Bachmann fundraiser could land nonprofit in legal trouble

Rep. Michele Bachmann visited Tennessee over the weekend to speak at Proclaiming Justice to the Nations (PJTN), a nonprofit committed to “educating Christians about their biblical responsibility to stand with their Jewish brethren and the state of Israel.” But a fundraiser for Bachmann by the group’s executive director could land the nonprofit in trouble with the IRS.

According to The Tennessean, Laurie Cardoza-Moore sent a fundraising appeal to members of the PJTN network asking them donate $500 to Bachmann’s campaign. Non-profits are prohibited from fundraising for candidates.

“The IRS takes the position that sending a fundraising e-mail for a candidate or a candidate’s campaign is considered intervention in a political campaign,” Marc Owens, a former IRS official, told the Tennessean.

In Bachmann’s first campaign for Congress, an appearance at Living Word Christian Center landed that church in hot water when Pastor Mac Hammond endorsed Bachmann from the pulpit.