An online petition demands a Jacksonville church lose its tax exempt status after the church posted a sign urging onlookers to vote 'No' on all amendments and 'Yes' on Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis.
Cate Dobbins posted the petition to Change.org accusing First Conservative Baptist Church Pastor Gene Youngblood of "continually and purposefully" breaking the law by posting political messages on the church's lighted sign.
This time the sign reads "VOTE NO ON ALL AMENDMENTS, YES ON DESANTIS."
"This action is in clear and blatant violation of IRS laws governing his church as a 501C charitable organization," Dobbins said in the petition.
Dobbins then cited the Internal Revenue Code, which can also be reviewed on the IRS website.
According to the IRS.gov:
"Under the Internal Revenue Code, all section 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office. Contributions to political campaign funds or public statements of position (verbal or written) made on behalf of the organization in favor of or in opposition to any candidate for public office clearly violate the prohibition against political campaign activity. Violating this prohibition may result in denial or revocation of tax-exempt status and the imposition of certain excise taxes."
First Coast News reached out to Pastor Youngblood but did not receive a response in time for publication.
