Planned Parenthood broke tax law by providing workspace to Harris campaign: IRS complaint
A Planned Parenthood in Florida violated its tax-exempt status by providing a workspace for Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential election campaign in addition to other activities, according to an IRS complaint filed by a pro-life advocacy organization.
40 Days for Life, which conducts prayer vigils outside Planned Parenthood and other abortion businesses, filed the 42-page complaint in December. The filing included photos of a worker wearing a Harris-Walz shirt walking inside what appears to be the Planned Parenthood office in Sarasota.
A copy of the complaint, obtained by The Christian Post, details how the local Planned Parenthood allowed the Sarasota County Democratic Party to host a political event in October 2024 for the Harris-Walz campaign.
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In a statement to CP, a 40 Days for Life spokesperson confirmed that the group has yet to receive confirmation from the incoming Trump administration about whether there will be an investigation into the political event hosted by an affiliate of the country's largest abortion provider.
The group expects to hear more once President-elect Donald Trump is in office, the spokesperson said.
The event, titled "Phone Bank at Love Art Repeat," consisted of individuals making calls during shifts lasting from one to two hours. Individuals worked in a room with a Harris/Walz sign displayed at the entrance, which was later removed the following morning and reposted again a few days later.
On Nov. 1, 2024, the Planned Parenthood chapter in Florida once again provided space for the call center, and five to 10 people were observed entering the space. As 40 Days for Life noted in its complaint, activity at the local Planned Parenthood continued until Nov. 3, 2024.
"Planned Parenthood's activities appear to constitute prohibited political activities. They clearly advocate for one party and particular candidates," the complaint stated. "I.R.C. Sec. 527 categorizes entities such as campaign committees and political action committees involved in state, federal or local office candidacies as political organizations. The Democratic Party and the Harris-Walz 2024 presidential campaign fall under this classification."
The organization alleges that Planned Parenthood "potentially prohibited political activities that may impact the tax-exempt status." According to the IRS complaint, Planned Parenthood's actions in this case are "starkly different from permissible lobbying."
"This is one of the many violations we've seen Planned Parenthood do because we're physically at these abortion facilities, holding peaceful vigils and offering medical alternatives to abortion," 40 Days for Life CEO Sean Carney, whose organization has a presence outside of over 1,000 abortion facilities, told Fox News Digital. "And so because we're out there [...] at over 1,700 locations, we see a lot of things that Planned Parenthood does."
"This was clearly noticeable," he added. "They were giving out flyers that said Tim Walz Tuesdays, which doesn't sound like the greatest time in the world, but nevertheless, they were promoting all these events of hosting Walz-Harris campaign events and providing their space to do that, which, of course, they did not do for the Republicans."
"And you just can't do that as a 501(c)(3)," Carney continued. "This is very, very basic."
Planned Parenthood did not respond to The Christian Post's request for comment. This article will be updated if a response is received.
40 Days for Life filed a similar complaint alongside the Institute of Law and Justice earlier this year regarding Planned Parenthood Great Rivers and Planned Parenthood Great Rivers – IL.
The IRS complaint argued that Planned Parenthood engaged in partisan political activity at the Democratic National Convention by deploying a mobile van to offer free abortion drugs and vasectomies.
"Planned Parenthood's mobile clinic(s)' presence and provision of free services juxtapose its/their tax-exempt privilege against a politically charged environment," the letter explained. "They are clear indicators of political endorsement or opposition of particular candidates and parties."
"In conclusion, the IRS should assess whether Planned Parenthood's activities violate the prohibitions against political activities and otherwise under Law and Rule. Political campaigning substantially diverges from the permissible activities and could result in revocation of tax-exempt status and possible imposition of related excise taxes."
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
