Scrutiny of Political Nonprofits Sets Off Claim of Harassment, NYT(03/2012)

New York Times ^ | 03/06/2012 | JONATHAN WEISMAN

[oxcart]

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service is caught in an election-year struggle between Democratic lawmakers pressing for a crackdown on nonprofit political groups and conservative organizations accusing the tax agency of conducting a politically charged witch hunt. In recent weeks, the I.R.S. has sent dozens of detailed questionnaires to Tea Party organizations applying for nonprofit tax status, demanding to know their political leanings and activities. The agency plans this year to press existing nonprofits like American Crossroads, on the Republican side, and Priorities USA, on the Democratic side, to justify their tax-protected status as “social welfare” organizations, a status that many tax professionals believe is being badly abused.

Senate Democrats are readying a fresh legislative push to demand that such groups disclose their donors and attach disclaimers to their political advertising identifying the advertisement’s primary funders. Tax experts are also raising concerns that corporate donors to “super PACs” may be deducting their contributions as business expenses.

“The shadowy attack ads we see every day should be brought into the light,” said Senator Michael Bennet, Democrat of Colorado. “The largest contributors should stand by the ads they’ve paid for, the voters should know who’s behind these ads, and these super PACs should not be allowed to abuse our tax code by masquerading as nonprofit charities.”

The pushback is likely to be just as fierce. Jay Sekulow, a conservative lawyer known more for his stands on religious freedom than for his tax work, said he is representing 16 Tea Party groups that are claiming harassment by the I.R.S., and the number is growing. He said he intended to demand an explanation from the Treasury Department on Wednesday for what he called “McCarthyism” tactics and that he would contact Republican lawmakers this week.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

This is emerging IMO as nothing less than a coup d'état attempt.

This is extremely serious and treason with the maximum penalties upon conviction is called for. IMO.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

Could this election interference ("election-year struggle" that we all now know about!) and all that it encompasses explain why so many were wrong about the outcome of the election?

The Internal Revenue Service is caught in an election-year struggle between Democratic lawmakers pressing for a crackdown on nonprofit political groups and conservative organizations accusing the tax agency of conducting a politically charged witch hunt.

[oxcart]

I was thinking along the same lines... The past is sometimes a good educator of the future.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

Could this be the crisis Abe talked about that now has been reached between statist America and free America? The statists with massive abuse of trust stole the election.

. . . You now have two Americas. In my opinion, it will not cease until a crisis shall have been reached and passed. A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently, half statist and half free; I do not expect the house to fall; but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing, or all the other.

[Ms Mable]

Now...will the taxpayers admit that Obama DID close auto dealerships because they were Conservative owned? The auto bailout was a test run for all of the other crap that he’s been doing!

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks oxcart.