Voter information on stem-cell donations said not to violate IRS code

Published: 2006-08-02

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (CNS) -- Attempts by the Missouri Catholic Conference to inform voters about thousands of dollars in contributions to state officeholders from a political action committee supporting embryonic stem-cell research have prompted a complaint to the Internal Revenue Service. "We take this complaint very seriously," said Deacon Larry Weber, executive director of the conference, the public policy arm of the state's Catholic bishops. "However, we believe strongly that we didn't violate the IRS code or regulations," Deacon Weber said. "We're only seeking to provide information and clarify who is taking funding from supporters of embryonic stem-cell research and human cloning. People are known by the company they keep." Deacon Weber said discrepancies in campaign finance disclosure reports filed by officeholders and by a political action committee, Supporters of Health Research and Treatments, prompted the conference to write letters in April to each state lawmaker asking if he or she had received a contribution from the committee and intended to return it. "The MCC is committed to informing Missouri voters about the political activities of organizations promoting human cloning and embryonic stem-cell research, and will report to Missouri voters about candidates who associate with such organizations," Deacon Weber wrote in the letter to officeholders. "Missouri voters deserve to know which candidates support or oppose these immoral activities."

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