The College Fix

Add Christian family values to the growing type of groups red-flagged by the IRS.

Dr. James C. Dobson, who formerly led one of the largest and most respected evangelical Christian nonprofit ministries in the nation – Focus on the Family – says a relatively new nonprofit he started was stonewalled by the IRS.

“The American people deserve better treatment from its government than this,” Dobson said in a statement. “Christian ministries and others supporting the family must not be silenced or intimidated by the IRS or other branches of the government.”

Dobson’s revelation adds Christian family values to patriot and tea party and other conservative words and themes the IRS wrongly targeted in a growing scandal surrounding the agency and its officials’ efforts to thwart requests for tax-exempt statuses from at least 2010 through earlier this year.

The Dobson-affiliated group targeted by the IRS was Family Talk Action Corporation, described as “a Christian ministry formed for the purpose of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ; of providing Christ-oriented advice and education to parents and children; and of speaking to cultural issues that affect the family.”

At its head was psychologist, author, and family advocate Dr. James C. Dobson.

In September 2011, the group filed paperwork with the IRS seeking 501(c)(4) status, and the attorney completing the form had submitted “scores of similar applications over his 26-year career with none being rejected,” according to Dobson’s statement.

When Family Talk Action’s lawyer called the IRS earlier this year to ask about the application’s status, the group claims an IRS agent told him something along the lines of: “I don’t think your Form 1024 (application for exemption) will be granted because Family Talk Action is ‘not educational’ because it does not present all views. She continued, saying that Family Talk Action sounded like a ‘partisan right-wing group’ because, according to Ms. Medley, it only presents conservative viewpoints. She then added, ‘you’re political’ because you ‘criticized President Obama, who was a candidate.’ ”

Family Talk Action denies this, noting the group “had submitted a couple of sample radio programs upon request from the IRS. None were aired during an election year.”

After Family Talk Action’s attorney threatened litigation, the IRS granted the request.

“We were targeted by the IRS,” said Ryan Dobson in a video talking about the situation. “Isn’t it nice you have to threaten a lawsuit to the government to get work done that ought to have been done years ago. We deserve better from our government, and you deserve better from our government. Pray for us as we continue to pray for you.”

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IMAGE: Family Talk Action screenshot