What is the Johnson Amendment, and why is it controversial?
Note: This is from an article I wrote in 2018. The Johnson Amendment has been in the news again this week and has been for the last few years. One of President Trump's campaign promises was to repeal it , specifically for churches. However, it is still in effect. What exactly is this law that so few have heard of, and why have people been deabing it for decades? The Johnson Amendment is named after Lyndon Johnson, who introduced it to the Senate during his 1954 re-election campaign for senator. As with any amendment, there are a lot of facets to it, but generally speaking it prevents nonprofit organizations from endorsing political candidates in order to keep their tax-exempt status. This includes religious, literary, scientific, educational, and other charities -- any organization that has a 501(c)3 status. Some nonprofits file under 501(c)4, which can take donations but NOT make them tax-exempt. Those organizations have more freedom to engage in politics. So, what is the big deal
