US EditionA Surprise IRS Move on Political Endorsements Leaves Faith Leaders and Legal Experts Divided
TEXAS FEDERAL COURT, JUL 8 – The IRS and religious groups seek to protect pastors from losing tax-exempt status when endorsing political candidates, citing First Amendment rights in a Texas federal court case.
- On July 7, 2025, the National Religious Broadcasters and the IRS jointly filed a court-approved settlement in the Eastern District of Texas clarifying the Johnson Amendment's application.
- The settlement arose after a 2024 lawsuit by religious groups claiming the amendment violated their First Amendment rights, though some experts caution its legal reach beyond this case remains uncertain.
- The filing stated churches speaking in good faith through usual religious channels about politics do not intervene in campaigns, while the Catholic Church affirmed it does not endorse candidates and keeps its engagement unchanged.
- President Donald Trump praised the IRS's move as “terrific” and endorsed churches' ability to back political candidates, while other leaders and scholars expressed mixed reactions, citing potential risks and skepticism among some faith communities.
- This development partially relaxes a decades-old restriction, suggesting possible future shifts in church political speech though significant debate and calls for clearer guidance persist from both religious and legal experts.
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Trump Administration Bones The Johnson Amendment - Above the Law
In 2017, a newly elected President Trump promised faith leaders to remove a once-critical barrier in the separation of church and state. “I will get rid of and totally destroy the Johnson Amendment and allow our representatives of faith to speak freely and without fear of retribution,” he vowed at the National Prayer Breakfast just two weeks after his inauguration. As with so many of his promises, that one went unkept. The Johnson Amendment, whi…
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A surprise IRS move on political endorsements leaves faith leaders and experts divided
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Total News Sources113
Leaning Left26Leaning Right7Center65Last UpdatedBias Distribution66% Center
Bias Distribution
- 66% of the sources are Center
66% Center
L 27%
C 66%
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