Immigration Group Files RICO Lawsuit, Wire Fraud Claims Against SPLC
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
On Wednesday, the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) filed a RICO lawsuit against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), accusing the SPLC of engaging in wire fraud to prop up a conspiracy designed to destroy CIS. The lawsuit seeks a judgment that would prevent the SPLC from falsely labeling CIS a "hate group." President Trump has hired CIS analysts for important roles in his administration.
Howard Foster, CIS's attorney in the case, told PJ Media that the plan to hit SPLC with a racketeering charge went back months, before Baltimore attorney Glen Allen filed his lawsuit for $6.5 million also under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and other statutes.
"We actually sent a copy of this complaint to the SPLC before we filed it, a couple of months ago," Foster, a RICO lawyer, told PJ Media in an interview on Wednesday. "We told them that we were going to file it unless they removed us from their 'hate group' list."
"They essentially told us to go pound sand," Foster recalled.
The lawyer admitted that bringing RICO charges in a civil suit is "difficult," but he insisted "I think here there is a good RICO case."
Federal law "defines racketeering activities as a whole big group of federal and state statutes," Foster explained. "To falsely call CIS a 'hate group' is to commit wire fraud over the internet. And it’s a false statement meant to cause financial harm."
In addition to the SPLC, the lawsuit names Intelligence Project Director Heidi Beirich and SPLC President Richard Cohen. The two defendants "decided to designate CIS as a hate group knowing CIS did not meet SPLC's definition of a hate group," the lawsuit alleges .
The suit also quotes the former editor in chief of the SPLC's Intelligence Report, who said the organization's aim in marking "hate groups" was "not trying to change anybody's mind" but "trying to wreck the groups ... and destroy them." Former SPLC spokesman Mark Potok made similar statements in 2009.
CIS claimed the false label did their organization concrete damage. In 2018, Amazon.com's charity program AmazonSmile removed the Center for Immigration Studies, citing the SPLC label, an action the group claims cost them at least $10,000. Also according to the lawsuit, the charity navigation website GuideStar put the "hate group" marking on CIS's profile on its website in 2018. I reported that GuideStar marked out SPLC-labeled "hate groups" in 2017, removing the labels later that year.
The lawsuit hinges on the claim that CIS does not fit the "hate group" definition. The SPLC defines a "hate group" as "an organization that — based on its official statements or principles, the statements of its leaders, or its activities — has beliefs or practices that attack or malign an entire class of people, typically for their immutable characteristics."
"As the Supreme Court has recognized, being an illegal, unauthorized, or undocumented immigrant is not an 'immutable characteristic' since 'it is the product of a conscious, indeed, unlawful, action,'" the lawsuit explains, citing the 1982 case Plyler v. Doe . "Thus, SPLC has not even articulated a basis for designating CIS or any organization a hate group based upon its views on immigration policy."
"Even if being an immigrant were an 'immutable characteristic' the 'official statement of principles' of CIS does not indicate 'beliefs or practices' that 'attack or malign' immigrants as a 'class.' As posted on the CIS website, the mission of CIS is 'providing immigration policy makers, the academic community, news media, and concerned citizens with reliable information about the social, economic, environmental, security and fiscal consequences of legal and illegal immigration into the United States,'" the lawsuit explains.
Even CIS's motto, "Pro immigrant, low immigration," reflects the organization's commitment to immigration as a good thing in limited amounts.
"The SPLC has produced no evidence that the 'statements' of CIS 'leaders' or 'activities' of CIS reveal 'beliefs or practices' that 'malign or attack' immigrants as a class," the lawsuit continues. "The information that is provided by CIS on the consequences of immigration is ordinarily based on official federal government statistics."
Foster, the lawyer, noted that without the fundamental claim that being an illegal immigrant is an "immutable characteristic," the SPLC would have to "show that CIS makes official statements that malign or attack all immigrants. I just don’t know how they can show that."
CIS alleges that 13 separate articles on the SPLC's Hatewatch blog constitute wire fraud, since they name CIS as a "hate group" and were disseminated over the internet.
The lawsuit does not argue that the SPLC enriched itself by attacking the Center for Immigration Studies. "It doesn't have to obtain any money for itself to violate the wire fraud statute," Foster explained.
In order to prove wire fraud, CIS must show that the SPLC engaged in "false representation as part of a scheme to harm the plaintiff financially and that the plaintiff is damaged."
Foster told PJ Media that the next step is for CIS to formally "serve" the SPLC. Then the far-Left smear group would "have to answer the complaint or file a motion to dismiss it or something else."
While the lawsuit did not name a specific total in damages, it did ask for an injunction. "They would have to put on their website that CIS is not a hate group," Foster explained.
Unlike many lawsuits involving the SPLC, this RICO case only extends to 9 pages.
While Glen Allen's lawsuit seems a volley of legal claims, hoping that one or two well-reasoned arrows will hit home, the Center for Immigration Studies lawsuit is a scalpel, specifically crafted to deliver one irrefutable claim.
The SPLC has faced many other lawsuits over its "hate group" labeling. In June 2017, the Christian legal nonprofit Liberty Counsel sued GuideStar for falsely labeling them a "hate group" using the SPLC label. In August 2017, the Christian ministry D. James Kennedy Ministries sued the SPLC for defamation after AmazonSmile kicked the ministry off of its charity program.
Last June, the SPLC paid $3.375 million in a settlement after Muslim reformer Maajid Nawaz filed a defamation suit. The group had branded Nawaz an "anti-Islamic extremist." The settlement encouraged about 60 other organizations to consider their own defamation lawsuits against the SPLC.
The Center for Immigration Studies is particularly important in this fight, as many of its analysts have joined the Trump administration. In 2017, CIS analyst Jonn Feere joined the division of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In May 2018, Trump nominated Ronald Mortensen, a CIS fellow, as assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Immigration at the State Department.
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This is great news. It’s about time that the secular progressive hate group, the terrorist inspiring SPLC is made to pay for their hate and for the crime of defaming and libeling everyone who disagrees with them on some key issues as haters when it is they themselves and their followers who are the real haters.
The Center for Immigration Studies ( CIS ) is a non-profit organization and think tank [3] "that favors far lower immigration numbers and produces research to further those views." [4]
Kind of explains why they are going after the SPLC. Nothing will come of this.
The CIS is a thinly disguised far right wing white nationalist organization. Not surprising they hate SPLC.
but what you linked does not define “hate” or legitimately calling them a hate group which is the issue. Christian and conservative groups and individuals getting their hate label is in all reality a badge of honor we take pride it because we know it to be a deliberate lie.
CIS is one of several anti immigration non profits founded by John Tanton, who by his own comments opposes any Hispanic inroads to a European-American society ( in order for European-American society and culture to persist requires a European-American majority, and a clear one at that."
He favors a white majority and eugenics.
That should tell anyone what they need to know about CIS.
There's also a John Tanton Network of similar propaganda.
LOL, I guess hate group becomes a relative term then.
Everything is relative.
Not nothing. It reminds me to send in my donation to the SPLC.
And.....done!
I agree, in fact I believe that they should wear that badge in the middle of their foreheads. Easy to pick them out, kinda like a scarlet letter..
LOLOL, quoting him or his group kinda tells you where the supporters are on the spectrum...
So you take pride in being a part of far right wing hate against the 'other'?
kaBOOOM
What is it they say about a fool and his money?
[Removed]
Hum, That's what they said when Maajid Nawaz sued the pants off them for a nice settlement of $3.375 million.
I expect more lawsuits
Considering that leaders of that group end up in the Trump administration and appear regularly on Fox News they are not far to the right. Personally I disagree with them about limiting legal immigration numbers at all, simply redrecting it toward meeting our national needs and limiting the chain migration and getting rid of the lottery. I have lots of common ground with them on opposing illegal immigration and supporting a border barrier.
Bingo!
They say: Donald Trump.
Poor come back. Do try harde. No points awarded for
That’s quite the direct and personal attack on another member and making the seeder the issue rather than the actual topic of the seed. Everything I have seeded since you knew me on the other site? Really? At any rate, your personal attack is to me a badge of honor. Thanks.
And it is just as easy to pick them out the minute they open their mouths and their own vile hate flows out like water.
You make this Tanton guy whoever he is sound like George Bernard Shaw and Ms. Sanger.
Speaking of marks on their foreheads.....in the last days many will have just that though more will have it on their hands instead.
I do too. Some 60 different groups are looking into doing so and don’t want a class action so they/we will be initiating them one at a time after the prior one is well underway so that they can’t be combined and so that the SPLC will have to spend the time, manpower, and resources defending each individual complaint separately.
Mirror mirror on the wall.....
Google is your friend...
Kinda an intrusive one. That's why bing is a better friend of mine. Google always wants to tell me what and where to buy stuff, bing so far doesn't.
LOL
[deleted]
[Your] comment [was totally out of line.]
I prefer Bing as well.
RICO is a federal law to attack organized crime such as the mafia,so cannot be filed by a private group as a civil suit.
Details, details......
The statute does provide for a civil suit:
But it seems that in order to that to take place, the following activities would have to have been established before that case could go forward:
Any violation of state statutes against gambling , murder , kidnapping , extortion , arson , robbery , bribery , dealing in obscene matter , or dealing in a controlled substance or listed chemical (as defined in the Controlled Substances Act );
And no amount of wishful thinking on the part of the CIS and fellow travelers is going to able to pull that off. But what jumps out from that list is how many activities on it could very well apply to Scumbag, Inc.
The best that they have is a possible claim of libel or slander, but the SPLC calling a group of xenophobic bigots a hate group isn't going to work with a jury that is not composed entirely of members of that same group.
We shall see. It will be an interesting case that I think we the good people will prevail in.
In what alternate world are white nationalists" good people"? Maybe the Klan can try to rebrand themselves as "Christian genetic purists"........?
.....Center for Immigration Studies has filed a lawsuit against the left-wing Southern Poverty Law Center and, in particular, a now-retired SPLC employee who oversees its "hate group" project.
The suit was filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO.
CIS is seeking damages and an injunction prohibiting the far-left group from repeating the false claim that the center is a hate group.
Mark Krikorian, executive director of CIS, tells OneNewsNow that the SPLC is aware the immigration watchdog fails to meet its own definition of a hate group.....
I hope that the SPLC countersues.
Counter sue based on what exactly?
Usually the best way to determine 'a group's motives or agendas' and to determine whether ( the group ) is a ---------not a genuine non-profit---------is to publicly release ( the group's ) financial underpinnings and it's benefactors.
The CIC may fall into a category of the 'Isolationist Wing' of the political spectrum. Would that make it a hate group? Probably not. That can only be determined by it's agendas and it's proposals to conclude those agendas.
That is the point of all this. They are being defamed as a hate group with all the effects of that deliberate lie by the illegitimate SPLC
If this goes to court witnesses will be called. Finances will be revealed. Then the 'legitimacy or illegitimacy' will be determined.
From SourceWatch...
Have always found the SPLC to be spot on. Figures that far right wing fascists would want to defame them.
Yes, indeed. By both sides. My guess at this point is CIS folds after the first filings to the court by the defense are submitted.
I say let them go down that road. Expose all their donors.
How can sections of the government justify giving money to certain organizations...
Wow, remember what happened to ACORN? May it be thus with CIS. Turn about is fair play, right?
[deleted]
Honestly /s Isn't that what lobbyists are all about?
It appears to be a big circle jerk.
That they do is alone proof that they are not a hate group. Almost all of the Christian and conservative groups the SPLC has targeted have connections to the US court system, the executive administration, and either minority or majority leadership in Congress. As far as I’m concerned having those key contacts in our federal government is far more important than the fact they are banned here as seeding sources because of the SPLC terrorist inspiring hate group designation.
Whatever [deleted] particular motives are, sort is one of biggest reasons that extreme rightwing versions of "Christianity" are hemorrhaging disciples, especially younger ones, this country today so maybe we should thank him, and others like him, for that. He certainly re-validates my atheism every time I read one of his screeds.
Shouldn’t that be deleted for context due to the quoting of the deleted personal attack ruled no value?
CIS is in the same league as Judicial Watch. Probably Russian sponsored. Compromised like the NRA.
You were saying something?
We aren’t the ones hemorrhaging members. That would be liberal mainline Protestant denominations and Unitarians that are really losing members while fundamentalist and evangelical denominations hold their own or grow. That liberal Christians give up God altogether to be like their secular progressive friends rather than associate with more conservative believers is on them,not us.
Judicial Watch and the National Rifle Association, two more proud groups made up exclusively of pro America patriots.
white conservative rednecks.
Fixed it !
Damn, that's really a low bar to become a patriot...I guess that allows a lot of scum bags to claim that they are patriots.
Perhaps you should try reading and understanding my comment, MUVA.
That is not what I said at all.
BTW all of my family is military including my father, A Marine in WWII...
sorry, It was first light when I posted, I should have added there's nothing wrong with that as many segments of patriotic americans have exclusive groups they belong to.
People tend to want to associate with others the same in ways, always have.
I'm no different.
sorry
Yeah, right:
Once again, HA your "accuracy" is 100% -- wrong.
Sadly, so it would seem. It’s quite the progressive assault on millions of patriotic Americans who belong to those fine organizations.
Actually it isn't KAG, but you know that and have no other response...Noted and true to form.
About a quarter (25.4%) of U.S. adults identify with evangelical Protestantism, according to Pew Research Center’s 2014 Religious Landscape Study . In that survey, evangelical Protestants are identified mainly on the basis of their affiliation with evangelical denominations (such as the Southern Baptist Convention, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod or the Presbyterian Church in America, to name just a few) or with nondenominational evangelical churches. Evangelical Protestantism is the nation’s single largest religious group, exceeding the size of the nation’s Catholic (20.8%), mainline Protestant (14.7%) and religiously unaffiliated (22.8%) populations.
The evangelical Protestant share of the population has dipped slightly in recent years (from 26.3% in 2007 to 25.4% in 2014), but more slowly than the mainline Protestant and Catholic populations. Though the percentage of Americans who identify with evangelical Protestant denominations has ticked downward, the absolute number of evangelicals appears to be rising as the overall U.S. population grows. In 2014, there were roughly 62.2 million evangelical Protestant adults, up from about 59.8 million in 2007. https://www.google.com/amp/www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/03/01/5-facts-about-u-s-evangelical-protestants/%3famp=1
Perhaps because the government trusts the organization and values its services and doesn’t consider them a hate group like a certain terrorist inspiring hate group does.
If the government can give to organizations then other parts of government can give to the ACLU.
Four votes up so whatever it is I wrote must have been of value to a few folks.
Follow the money.
We do follow the SPLC money and how much their get rich off the organization founder scumbag Dees and his friends have hidden offshore.
What offshore friends?
I've donated to the SPLC in the past. The more bigots that they piss off by exposing them the happier that I am.
I guess lying is just fine with some "Christians."
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.weeklystandard.com/jeryl-bier/the-southern-poverty-law-center-has-69-million-parked-overseas%3f_amp=true https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonexaminer.com/new-report-finds-southern-poverty-law-center-pours-millions-into-offshore-accounts%3f_amp=true
[deleted]
So since you can’t refute the truth of the SPLC money 💰 laundering in off shore accounts you simply resort to attacking all the sources that exposed the SPLC including the Washington Post.
How embarrasing for you!
As an actual civil rights and anti-death penalty attorney who works for clients wrote:
" He (Dees) has taken advantage of naive, well-meaning people –some of moderate or low incomes–who believe his pitches and give to his $175-million operation. He has spent most of what they have sent him to raise still more millions, pay high salaries, and promote himself. Because he spends so much on fund raising, his operation spends $30 million a year to accomplish less than what many other organizations accomplish on shoestring budgets."
They clearly are a fraud, a sham front group to make the founder and top friends millions while they make pronouncements that cause real harm to real legitimate and honest people because of how their lemming followers act on their vile hate filled pronouncements.
Charity Navigator disagrees with you about his fiscal accountability,
My irony meter exploded.
The irony that is the SPLC is a hate filled scam organization made up of professional scumbags and swindlers. The group has no redeeming value.
Wire fraud? Good luck with that.
Propaganda according to whom? The hate filled bigot scumbag human debris at the source you quoted from above? No one on the center right gives a 💩 what he/they have to say about anything except to read what they don’t like because they don’t.
Great example of comity and civility..Well done and true to form.
Is this your idea of what it means to be a Christian?
[deleted]
I wonder if he realizes just how much damage he does to the people who really try to follow the teachings of Jesus.
I’m simply expressing my real and true feelings about an outside group another brought into the discussion here about the actual seeded topic.
"Them" at the end of the first sentence up there refers to the teachings of Jesus. I tried several times to edit that and the "system" just wouldn't do it. Weird.
You really shouldn't speak ill of your brethren. After all they too support CIS...
It is the people who truly follow directly the words of Jesus and literally accept Gods love letter of salvation the Holy Bible as the gospel truth that are most censored 🤬 by that site.
Actually I was talking of all the groups those haters at the refered to site brag about in their claims who use them as a censorship tool.
Typical of progressives in general to cut and paste part of a comment to try to make it say something else. The CIS is suing in court an organization that the one in my post uses as source material for their own ridiculous and illegitimate claims.
Oh my XX, your comments are really out of touch...So on that note.
I stand by my comments to your post and apologize for none of it to anyone. In fact, I double down on it regarding the left and their sacred cow site for those who got to see that fine reply.
Good to know that you support CIS makes your articles and comments quite clear...
Thanks for ID'ing yourself.
I already stated my opinion on CIS and what I support and don’t support about them elsewhere in the seeded articles threads. That stands. As to the struggle between CIS and the lying hate filled bigots at the terrorist inspiring hate group SPLC, I stand fully with CIS and each and every single Christian and conservative group falsely targeted as hate by those defaming libelous scumbags.
From above:
their founder is Otis L. Graham. According to his book, Debating American Immigration, 1882–present , Otis L. Graham was a chairman of the board for the The Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) (1985-1995).
The current Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) is Mark Krikorian.
The Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) describe themselves as an “an independent, nonpartisan research organization.” According to the Daily Beast , “CIS focuses on reduced legal immigration and supports increased detention and deportation of undocumented immigrants.”
Members of CIS have testified before congress over 100 times between 1995-2009 and in 2013, CIS played a major role in fighting the bipartisan immigration reform bill , with Mark Krikorian appearing in Congress to testify against the bill, claiming that “virtually all illegal aliens are guilty of multiple felonies.”
According to Politifact, in 2016, Jason Richwine who is best known for his controversial doctoral dissertation entitled “IQ and Immigration Policy” began writing reports and blogs for CIS about immigration.
In 2016, The Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) published “79 immigration actions the next president can take” and according to a Daily Beast article they state “a number of the 79 items on the list composed by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), have either been implemented or shown up in leaked draft proposals from the (Trump) administration.”
From above source:
In review, the Center for Immigration Studies publishes news, research and studies related to the benefits of lower immigration levels. The blog offers news stories and opinions with the use of minimally loaded language such as this: Mexican Public Opinion on Immigration Tells Us Something About Our Own . This opinion piece centers around one source, a Mexican Newspaper that shows Mexicans are also opposed to immigrants from Central America. CIS also has a section for Op-Ed’s, which demonstrates a very strong right leaning bias with loaded emotional headlines such as this: Terror in Paradise: Trinidad and Tobago Is Now a Jihad Hotspot. The Op-Eds are articles written by CIS staff that are published in a variety of right leaning publications such as PJ Media , National Review and the Questionable CNSNews , which has a terrible track record with fact checkers.
CIS has also been accused of using poor methodology and cherry picking information. For example, in this strongly right leaning Cato Institute article dated 12/5/2018 “ Center for Immigration Studies Overstates Immigrant, Non-Citizen, and Native Welfare Use” they report that “there are a few issues with the CIS report and an unsound methodological choice that they made that results in inflating the welfare use rates for immigrants and natives.” Cato also cited them in 2015 for exaggeration through cherry picking information.
In 2009, the SPLC pointed out four more studies that were debunked as being inaccurate, which you can read here .
In general, CIS publishes information meant to sway political leaders and the general voter that immigration is harmful to the USA, due to economic reasons and through claims of increased crime.
The bottom line is this. With their testimony on courts and before congress and their officials going into the executive administration and the government funding of CIS initiatives the CIS is mainstream, who really cares what the SPLC or MBFC thinks about us?
I don't understand your reasoning for posting that. It isn't helping your case.
Maybe not with you but to me all a badge of honor and pride. All good reasons to support that fine organization.
I was just pointing out that for all the reasons that MBFC finds them to be so called questionable and SPLC labels them as hate, I find as pluses and reasons why to support that organization and it’s misdion just like our federal government does.
Usually crap content like this comes from Stormfront or Gatestone Institute.
Stormfront really is a hate group. CIS and Gatestone are not hate in any way, shape, or form except in the demented minds of people at the SPLC.
The ignorance of that statement defies description but it's good for laugh.
It is the SPLC that is the terrorist inspiring, money laundering hate group here.
The ignorance is that of those who deny the brilliant and intellectually strong nature of my comment
Now that is funny, what a hell of a joke...Well done XX....
He's finally gone over the edge.
They’re coming to take me away! Ha ha he he hey hey, they’re coming to take me away.
The SPLC is the progressive left wing equivalent of national socialist stormfront and just as evil. They are identical twins of hate.
How can the SPLC be the equivalent of Stormfront when the SPLC was instrumental in shutting them down?
I didn’t say that they agreed with each other. I said that they are equal in being evil and vile hate organizations. They can tear each other up for all I care.
The SPLC is equivalent of the Jimmy and Tammy Faye Baker church for liberals. It's not about social justice, it's essentially about fundraising from gullible donors and padding the bank account of it's founder and his family.
It's made millions for it's founder through direct mail marketing (which is designed to appeal to the ignorant) and his family while spewing hate against it's perceived enemies. It's founder once promised he would stop fundraising when it's endowment hit 55 million. Then he promised he'd have enough money at 100 million. It's now 319 million.
“The SPLC is equivalent of the Jimmy and Tammy Faye Baker church for liberals. It's not about social justice, it's essentially about fundraising from gullible donors and padding the bank account of it's founder and his family.
It's made millions for it's founder through direct mail marketing (which is designed to appeal to the ignorant) and his family while spewing hate against it's perceived enemies. It's founder once promised he would stop fundraising when it's endowment hit 55 million. Then he promised he'd have enough money at 100 million. It's now 319 million.”
Well said.
Congratulations, that applies to the CIS and ADF and essentially all non profits.
SPLC does rank pretty high on Charity Navigator, net assets of $450 million
CIS? Not as good, but certainly not bad.... net assets of $3 mill, but not as transparent.
Here’s a truly awesome and transparent charity.
Here’s another great one.
“American Family Association (AFA), a non-profit organization, was founded in 1977 by Donald E. Wildmon. The original name of the ministry was National Federation for Decency but was changed to American Family Association in 1988.
Today, AFA is led by AFA President Tim Wildmon, and it continues as one of the largest and most effective pro-family organizations in the country with hundreds of thousands of supporters.
The mission of the American Family Association is to inform, equip, and activate individuals to strengthen the moral foundations of American culture, and give aid to the church here and abroad in its task of fulfilling the Great Commission.
It is AFA's goal to be a champion of Christian activism. If you are alarmed by the increasing ungodliness and depravity assaulting our nation, tired of cursing the darkness, and ready to light a bonfire, please join us. Do it for your children and grandchildren.”
Thanks for proving Sean's point
We give to Alliance Defending Freedom, Family Research Council, Concerned women for America, Liberty Council, etc because they are us and we including me are them. They don’t enrich their leaders at the expense of the donors like the SPLC does.
Really?
Take a look at the net assets and the leaders involved.
SPLC assets of $450 million, 2 salaries of $354,000 seems reasonable. .059% of expenses something like .00157111 of the assets - very reasonable
ADF assets of 28 million, one salary of #389.598.00 - maybe that's reasonable to you. .067% of expenses / .0139% of the assets - unreasonable, I would hesitate to contribute to line Alan Sears pockets, he sells enough hate oriented books on the side - anti LBGQT, anti liberal, anti Dem.
AFA assets of $28mill this guy needs some advice if he's only earning $179,000 but it is .094% of expenses, only .00639% of assets - not very reasonable
Nice try.
Makes me sad I never applied to run a "non-profit".
Alliance Defending Freedom
Defending our first liberty
91.38
How can they defend what isn't under attack?
It’s clearly under attack constantly. Otherwise they wouldn’t be defending believers in the courts all the time. ADF and AFA are fine upstanding Christian organizations that I’m proud to support.
And then there is the tax break. Defending our conservative Christian beliefs and getting back 20% of it on my tax return.
The ADF and the AFA are religious fringe groups who are far from enjoying the support of even all Protestant Christians in the US.
When was the last time that a Christian was jailed or fined by the federal government because of their belief in the Abrahamic god or they were praying?
When did your religious views entitle you to a tax deduction?
I was wondering that myself...what 20% deduction?
I have proof of my donations top the UU church as well as the Quakers(Society of Friends), so I want in on this deduction.
Actually both along with Liberty Council, Family Research Council, and Concerned Women For America are fully mainstream Christian organization that cover a mainstream part of our political thought as well. We all are well within the mainstream of both religious and political groups in this country.
My religious views don’t. Contributing to a non profit organization does. Though with the Trump tax cuts I will get a bigger standard deduction and child credit than I will by itemizing charity, home mortgage, and SALT combined. So for the first time since 1996 I won’t be itemizing my 2018 return and I’ll get 1,600 more compared to last year.
It was roughly my combined state and federal tax rate and deduction for charitable contributions in past years. It would have dropped to about 16% this year due to the trump administration tax cuts were I to itemize this year.
You should see my latest seed to see what is under attack now.
Which secular progressive bogeyman do you believe is chasing you now?
See “How dare Karen Pence be a Christian” and find out.
She is rightly being criticized for being a homophobic bigot. Do you think that she and VP Q-tip should be given a pass for their beliefs that LGBT people should be stigmatized and treated as less than equal?
It is the people who criticize her and the school/church for following biblical beliefs who are the real bigots in that situation.
Do you think that free speech should be limited when it comes into conflict with conservative religious beliefs?
Is it bigoted to support equal treatment for LGBT people?
Why shouldn't she be criticized for her homophobic beliefs? The Bible also defends slavery so should that be immune from criticism?