The following is a Judicial Watch Press Release from January 29th:<\/p>\n
Reminiscent of the Obama Internal Revenue Service\u2019s (IRS) witch hunt of conservative groups, a U.S. Senator who sits on the committee that oversees the tax agency is pushing it to revoke a student charity\u2019s nonprofit status. The veteran lawmaker, Rhode Island Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse, says the conservative student organization, Turning Point USA<\/a>, should lose its nonprofit rating because it held large events that could help spread COVID-19. In a letter<\/a> to IRS Commissioner Charles P. Rettig the senator describes the gatherings as \u201csuperspreader\u201d events. He specifically mentions a Palm Beach, Florida winter gala at the Mar-a-Lago Club famously owned by former President Donald Trump.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cAccording to press reports and social media posts, many participants gathered and mingled indoors without wearing masks, in violation of Palm Beach County\u2019s COVID-19 regulations,\u201d Whitehouse, a member of the Senate Finance Committee<\/a>, writes to the IRS chief. The powerful chamber has oversight over the IRS, among many other government agencies. \u201cIn holding these \u2018superspreader\u2019 events, Turning Point USA knowingly exposed hundreds of young people and staff working at the events to serious risk of infection,\u201d the letter continues. The legislator asks the IRS to review whether the group, which has more than 250,000 student members, should continue to enjoy its tax-exempt nonprofit status. \u201cEstablished law has long held that an organization is not eligible for tax exemption under section 501(c)(3) if a purpose of the organization is contrary to public policy or is illegal,\u201d the letter states, reminding the IRS commissioner of a three-part test established to determine whether an organization\u2019s activities are consistent with tax exemption under the code.<\/strong><\/p>\n The analysis includes determining whether the purpose of the organization is charitable, if activities are not illegal and whether the activities are in furtherance to the group\u2019s exempt purpose and are reasonably related to that purpose. \u201cTurning Point USA\u2019s reckless decision to host potential \u2018superspreader\u2019 events, in open violation of local COVID-19 regulations, put children and others at risk, and was clearly contrary to the public good,\u201d the senator tells the IRS commissioner. \u201cTax-exempt status provides a substantial benefit to charitable organizations and reflects the federal government\u2019s endorsement of an organization\u2019s activities. Organizations that knowingly put in danger minors entrusted to their care should not enjoy the benefits of tax-exempt status. Accordingly, I urge the IRS to review whether it should revoke Turning Point USA\u2019s tax-exempt status.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Founded in 2012, Turning Point USA describes itself as a national student movement dedicated to identifying, organizing, and empowering young people to promote the principles of free markets and limited government. The group\u2019s founder, 27-year-old Charlie Kirk, was the chairman of Students for Trump, which aimed to activate a million new college voters before the 2020 presidential election. In a press release<\/a> announcing the letter to the IRS, Whitehouse refers to the group as a \u201cright-wing nonprofit\u201d that \u201cpromotes far-right ideas to young people around the country.\u201d The document, posted on the senator\u2019s official website, further states that Turning Point USA \u201chas cultivated close ties to President Trump and the Trump family.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n The senator\u2019s push to repeal the conservative charity\u2019s nonprofit status brings back memories of the Obama IRS singling out groups with conservative-sounding terms such as \u201cpatriot\u201d and \u201cTea Party\u201d in their titles when applying for tax-exempt benefits. Judicial Watch launched an investigation and sued<\/a> for records after an explosive Treasury Inspector General report<\/a>\u00a0revealed that in 2010 the IRS began using inappropriate criteria, such as lists of past and future donors, to identify organizations applying for tax-exempt status. The illegal IRS reviews continued for more than 18 months, according to the report, and \u201cdelayed processing of targeted groups\u2019 applications\u201d preparing for the 2012 presidential election. The IRS director at the center of the scheme, Lois Lerner, not only broke agency rules\u2014as well as the law\u2014to target conservative organizations she also lied to Congress to cover up the wrongdoing.<\/strong><\/p>\n Please understand that under the Biden administration there is a real possibility that the government will be used to limit the rights of conservatives. This was done under the Obama administration, and many of the people in that administration are pulling the strings in the Biden administration. We are truly in danger of losing our freedoms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The following is a Judicial Watch Press Release from January 29th: Reminiscent of the Obama Internal Revenue Service\u2019s (IRS) witch hunt of conservative groups, a U.S. Senator who sits on the committee that oversees the tax agency is pushing it … Continue reading