Senator Blasted for Abusing Office, Seeks IRS Probe of Conservative Group

Talon News ^ | 8/8/2003 | Jeff Gannon

[Jeff Gannon]

Senator Blasted for Abusing Office, Seeks IRS Probe of Conservative Group By Jeff Gannon Talon News August 8, 2003

WASHINGTON (Talon News) -- Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, has asked the Internal Revenue Service to investigate the tax-exempt status of the Rushmore Policy Council. The South Dakota-based organization has run advertisements that publicized the voting record of Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD) on abortion and other family values issues.

Baucus' committee has oversight of the IRS.

The Montana Democrat wrote a letter to the agency in which he suggested the activities of the group might violate their tax-exempt status.

Rushmore's "Daschle Accountability Project" took the Senate minority leader to task over his positions, but never directed voters to vote for or against him.

Baucus wrote, "If the council is organized and operates for political purposes, the legitimacy of the organization's tax-exempt status may be questionable."

He further suggested that while the Rushmore Policy Council's current tax status does not require it to publicly disclose its income or spending, its activity may require it to file under a different section of the tax code that would require some of that information to be released.

Robert Regier, the executive director of the Rushmore Policy Council, said the group has done nothing wrong, adding, "We play it straightforward, issue by issue."

Regier said the Democrats are trying to take away his rights. "I appeal to the better angels of my senator and ask him to stop the character assassination, intimidation, and baseless accusations," he said.

"Twisting a man's Christian testimony, using the IRS to intimidate -- those are political tactics unbecoming of a United States senator," Regier added.

"God have mercy on our nation the day it becomes illegal for American citizens to speak publicly about a politician's voting record, while pornographers and flag burners are lauded as examples of the First Amendment in action," Regier said.

"If the senator from Montana considers me a lawbreaker for urging Sen. Daschle to stop obstructing judicial nominees, then charge me with a second count for asking him to stop funding Planned Parenthood with our tax dollars. And throw away the key when I ask him to cut taxes," Regier declared.

The enlistment of Baucus appears to some to be more evidence of the Daschle campaign's willingness to "attack the attackers."

Dan Allen, Communications Director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told Talon News, "This shows how concerned Senate Democrats are that Daschle is vulnerable. They are pulling out all the stops and playing these partisan games."

American Conservative Union Chairman David A. Keene called Sen. Baucus' request, "a blatant abuse of power by one of Tom Daschle's Democrat cronies who want nothing more than to silence law-abiding conservative issue-advocacy organizations."

Keene points out that as a 501(c)4 tax-exempt organization, the Rushmore Policy Council would have had to do one of two things to warrant such an investigation.

"It would have told voters to 'vote for' or 'vote against' Sen. Daschle -- which the ads did not do -- or engaged in illegal campaign coordination with Daschle's opponent," Keene said.

Sen. Daschle has yet to draw a competitive opponent.

"This complaint is utterly lacking in merit," Keene said. "This is Washington power gaming at its worst."

Keene continued, "Because Rushmore is intent on educating the generally conservative people of South Dakota on their liberal-fringe Senator's voting record, Senator Baucus would force the IRS to devote time and resources investigating a bogus complaint."

"The Baucus-Daschle investigation has been designed to have a chilling effect on the rights of Rushmore to speak freely, and I for one hope that it does not," Keene said.

Paul Erickson, a South Dakota businessman and political activist, told Talon News, "I've always said that Tom Daschle doesn't speak for South Dakota, but I never realized he doesn't even speak for himself."

Copyright © 2003 Talon News -- All rights reserved.

[Howlin]

The Montana Democrat wrote a letter to the agency in which he suggested the activities of the group might violate their tax-exempt status.

I'm assuming he mentioned the NAACP and Rainbow/PUSH in this letter, aren't you? I'm sure the author just left it out.

[Texas_Jarhead]

Hey Baucus, where are the calls to look at the IPS, NAACP, and any number of other left-wing groups that regularly seem to run afoul of IRS non-profit regulations.

[Mo1]

American Conservative Union Chairman David A. Keene called Sen. Baucus' request, "a blatant abuse of power by one of Tom Daschle's Democrat cronies who want nothing more than to silence law-abiding conservative issue-advocacy organizations."

You bet it is an abuse of power

[jammer]

... those are political tactics unbecoming of a United States senator

I disagree with Regier on one point. With the level of politicians we have, there is nothing that could insult them, that is beneath them, or that is unbecoming to them.

[Libertina]

Publishing an actual voting record???? Oh the horror!

[sport]

That is just par for the course for democrats, Jeff.

[onehipdad]

You mean that Daschle feller's still around??

[Constitutional Patriot]

Baucus wrote, "If the council is organized and operates for political purposes, the legitimacy of the organization's tax-exempt status may be questionable."

Hmmmm........I'm sure there are a plethora of left leaning tax-exempt orgs that dedicate plenty of their energies to left wing political activities (NEA, for example).

[ought-six]

Baucus is taking a page from the Clinton playbook: Have the IRS investigate and audit those whom you do not like.

[Cobra64]

"...Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT)..."

The "D" Says it all.

[At _War_With_Liberals]

In a strong counter move, Republicans led by Bill 'free spending' Frist announced amnesty for all corrupt socialist NGO's.

[At _War_With_Liberals]

First, they investigate the organization. THEN, they investigate the members. THEN, they investigate the contributors, THEN they kkep an eye on supporters.

Hello Police State.

[talleyman]

"...or engaged in illegal campaign coordination with Daschle's opponent," Keene said.

You mean like the labor unions ?

[Henrietta]

"Baucus wrote, "If the council is organized and operates for political purposes, the legitimacy of the organization's tax-exempt status may be questionable.""

Funny, he doesn't say this about Je$$e Jackasses groups.

[Lucy Lake]

Pinging...

[twigs]

This is exactly why every Christian and/or conservative group must dot every i and cross every t with extreme care. The more of this I see, the more glad I am that Ann Coulter wrote her book. Treason takes these people on and exposes them for what they are.

[jmaroneps37]

Another example of, 'we're the rats, we're allowed to use federal agencies to stop our enemies'. Yes this will happen again but; the instances of this shiite, have begun to disappear and WILL totally disappearnot too far in the future.

[Southack]

Just imagine how the mainstream press would cover this story if it had been Ashcroft writing a letter for the IRS to investigate the NAACP.

Double standard?! Media bias?!

Sheesh!

[EternalVigilance]

"If the senator from Montana considers me a lawbreaker for urging Sen. Daschle to stop obstructing judicial nominees, then charge me with a second count for asking him to stop funding Planned Parenthood with our tax dollars. And throw away the key when I ask him to cut taxes," Regier declared.

Our guys hit back good and hard in their responses to this outrage.

Playing hardball.

I love it!