CLC Joins Partners in Defending the Johnson Amendment

Washington, D.C. — In late July, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) joined Public Citizen and Common Cause in submitting an amicus brief to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in response to a renewed attempt by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to unilaterally overrule the Johnson Amendment. 

This long-standing provision of the tax code says 501(c)(3) charities cannot intervene in political elections while also taking in tax-deductible contributions. CLC has been at the forefront of legal and policy efforts aimed at upholding the Johnson Amendment for nearly a decade, and at a time when attempts to weaken campaign finance laws persist. 

Adav Noti — Campaign Legal Center’s executive director — issued the following statement on the importance of upholding the Johnson Amendment provision that prohibits tax subsidies from being used to fund electioneering: 

“Voters have a right to know who is spending money to influence our vote and our government. The Johnson Amendment is a critical safeguard amid ongoing attacks on campaign finance laws because it prohibits wealthy special interests from using charities to engage in secret spending and receive a tax write-off in the process. 

“The president and the IRS must follow the law and prevent big money from secretly influencing our elections. Campaign Legal Center will continue to defend charities from the administration’s attempt to turn them into vehicles for dark money.” 

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The nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center advances democracy through law. We safeguard the freedom to vote, defend voters’ right to know who is spending money to influence elections, and work to ensure public trust in our elected officials. 

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