Millions pour in for Focus on the Family's political offshoot

DENVER — The public policy arm of the conservative Christian organization Focus on the Family raised nearly $9 million in its first six months of existence — the equivalent of $50,000 a day, according to records reviewed by The Denver Post.

Focus on the Family is a nonprofit organization based in Colorado Springs. The ministry focuses on promoting evangelical Christian teachings on marriage and child rearing through radio programs, publications and telephone help.

Because such organizations are barred from supporting or opposing political candidates, Focus on the Family founder James Dobson last year founded Focus Action to address public policy concerns.

Similar groups include AARP and the National Rifle Association.

Focus Action’s first federal income tax forms illustrate Focus Action’s popularity from its inception in April 2004 through last September. It took in $8.8 million, all from individuals.

The records show 152 donors contributed at least $5,000 for a total of $2.4 million, so the majority of gifts were relatively small.

Of the total, Focus Action said it spent nearly $2 million distributing newsletters, e-mails and articles to involve people in issues such as gay marriage, the role of judges and “the protection of human life.” Nearly $900,000 was spent on radio broadcasts on legislative and public-policy issues, and about the same amount on rallies urging Christians to vote in North Carolina, Louisiana and South Dakota, which all had close Senate races.

Last October, Focus Action also spent $256,025 to mail letters offering Dobson’s endorsement of conservative GOP Senate candidates in four states: Mel Martinez in Florida, James DeMint in South Carolina, Thomas Coburn in Oklahoma and John Thune in South Dakota. All four won.

Tom Minnery, vice president of public policy for Focus Action, said that in April and May, the organization also spent $1.2 million on the Senate filibuster debate.

Focus Action is now looking at efforts to revive a proposed Federal Marriage Amendment that would bar gay marriage and potential Supreme Court vacancies, Minnery said.

With campaign finance reform laws restricting unregulated “soft money” to political parties, nonprofit groups are exerting greater influence in the political sphere.

A Colorado Springs group, Citizens Project, earlier this year asked the Internal Revenue Service to investigate whether a Focus on the Family magazine crossed the line by using persuasive language to imply support for President Bush.

James Bopp, a tax lawyer who represents Focus on the Family, said neither Focus on the Family nor Focus Action has been contacted by the IRS about the last election cycle.

“Some people think it’s illegitimate for people of faith to get involved in the democratic process,” Bopp said. “They think it ought to be illegal, or if it’s not, they say, ‘At least we ought to sully them with unfounded allegations.’ It’s just a smear.”

———

On the Net:

Focus on the Family: http://www.fotf.org