Opinion ID: 169649
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Colorado Right to Life Committee

Text: We first summarize the undisputed facts regarding CRLC, drawn largely from the district court's order. See Colo. Right to Life Comm., Inc. v. Davidson, 395 F.Supp.2d 1001, 1007-09 (D.Colo.2005). CRLC is a tax-exempt organization under 26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(4) and has a policy of not contributing to, accepting contributions from, or engaging in express advocacy regarding, political parties or candidates. Likewise, it is not associated with any political candidate, political party, or campaign committee, and is not aware of ever receiving any donations at the request of, or solicited by, a political candidate, a political party or elected official. It has several chapters throughout the State of Colorado. CRLC's policy is not to engage in express advocacy or make direct in-kind contributions. CRLC's corporate organizational documents indicate that its purposes are to (1) promote reverence and respect for human life without regard to condition, quality, age, race, religion, creed, or color, whether born or unborn; and (2) educate the community regarding the dangers of abortion, euthanasia, infanticide, and compulsory sterilization as well as any legislation that would allow the debasement of or destroy the community's moral fiber; and (3) encourage a favorable, spiritual, physical, and cultural environment that would improve the quality of life consistent with these purposes. CRLC seeks to achieve these purposes by communicating with the public regarding such issues, providing information about elected officials, and encouraging Colorado citizens to communicate with their representatives on these issues. CRLC was not established by a business corporation or labor union, and has no shareholders or otherwise affiliated persons who would have a claim on its assets and earnings. CRLC has two types of members: (1) supporting members, who include anyone who donates money to the organization, unless that person asks not to be a member; and (2) voting members, who include anyone who supports CRLC's objectives, indicates a desire to join CRLC, and pays the prescribed dues, unless CRLC's board has waived those dues. Individual donors nearly exclusively fund CRLC through their paying of dues. In 2001, CRLC had 1,529 donors, including 15 who gave $200 or more. In 2002, CRLC had 2,101 donors, including 19 who gave $200 or more. In 2003, CRLC had 1,333 donors, including 7 who gave $200 or more. CRLC does not have a policy against accepting contributions from business corporations, and it received $50 in corporate contributions in each of 2001, 2002, and 2003. Its gross revenues and receipts from membership dues for the same years were $121,000, $132,000, and $128,000. Additionally, CRLC at one point participated in a long distance telephone service carrier program in which subscribers could designate it as the recipient of a portion of their bills. [4] In 2003, CRLC received $358.30 from its participation in this program. CRLC also engages in fund-raising activities including the sale (via suggested donations) of baby feet pins and bumper stickers at various public events like the Colorado State Fair. Although there is a suggested donation for the items, they are often given away. CRLC's treasurer estimated that CRLC received approximately $300 per year from these combined activities. Additionally, about a decade ago, CRLC received income when it rented its mailing list to a political candidate for a state house seat. CRLC has not had a political committee or other segregated account since 1986. It has no record of ever receiving donations earmarked for the type of communications at issue in this case. CRLC publishes a periodic newsletter, titled The Colorado LifeLight, which often mentions the names of candidates and their positions on various life issues. CRLC distributes The Colorado LifeLight year-round, including within 30 days before the primary election and 60 days before the general election. The newsletter is sent to members, and sometimes to prospective members. In total, the mailing is sent to approximately 3,000 to 3,500 recipients. CRLC also maintains a website that contains a section on politics and law. Some articles in that section mention candidates and are available to the public year round, including immediately preceding elections. Additionally, CRLC admits that it might have placed voter guides on its website in the past. In recent election cycles, CRLC has made communications that unambiguously referred to candidates within 30 days before primary elections and 60 days before general elections to inform voters of the candidates' views on abortion. CRLC spent over $1,000 per year on these communications, which have included voter guides, articles on its website, radio ads, pre-recorded phone messages, direct-mail, and email. Some examples include:  In July 2000, CRLC sent Rapid Response Cards, which provided the responses of primary candidates in five districts to a CRLC survey regarding life-related issues, to individuals from those five districts in its mailing list database. In its September newsletter, CRLC noted that all five pro-life candidates had won and expressed confidence that the cards had an impact on the election results. CRLC spent $200 on this effort.  Before the primaries and general elections in 2000, CRLC circulated the results of its 2000 Candidate Questionnaire, which provided the responses of some candidates to a variety of abortion and related issues.  In August 2002, before the state primary election, CRLC arranged for a pre-recorded phone call to be made to identified pro-life supporters in Morgan County before a primary election in which Jack Darnell and Greg Brophy were running. The message compared the views of the two candidates on abortion, and asked the recipients to urge Mr. Darnell to abandon his pro-abortion views and to thank Mr. Brophy for defending unborn children. CRLC spent $335 on this activity.  In August 2002, CRLC, in partnership with the Christian Coalition, sent a form letter to registered pro-life voters in House District 55 comparing the two candidates views on abortion. This letter asked recipients, when voting in the election, to help stop Gayle Berry's extreme pro-abortion agenda, as well as urging recipients to thank Shari Bjorglund for being solidly pro-life. CRLC spent $207 on this letter.  In August 2002, CRLC published The Colorado LifeLight, with a subtitle Special Report  2002 Voter Guide. Although the front page was devoted to general information, the remainder of the publication reported the responses of 42 candidates for state or federal office to a CRLC questionnaire. In the October/November 2002 Colorado LifeLight, CRLC urged recipients to vote no on three ballot measures and published a list of Colorado candidates who had been endorsed by the National Abortion Rights Action League.  In the 2002 general election, CRLC ran radio ads on Denver and Longmont stations comparing the partial-birth abortion views of Fourth Congressional District candidates State Senator Stan Matsunaka and Marilyn Musgrave. Around that same time, CRLC also ran other radio ads encouraging people in Sen. Matsunaka's district to call him and ask him to pass the Born Alive Infant Protection Act out of his senate committee.