Late last month the Internal Revenue Service settled a lawsuit filed in 2012 by the Freedom from Religion Foundation. The lawsuit was brought because the FFRF said the IRS ignores complaints about churches violating their tax-exempt status. The FFRF says that many churches promote candidates, political issues and legislation and they claim these activities are violations of the 1954 Johnson Amendment, which requires that non-profits not endorse candidates.

The IRS website describes the Johnson Amendment thusly:

Under the Internal Revenue Code, all section 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office. Contributions to political campaign funds or public statements of position (verbal or written) made on behalf of the organization in favor of or in opposition to any candidate for public office clearly violate the prohibition against political campaign activity. Violating this prohibition may result in denial […] → Keep reading