Interfaith Alliance Applauds Court Ruling Protecting Houses of Worship from Partisan Politics

Interfaith Alliance is a leading advocate for multi-faith democracy and healthy boundaries between religion and government. It was among the founding organizations of a national sign-on letter, joined by more than 1,800 nonprofit organizations, voicing opposition to the proposed settlement agreement in National Religious Broadcasters v. Bessent, a case in which the Trump administration and a coalition of religious broadcasters sought to create an effective exemption to the Johnson Amendment, the 70-year-old law that bars 501(c)(3) organizations, including houses of worship, from endorsing or opposing political candidates. Had the settlement been approved, religious leaders would have been able to make partisan endorsements from the pulpit without risking their tax-exempt status. Today, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas dismissed the case, finding it lacked jurisdiction.