Attorney Files IRS Complaint against Missouri Catholic Conference

From the Associated Press:

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A Washington attorney has filed an IRS complaint against the Missouri Catholic Conference, claiming it violated prohibitions on political activity by nonprofit entities by encouraging lawmakers to return contributions from a group favoring stem cell research.

Lawyer Marcus Owens claims the Catholic Conference tried to intimidate lawmakers into rejecting donations from the political action committee Supporters of Health Research and Treatments.

Owens is a former IRS division director and apparently has too much time on his hands. My hunch is that he was notified by one of the recipients of the embryonic stem cell blood money. I suspect that the lawmaker, having been notified of the unethical and immoral positions of the donors who support embryonic stem cell research, took issue with being called upon to return the money. He may also have an issue that his acceptance of such funds may be seen as tacit support of ESCR.

Owens...urged the IRS to launch a tax-status inquiry of the Catholic Conference.

Is it fair to ask if Owens does this with other religious organizations, especially those who turn over their pulpits to various Democratic Party candidates...? Or are those religious groups immune from IRS probes?

The Missouri Catholic Conference intends to report the results of this campaign to encourage lawmakers to return the contributions, including which of these candidates have received but returned such contributions. (Source)