits (like the Red Cross) from endorsing and actively supporting candidates if they wish to maintain those exemptions.
So why are the Trump Republicans so desperate to repeal the Johnson Amendment?
The answer lies in how nonprofits function in today’s politics. Donors to 501(c)(3) and similar 501(c)(4) ‘social welfare’ non-profits are allowed to remain anonymous. Because 501(c)(4) groups are allowed to spend effectively unlimited money on elections, billionaires and corporate special interests have set up dozens of new groups and flooded them with anonymous cash.
Most of these groups only serve the ‘social welfare’ in name – instead, they focus their millions of dollars on supporting and opposing candidates in our elections. No wonder we can’t turn on the TV without seeing ads run by groups with vague names like “Crossroads GPS” or “Americans for Prosperity.”
If the Johnson Amendment is repealed, the same big-money interests behind these groups could find or even create 501(c)(3) ‘charities’ and ‘churches’ to use as pass-throughs for anonymous, unlimited money. The money would even be tax-deductible! This is a critical threat to the integrity of our democracy, and it’s one the Trump Republicans would like us to ignore.
Let’s be clear: this debate isn’t between believers and non-believers. For instance, Rev. Barry Lynn told Time that “changing current restrictions on church politicking will corrupt the church’s mission, violates the beliefs of many parishioners and creates another giant loophole in campaign finance.” Instead, this is an issue where Trump’s billionaire and corporate special interest allies are determined to promote their favored candidates through their churches, even if many congregants disagree.
People of faith are free to exercise their religion however they choose. Any American can endorse, contribute to, or otherwise support any candidate they like. If they feel compelled to use their organizations to speak out, they are completely free to make it happen – but under current law, they’d have to forfeit their tax deduction like everyone else who’s working to influence politics.
The Trump Republicans want to have their cake and eat it, too. Instead, the law appropriately requires them to apply their principles as individuals while keeping their tax exempt organizations separate, because mixing up elections with the work of churches and charities endangers that critical work.
Our churches and charities underpin our society. Let’s not permit the Koch brothers and other secret-money schemers trying to buy our elections to take advantage of these groups for an easy tax break. For the sake of our democracy, we need to keep the Johnson Amendment in place to prevent the further spread and facilitation of anonymous money in our elections.