Parties' Agreement To Dismiss Challenge on IRS Church Audit Rules Trumps Intervenors' Objections

As previously reported, last month the Freedom From Religion Foundation agreed to drop its suit against the Internal Revenue Service after the IRS eliminated its blanket policy of not enforcing Section 501(c)(3) restrictions on political activity against churches. Now the court has granted the parties' joint motion to dismiss the case, over objections of a pastor who had intervened in the case.  In Freedom from Religion Foundation v. Koskinen, (WD WI, Aug. 1, 2014), Holy Cross Anglican Church and Father Patrick Malone had been permitted to intervene to argue that any IRS policy of non-enforcement against churches was required by the Establishment Clause and RFRA. (Background and documents.) In now dismissing the case without prejudice, the court concluded that the dismissal would not prejudice the intervenors. Meanwhile Alliance Defending Freedom has filed a Freedom of Information Act request (full text) seeking copies of any new IRS policies or procedures on church audits.