Catholic Church may be violating tax laws by its involvement in Maine anti-gay campaign

The Catholic Church in Maine could be facing an IRS investigation over its role in the campaign to repeal the state's new same-sex marriage law. A complaint was filed against the Diocese of Portland:

A gay-rights advocacy group has complained to the IRS that the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland is violating tax rules by helping a referendum campaign aimed at repealing the state's new same-sex marriage law.

The Empowering Spirits Foundation said its challenge was filed Wednesday at an IRS office in Dallas. The San Diego-based group said the diocese is engaging in political activity by collecting signatures for the referendum, violating IRS rules applying to nonprofits.

Opponents of the bill signed by Gov. John Baldacci need the signatures of at least 55,087 registered voters to get the question on the ballot. The petitioners have until three months after the Legislature adjourns, which is expected to happen in mid-June, to collect the signatures.

IRS policy allows the diocese to participate in the campaign and help collect signatures, said Marc Mutty, public affairs director for the diocese. He rejected the IRS challenge as a "bogus attempt to sidetrack the campaign."

Leonard Cole, a Portland attorney who specializes in tax and nonprofit issues, suggested that the church's involvement could put it at odds with IRS rules that restrict lobbying by tax-exempt nonprofits.

"It's hard for me to imagine how you seek someone's signature on a petition without it arguably at least being an attempt to influence their vote once the measure was on the ballot," Cole said.

After all those years of covering up pedophile priests, you'd think the Catholic Church would be more careful about breaking the law. But, they're obsessed with the gays.

Let's be clear: This isn't going to be Prop. 8 redux. No one is going to sit back while religious leaders in Portland (or Salt Lake City) try to take rights away from the gay community. This time, it will be different. Mr. Mutty, his bishop and all of their priests (especially the gay ones), better be prepared. The LGBT community learned some lessons from Prop. 8. When people come to take away our rights, we will fight back -- and fight back very hard.

The Catholic Church in Maine isn't rich -- far from it (although we've heard pretty convincing rumors about a multi-million dollar contract between the Diocese and a Portland p.r. firm.) The leaders of the church are going to be wasting money on the anti-gay effort. It's going to cost them a lot -- in terms of legal costs and lost contributions. And, if the Mormons decide to bail them out, that crowd better be prepared for battle, too. This time, everyone will know what the Mormon church is doing -- and everyone will know a lot of bizarre, but true, facts about the Mormons, too. I know a lot of Catholics in Maine. They won't appreciate the idea that their bishop is teaming up with an institution that, among other things, baptizes dead people into their faith.