The Internal Revenue Service quietly proposed new regulations aimed at 501(c)(4) organizations during the Thanksgiving recess that Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, called “a crass political effort by the Administration to get what political advantage they can, when they can.”
……the Treasury Department said the new rules “may be both more restrictive and more permissive than the current approach.” The new rules focus on organizations known as “social welfare” groups that regulated within section 501(c)(4) of the tax code. Conservative political operations, liberal groups before them, began to organize under the 501 (c)(4) umbrella in the past ten years, and having such a tax status would allow these organizations from disclosing their donors. A 54-year-old rule says that an organization can become a social welfare organization “if it is primarily engaged in promoting in some way the common good and general welfare of the people of the community.” The new IRS regulation now says “campaign-related political activity” cannot count towards a group’s social welfare mission. Such a regulation would discount numerous conservative advocacy groups either seeking for or wanting to maintain a 501(c)(4) tax status.
In other words, it’s just another tactic to limit the free speech rights of conservative groups who are a thorn in Obamessiah’s side.
Like any good government thug, they won’t back away from public outrage and scrutiny.
The Obama administration launched an attempt Tuesday to limit the same class of politically active non-profit groups the IRS was accused of targeting last summer.
Under the proposed new rules, organizations that fall under the tax-exempt 501(c)(4) umbrella would also be more clearly identified during campaigns. The new guidance would curtail activities such as running ads, distributing campaign literature and other get-out-the-vote initiatives.
The groups in question are able to raise millions of dollars to influence elections.
Smaller organizations that are similarly classified were the subject of unfair targeting practices earlier this year by IRS employees, leading to the eventual resignations of several senior IRS officials.
However, it could be several years before any regulations are finalized, meaning the groups could likely still raise millions before next year’s elections.
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp, R-Mich., says he’s skeptical about the administration’s move.
“There continues to be an ongoing investigation, with many documents yet to be uncovered, into how the IRS systematically targeted and abused conservative-leaning groups,” he said in a written statement. “This smacks of the administration trying to shut down potential critics.”
The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), which is representing 41 organizations in a federal lawsuit challenging the IRS, says the proposed regulation change puts free speech rights of Americans at risk.
“This is a feeble attempt by the Obama Administration to justify its own wrong-doing with the IRS targeting of conservative and Tea Party groups,” attorney Jay Sekulow said in a written statement. “Instead of holding those responsible for the unlawful targeting scheme accountable for their actions, the Obama Administration is determined to further limit the free speech of Americans by attempting to change constitutional practices that are decades old.”
You can bet your ass leftwing groups and organizations sympathetic to Dem causes will remain unscathed.
Related posts:
http://sfcmac.wordpress.com/2013/10/12/rep-gerry-connolly-d-va-makes-fun-of-irs-targeting-scandal/
http://sfcmac.wordpress.com/2013/06/05/victims-of-irs-targeting-testify-before-congress/
Related articles
- Obama Administration Attempts IRS Rule Change Targeting Political Organizations (gopthedailydose.com)
- IRS, DOJ yet to take any action on ACLJ-led lawsuit against tax collection agency (redalertpolitics.com)
- ‘First Amendment Rights of Americans at Even Greater Risk’: IRS Issues Rules Curbing Political Activity (theblaze.com)
- Obama Orders IRS to Shutdown Non-Profits That Speak Out Against Him (a4cgr.wordpress.com)
- The Latest IRS Political Crackdown: An ambiguous new rule to stop Americans from influencing elections (Wall Street Journal)
Reblogged this on Brittius.com.