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IRS: Detail the Content your Prayers

politisite — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:21:25 +0000

During a House Ways and Means Committee hearing today, Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Ill., grilled outgoing IRS commissioner Steven Miller about the IRS targeting a pro-life group in Iowa.

“Their question, specifically asked from the IRS to the Coalition for Life of Iowa: ‘Please detail the content of the members of your organization’s prayers,’” Schock declared.

“Would that be an inappropriate question to a 501 c3 applicant?” asked Schock. “The content of one’s prayers?”

“It pains me to say I can’t speak to that one either,” Miller replied

Did Obama’s IRS also harass pro-life groups?

Thomas More Society said the IRS insisted that “every member of the board of directors of the Coalition sign a statement, under penalty of perjury, that they will not picket or protest or organize others to picket or protest outside of Planned Parenthood.”

via Illinois Review.

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Tea Party to Protest IRS Offices Nationwide May 21st

politisite — Fri, 17 May 2013 00:36:04 +0000

On behalf of Tea Party, Patriot groups, 9/12, liberty activists, and the American people, we are calling for anyone and everyone to protest the IRS’ complete abuse of power on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at noon local time.

Right now we are determining the best locations to host these rallies, so please let us know if you are available to go and where you are located. We will use the information to identify the closest IRS offices so that we get the most patriots to each location.

IRS Protests

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is out of control and we need to stand up and let them know that we will not take their intimidation tactics!

Jenny Beth Martin from Tea Party Patriots on Capitol Hill about IRS Intimidation

This IRS situation is getting huge and we need your help to keep putting on the pressure. Below are the ways you can get involved. This is the time to make your voices heard!

Protests

Next Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at 12pm noon local time, we are calling for protests in front of IRS locations across the country. Will you go? Click for more details.

Petition
Are you just completely outraged that people in our government are using the power of massive government agencies to discriminate against opposing ideological organizations? Demand answers from the IRS. Click to sign our petition to demand that Congress fully investigate the IRS.

We the People
Were you or your Tea Party group targeted by the IRS because of your affiliation with the Tea Party, Patriot, 9/12, or Liberty movement? If so, tell us your story so that we can help.

This post was provided as a free service to the:

Tea Party Patriots, Inc. operates as a social welfare organization organized under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to Tea Party Patriots, Inc. are not deductible as charitable contributions for income tax purposes.

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Audit This? Evan Mathis shows what he thinks of the IRS

politisite — Thu, 16 May 2013 19:38:49 +0000

Media Credit: Evan Mathis Instagram

Audit This? Evan Mathis shows what he thinks of the IRS

We are wondering if urinating on a government building is considered protected speech

Evan Bradley Mathis is an NFL football guard for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Twitter:

Audit this.

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Obama Appoints Daniel Werfel as Acting Commissioner of IRS

politisite — Thu, 16 May 2013 19:25:25 +0000

President Obama Appoints Daniel Werfel as Acting Commissioner of Internal Revenue

WASHINGTON – President Obama today announced the appointment of Daniel Werfel as Acting Commissioner of Internal Revenue, effective Wednesday, May 22. As Acting Commissioner, Mr. Werfel will lead efforts to ensure the IRS implements new safeguards to restore public trust and administers the tax code with fairness and integrity. Mr. Werfel has agreed to serve through the end of the fiscal year.

President Obama said, “Throughout his career working in both Democratic and Republican administrations, Danny has proven an effective leader who serves with professionalism, integrity and skill. The American people deserve to have the utmost confidence and trust in their government, and as we work to get to the bottom of what happened and restore confidence in the IRS, Danny has the experience and management ability necessary to lead the agency at this important time.”

Mr. Werfel, 42, currently serves as Controller of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), where he has led efforts across the federal government to improve Federal program integrity, including all areas of financial management, financial reporting, accounting standards, improper payments, and financial systems, among others. Prior to his current role, Mr. Werfel served in multiple career civil service capacities at OMB, including as Deputy Controller, Chief of the Financial Integrity and Analysis Branch, Budget Examiner in the Education Branch, and Policy Analyst in the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. Mr. Werfel has also served as a Trial Attorney in the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.

Mr. Werfel is a recipient of both national and local awards from the Association of Government Accountants for his contributions to Federal financial management. During the Bush Administration, he was the recipient of the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Service. Mr. Werfel also served as a member of the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board from 2006 to 2009.

Mr. Werfel holds a Masters Degree in Public Policy from Duke University, a Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Bachelors Degree in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University.

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Senator Schumer told IRS to go after Conservative Groups

politisite — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:40:10 +0000

Senator Schumer and others signed letter telling IRS to go after Conservative groups. While the Senator does not mention conservatives in his letter, IRS officials may have taken his direction as a license to go after his political opponents.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Senators Seek To End Tax Code Abuse By Political Groups Masquerading As ‘Social Welfare Organizations’

In Letter to IRS, Lawmakers Say Firm Limit Should Be Set on Percentage of Nonprofits’ Spending That Can Be Devoted To Political Activities

Reforms Also Urged To Prevent Political Donors From Claiming Tax Deduction For Their Contributions

A copy of the senators’ letter to IRS Commissioner Douglas H. Shulman appears below.

Hon. Douglas H. Shulman

Commissioner

Internal Revenue Service

Room 3000 IR

1111 Constitution Avenue, N.W.

Dear Commissioner Shulman:

We write to ask the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) to immediately change the administrative framework for enforcement of the tax code as it applies to groups designated as “social welfare” organizations. These groups receive tax and other advantages under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code (hereinafter, “IRC” or the “Code”), but some of them also are engaged in a substantial amount of political campaign activity. As you know, we sent a letter last month expressing concerns about the 501(c)(4) issue; an investigation this week by the New York Times has uncovered new, specific problems on how c)4)s conduct business. We wanted to address those new concerns in this letter.

IRS regulations have long maintained that political campaign activity by a 501(c)(4) entity must not be the “primary purpose” of the organization. These regulations are intended to implement the statute, which requires that such organizations be operated exclusively for the public welfare. But we think the existing IRS regulations run afoul of the law since they only require social welfare activities to be the ‘primary purpose’ of a nonprofit when the Code says this must be its ‘exclusive’ purpose. In recent years, this daylight between the law and the IRS regulations has been exploited by groups devoted chiefly to political election activities who operate behind a facade of charity work.

A related concern, raised in a March 7^thNew York Times article, concerns whether certain nonprofits may be soliciting corporate contributions that are then treated by the company as a business expense eligible for a tax deduction. The Times wrote: “Under current law, there is little to no way to tell whether contributions are being deducted, especially because many of the most political companies are privately held.” This potential abuse distorts the objectives of vital revenue mechanisms and undermines the faith that we ask citizens to place in their electoral system.

We propose that the IRS make three administrative changes to curtail these questionable practices and bring IRS tax regulations back into alignment with the letter and spirit intended by those who crafted the Code:

· First, we urge the IRS to adopt a bright line test in applying its “primary purpose” regulation that is consistent with the Code’s 501(c)(4) exclusivity language. The IRS currently only requires that the purpose of these non-profits be “primarily” related to social welfare activities, without defining what “primarily” means. This standard should be spelled out more fully by the IRS. Some have suggested 51 percent as an appropriate threshold for establishing that a nonprofit is adhering to its mission, but even this number would seem to allow for more political election activity than should be permitted under the law. In the absence of clarity in the administration of section 501(c)(4), organizations are tempted to abuse its vagueness, or worse, to organize under section 501(c)(4) so that they may avail themselves of its advantages even though they are not legitimate social welfare organizations. If the IRS does not adopt a bright line test, or if it adopts one that is inconsistent with the Code’s exclusivity language, then we plan to pursue legislation codifying such a test.

· Second, such organizations should be further obligated to document in their 990 IRS form the exact percentage of their undertakings dedicated to “social welfare.” Organizations should be required to “show their math” to demonstrate that political election activities and other statutorily limited or prohibited activities do not violate the “primary purpose” regulation.

· Third, 501(c)(4) organizations should be required to state forthrightly to potential donors what percentage of a donation, if any, may be taken as a business expense deduction. As the New York Times reported in its March 7^tharticle, some of these organizations do not currently inform donors whether a contribution is tax deductible as a business expense at all.

The IRS should already possess the authority to issue immediate guidance on this matter. We urge the IRS to take these steps immediately to prevent abuse of the tax code by political groups focused on federal election activities. But if the IRS is unable to issue administrative guidance in this area then we plan to introduce legislation to accomplish these important changes.

Sincerely,

Senators Charles E. Schumer , Michael Bennet, Sheldon Whitehouse, Jeff Merkley, Tom Udall, Jeanne Shaheen and Al Franken

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Flashback: Hillary Rodham Clinton fired from Watergate, Why?

politisite — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:08:56 +0000

Jerry Zeifman, a lifelong Democrat, supervised the work of 27-year-old Hillary Rodham on the committee. Hillary got a job working on the investigation at the behest of her former law professor, Burke Marshall, who was also Sen. Ted Kennedy’s chief counsel in the Chappaquiddick affair. When the investigation was over, Zeifman fired Hillary from the committee staff and refused to give her a letter of recommendation – one of only three people who earned that dubious distinction in Zeifman’s 17-year career.

Why?

“Because she was a liar,” Zeifman said in an interview last week. “She was an unethical, dishonest lawyer. She conspired to violate the Constitution, the rules of the House, the rules of the committee and the rules of confidentiality.”

Read More EO History: Hillary Clinton fired for lies, unethical behavior

What difference does it make?

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Video: Eric Holder: “I don’t Know” but “You Cannot Know What I Know”

politisite — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:55:26 +0000

Eric Holder: “I don’t Know” – then he ends with, “you cannot know what I know”

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Retired Fighter Pilot LTC Dan Hampton Discusses Benghazi

politisite — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:46:50 +0000

Air Force in the Media: Retired Fighter Pilot LTC Dan Hampton Discusses Benghazi

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IRS employees gave overwhelmingly to Obama and Democrats

politisite — Thu, 16 May 2013 16:59:10 +0000

IRS employees gave overwhelmingly to Obama and Democrats

President Barack Obama collected more than $110,000 from employees of the Internal Revenue Service during his 2008 and 2012 campaigns — significantly more money than any other contemporary political candidate, according to a Center for Public Integrity analysis of Federal Election Commission filings maintained by the Center for Responsive Politics.

The donations were split roughly evenly between Obama’s two presidential bids.

Ahead of the 2012 election, IRS employees collectively gave Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney about $25,000 — less than half the amount received by Obama. For his part, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the GOP’s presidential nominee in 2008, collected only about $6,000 from IRS employees.

The IRS has become the center of attention following an apology Friday by Lois Lerner, director of the agency’s division that oversees tax-exempt organizations, for what she acknowledged was “inappropriate” targeting of conservative nonprofits for additional scrutiny since 2010. Obama himself said on Monday that offenders in the agency needed to be held “fully accountable.”

AP held story until DOJ said assets were safe

politisite — Wed, 15 May 2013 22:48:15 +0000

From Gary Pruitt, president and CEO of The Associated Press:

We appreciate the DOJ’s prompt response, but it does not adequately address our concerns. The letter simply restates the law and claims that officials have complied with it. There are three significant concerns:

The scope of the subpoena was overbroad under the law, given that it involved seizing records from a broad range of telephones across AP’s newsgathering operation. More than 100 journalists work in the locations served by those telephones. How can we consider this inquiry to be narrowly drawn?

Rather than talk to us in advance, they seized these phone records in secret, saying that notifying us would compromise their investigation. They offer no explanation of this, however.

Instead they captured the telephone numbers between scores of AP journalists and the many people they talk to in the normal business of gathering news. How would narrowing the scope of the phone records have compromised their investigation?

In their response today, the DOJ says the seized records cover only a portion of April and May of 2012. However, in their original notification to us on May 10, they say they have “received toll records from April and May 2012,” and then list 20 different numbers for AP offices and staff.

Finally, they say this secrecy is important for national security. It is always difficult to respond to that, particularly since they still haven’t told us specifically what they are investigating.

We believe it is related to AP’s May 2012 reporting that the U.S. government had foiled a plot to put a bomb on an airliner to the United States. We held that story until the government assured us that the national security concerns had passed. Indeed, the White House was preparing to publicly announce that the bomb plot had been foiled.

The White House had said there was no credible threat to the American people in May of 2012. The AP story suggested otherwise, and we felt that was important information and the public deserved to know it.

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