Brooklyn Bishop's Call to Voters Raises Legal Questions

November 02, 2009

Brooklyn Bishop's Call to Voters Raises Legal Questions

The head of the Roman Catholic diocese in Brooklyn, N.Y., could be flirting with illegal political activity via his recorded phone message praising a state legislator, says The New York Times.

In automated telephone calls to every registered voter in New York’s City Council District 34, the bishop, Nicholas A. DiMarzio, urges support for the Assemblyman Vito J. Lopez, a Brooklyn Democrat who played a key role in defeating legislation to allow adults to sue the Catholic Church over childhood sex abuse.

A Brooklyn Law School associate professor, Nelson Tebbe, who specializes in religion and the Constitution, said Bishop DiMarzio could be treading close to legal lines restricting political advocacy by nonprofit groups. A spokeswoman for the bishop said the calls were intended only to thank Mr. Lopez for his service to the church.

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Comments

This kind of activity is legal, Ask Al Sharpton.

— Ray Heinrich, AIA, APA Nov 2, 04:29 PM #
Ask Jesse Jackson as well as Rev Wright

— Gary Sweeten Nov 2, 05:43 PM #
Anyone — including clergy — involved even tangentially in the sex abuse and/or coverup ought to have their punishment dictated by the victims and their families.

The religious entities should also have no recourse to bankruptcy protection, as they already enjoy wholly unjustified tax exemption and government-sanctioned secrecy for their operations.

Those tax and secrecy provisions should come to an immediate end. If the organizations have merit, their supporters should be happy to continue making donations without tax incentives.

— Jeff Steele Nov 3, 12:03 AM #

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Brooklyn Bishop's Call to Voters Raises Legal Questions

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