Born out of political revenge

The Johnson Amendment never should have existed. It was born out of political revenge following a stolen election — and designed to silence Christians.

Now, after seven decades of damage to America’s pulpits, we finally have the chance to END IT.

Fax Congress NOW and demand they VOTE YES on the Free Speech Fairness Act of 2025!

The history behind the Johnson Amendment 

To understand why this dangerous law exists, you need to know its history.

In 1948, then-Congressman Lyndon B. Johnson was locked in a heated battle in the Texas Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. After a bitter and inconclusive first round, the runoff vote showed Johnson losing to former Governor Coke Stevenson.

But six days after the polls closed, something suspicious happened.

A new batch of ballots suddenly “appeared” from Precinct 13 in rural Jim Wells County — with 202 votes for Johnson and just 1 for Stevenson. The names were listed in perfect alphabetical order, all written in the same handwriting and ink. Several people whose names appeared on the list swore they never even voted, and one voter recalled no one standing in line behind him when polls closed.

Those 202 questionable votes handed Johnson a razor-thin victory by 87 votes out of 988,295 — and launched him into the U.S. Senate.

But he wasn’t done.

In 1954, still bitter over resistance from nonprofits that opposed his Senate run, Johnson introduced a last-minute amendment to the Internal Revenue Code — without debate or hearings. His goal? Silence his critics.

The Johnson Amendment threatened churches and nonprofit organizations with the loss of their tax-exempt status if they dared endorse or oppose candidates.

It was political vengeance, plain and simple. And it’s been used to muzzle the church for more than 70 years.

Let that sink in: One man’s vendetta became federal tax law.

It’s time to RIP the Johnson Amendment out of the tax code and restore freedom to America’s pulpits.

Demand Congress pass the Free Speech Fairness Act to repeal the Johnson Amendment!

The IRS shouldn’t control your pastor’s sermons

The IRS has been used as a weapon to silence the church. While churches are told to sit down and shut up, Planned Parenthood, the LGBTQ lobby, and every leftist nonprofit in America is free to say whatever they want.

No more.

Rep. Mark Harris (R-NC) and Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) have introduced legislation to finally repeal this shameful amendment — and with Republicans now holding the House, Senate, and White House, we have a golden window of opportunity.

But they need your voice and your support NOW to get this done.

Liberty Counsel has been fighting the Johnson Amendment for decades. I even served on a congressional task force back in 2011 to expose its chilling effects on free speech — and our legal panel concluded what we already knew: The Johnson Amendment must go.

Although the IRS currently has modified its stance on the Johnson Amendment, it remains on the books. We must repeal it NOW!

We’ve defended pastors, churches, and Christian ministries since 1989 — and NEVER charged a single client. We rely on faithful supporters like YOU to make this work possible.

Will you send your most generous gift today to help us defeat the Johnson Amendment once and for all?

Thanks to a 2025 Challenge Grant, every dollar you give right now will be DOUBLED in impact.

Churches must be free to preach the full counsel of God without fear of IRS retaliation. Christians must be free to speak truth into every part of culture — including politics.

This is about more than one amendment — it’s about reclaiming America’s pulpits and restoring our First Amendment rights. Let’s finish what President Trump started.

Let’s protect future generations. Let’s silence the IRS — and unleash the truth. Help us advance the fight for freedom. 

Mat Staver 
Founder and Chairman 
Liberty Counsel 

P.S. The Johnson Amendment was born in corruption and used to suppress the church. We have a rare chance to repeal it. You can add your name to our petition, HERE.

Source:

Mangan, James W. “AP WAS THERE: Uncovering Lyndon B Johnson’s stolen election.” AP, March 31, 2023. APnews.com/article/lbj-stolen-election-box-13-mangan-c818e478ec509c65585d3094bda69f96.