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GOP Rep. Patronis raises concerns about nonprofits with tax-exempt status, calls issue a 'shakedown'
Just The News ^ | October 19, 2025 | Andy Parr

Posted on 10/20/2025 9:10:50 AM PDT by Red Badger

Florida GOP Rep. Jimmy Patronis, who previously was the state's chief financial officer, is raising concerns about nonprofits potentially exploiting tax loopholes to turn such groups into profitable ventures for their leaders or owners.

“I'm done with this stuff,” Petronis said recently on Just the News: No Noise. “I get at the end of the day, it may not affect … how much I pay for my cup of coffee, but it's unethical and immoral.”

Patronis questioned how non-profit organizations can afford some luxuries. When host John Solomon asked where Patronis would start in the process of eliminating non-profit benefits, he had a quick answer.

“Take an organization that goes out as a non-for-profit but has a skybox and a stadium. Why does that exist?” Patronis asked. “It makes no sense. Why, if you're a non-for-profit, you can afford … a skybox, [that] in some cases, could cost over a million dollars a year."

To be sure, several nonprofits in the U.S. have or have had skyboxes in stadiums, which has resulted in backlash.

Last year, Blue Shield customers protested the nonprofit health insurer having a new luxury suite at Levi's Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers, according to CBS News.

Like other nonprofits, Blue Shield told media outlets the box was purchased to host customer events, not as a giveaway to executives. The suites at the stadium start at $2.5 million for a 10-year commitment. However, how much Blue Shield spent on its skybox was unclear at the time.

Patronis specifically cited foundations run by the Clinton family and former President Barack Obama.

“They're going around the world parading themselves as some type of leader or some type of great hero when it comes to solving these problems,” he said. “It's nothing more than a shakedown for them to raise money and pay off their supporters.

"People need to understand how that system has worked for a long time, the Clinton Foundation among them."

The Clinton Foundation's most well known project is perhaps its Clinton Health Access Initiative, which organizers say does or has done work in 180 countries.

Organizations who have been granted nonprofit status in the states in which they are headquartered do not automatically have tax-exempt status, which is granted by the IRS.

The most common nonprofits that have federal nonprofit status are so-called 501(c)(3) organizations. The Clinton Foundation, which was founded in 2001 has such status.

Critics of such groups also point to the high salaries of top executives, which the groups justify by arguing they need top talent to be successful.

Clinton Foundation CEO Kevin Thurm made $499,406 in 2023, according to the website charitywatch.com.

The foundation also says no member of the political Clinton family, including former President Bill Clinton, "take a salary" or financially benefit from the work of the foundation.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Government; Politics/Elections; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: florida; fraud; jimmypatronis; moneylaundering; ngos; nonprofits
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He's my Congresscritter.....Replaced Matt Gaetz!..................
1 posted on 10/20/2025 9:10:50 AM PDT by Red Badger
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To: Red Badger
Blue Shield told media outlets the box was purchased to host customer events, not as a giveaway to executives.

Sounds like bribes to CEOs to use BS as an employee health insurance.

2 posted on 10/20/2025 9:16:30 AM PDT by Fido969
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To: Red Badger
--- "...nonprofits potentially exploiting tax loopholes to turn such groups into profitable ventures for their leaders or owners."

Look for any and all "nonprofit" Form 990s, and see how huge many salaries are. Sometimes it is hidden by a bunch of volunteer "directors" and such, but "compensation" and "benefits" including travel and the like are found in the details of the Form 990s.

A simple law limiting ALL 501(c)3 and (c)4 nonprofits to paying less than 10 percent of "donations" to employee compensation, benefits and expenses would do much to curtail the abuse.

3 posted on 10/20/2025 9:17:32 AM PDT by Worldtraveler once upon a time (Degrow government)
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To: Red Badger; bert

Go get them Jimmy. Reclaim the language. Non-profit is a headfake.


4 posted on 10/20/2025 9:17:53 AM PDT by Kudsman (48)
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To: Fido969
Blue Shield told media outlets the box was purchased to host customer events, not as a giveaway to executives.


5 posted on 10/20/2025 9:20:01 AM PDT by Sirius Lee ("Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.”)
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To: Red Badger

We should get rid of 90% of the non-profits. Many are scams that push leftwing ideology or enrich their executives. Even the ones that try to do something good are incredibly inefficient and end up going bankrupt. Every Tom, Dick and Harry thinks that they can set up a non-profit to provide housing or help Africa and don’t get enough donations to make a difference. Its all an incredible administrative waste.


6 posted on 10/20/2025 9:24:09 AM PDT by Opinionated Blowhard (When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.)
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To: Opinionated Blowhard

Any non-profit with paid staff and directors is a for profit organization.


7 posted on 10/20/2025 9:29:02 AM PDT by riverrunner
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To: Red Badger

“…which the groups justify by arguing they need top talent to be successful.“

Fine. Now let’s get their definition of successful.


8 posted on 10/20/2025 9:39:57 AM PDT by TalBlack (Their god is government. Prepare for a religious war.https://freerepublic.com/perl/post?id=4322961%2)
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To: TalBlack

Non profits define an executive as successful if they raise a lot of money.

It is a big circle jerk.

I would have no problem if all non-profit tax exemptions were eliminated.


9 posted on 10/20/2025 9:43:46 AM PDT by cgbg ("The truth is not for all men, but only for those who seek it.")
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To: Red Badger

“...the high salaries of top executives, which the groups justify by arguing they need top talent to be successful.”

What is the skill/skills a non-profit needs in a CEO that is/are so rare that they are forced to pay through the nose to get it?


10 posted on 10/20/2025 9:49:56 AM PDT by one guy in new jersey
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To: Red Badger

“ The foundation also says no member of the political Clinton family, including former President Bill Clinton, “take a salary” or financially benefit from the work of the foundation.”

Rumor has it that that’s how the Clintons paid for Chelsea’s wedding.


11 posted on 10/20/2025 9:55:31 AM PDT by VanShuyten ("...that all the donkeys were dead. I know nothing as to the fate of the less valuable animals.”)
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To: one guy in new jersey

How to get more money......................


12 posted on 10/20/2025 9:56:35 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: Worldtraveler once upon a time

“Look for any and all “nonprofit” Form 990s, and see how huge many salaries are.”

Not all are large. I have been dealing with the biggest non-profit in the world since the early 2000’s. And their “salaries” are quite small when you consider what the do and what the provide. In my state, the biggest person in the business gets absolutely nothing from the donated funds. Nor do any of the officers that are elected to assist the secretary that actually does all the control. So it can be done within the system. But not all are in it to win it with pocketed money. I won’t say who the non-profit is but we do $2.68B a day world wide.

wy69


13 posted on 10/20/2025 9:57:14 AM PDT by whitney69
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To: whitney69
--- "I won't say who the non-profit is but we do $2.68B a day world wide."

Why not?

14 posted on 10/20/2025 10:01:19 AM PDT by Worldtraveler once upon a time (Degrow government)
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To: Red Badger

APAC does it, go after them


15 posted on 10/20/2025 10:01:36 AM PDT by GailA (STOP COMPLAINING, AMERICA NEEDS YOUR FULL SUPPORT NOT SOMETIMES, ALWAYS.)
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To: Red Badger

APACA does it, go after them


16 posted on 10/20/2025 10:01:49 AM PDT by GailA (STOP COMPLAINING, AMERICA NEEDS YOUR FULL SUPPORT NOT SOMETIMES, ALWAYS.)
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To: Red Badger

Didn’t the Clinton Foundation siphon off over a billion dollars from Haiti aid a few years back?


17 posted on 10/20/2025 10:08:48 AM PDT by packrat35 (“When discourse ends, violence begins.” – Charlie Kirk, and they killed him anyway)
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To: Worldtraveler once upon a time
--- "$2.68B a day world wide"

Really?

( $2.68B a day world wide x 365 calendar days a year ) = 978.2 billion USD.

( $2.68B a day world wide x 250 "work days" a year ) = 670 billion USD.

"$2.68B a day world wide" Really?

18 posted on 10/20/2025 10:20:22 AM PDT by Worldtraveler once upon a time (Degrow government)
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To: Red Badger

Yes!!!!!!!! Most of 5013cs seem to be scams...top 5 execs make $100k to $500k...


19 posted on 10/20/2025 10:33:43 AM PDT by goodnesswins (Make educ institutions return to the Mission...reading, writing, math...not Opinions & propaganda)
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To: Red Badger

Simply having rich friends is probably a good resumé enhancer. When pursuing such “roles”.


20 posted on 10/20/2025 10:40:37 AM PDT by one guy in new jersey
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