Texas Judge Rejects Push to Let Churches Make Political Endorsements

Texas judge rejects push to let churches make political endorsements

By Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune March 31, 2026 A federal judge in Tyler dismissed a lawsuit on Tuesday that sought to allow churches to endorse political candidates without losing their tax-exempt status, dealing a blow to the Trump administration and other conservatives who have worked to eliminate the decades-old law barring nonprofits from supporting political office seekers. Several Texas churches and national Christian groups brough…

"Judge Blocks Deal Allowing Churches to Endorse Political Candidates" #ELB

WSJ: A federal judge in Texas rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to allow religious leaders to endorse candidates from the pulpit.  Judge J. Campbell Barker ruled Tuesday that he lacked the authority to consider an agreement that would have effectively… Continue reading The post “Judge Blocks Deal Allowing Churches to Endorse Political Candidates” appeared first on Election Law Blog.

Judge rejects Johnson Amendment settlement, keeping ban on pastors endorsing candidates

(RNS) — A federal judge rejected a settlement that would have lifted an IRS ban on pastors endorsing candidates, saying the court had no authority to approve an agreement, in a surprising end to a decades-long battle.  Judge J. Campbell Barker of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas also dismissed the lawsuit filed by the National Religious Broadcasters, a Christian communicators group, and two Texas churches that was at the…

US Judge Rejects IRS Pact Allowing Churches to Endorse Political Candidates

A federal judge on Tuesday declined to approve a Trump administration-crafted settlement that would have allowed churches and other houses of worship to endorse political candidates to their congregations without risking losing their status as tax-exempt nonprofits. U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker in Tyler, Texas, ruled he lacked jurisdiction to hear the case and sign off on a consent judgment that the U.S. Internal Revenue Service had en…

Judge rejects push to let churches make political endorsements

A group of Texas churches and the IRS agreed to nix the Johnson Amendment, which prohibits nonprofits from endorsing candidates. A Trump-appointed judge said no.