"And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift of God?" -- Thomas Jefferson

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"Because of their belief that power had come from God to each individual, the Framers began the Constitution with the words 'we the people'" -- Newt Gingrich

"There's never been a nation like the United States, ever. It begins with the principles of our founding documents, principles that recognize that our rights come from God, not from our government." -- Marco Rubio


Thursday, May 16, 2013

IRS Targeted Freedom Federation’s Tax Status in Growing Scandal

Freedom Federation
NEWS RELEASE
Contact: PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT - 800-671-1776 or Media@LC.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 16, 2013
(Audio Clip) IRS Targeted Freedom Federation’s Tax Status in Growing Scandal

www.LC.org and www.FreedomFederation.org

Orlando, FL – The Freedom Federation is still waiting on its status as a 501(c)(4), and it now appears that it was one of the groups targeted by the IRS. As a part of this application, the Freedom Federation has the word “Freedom” as part of its name, and its Declaration of American Values contains all the buzz words that we now know triggered IRS scrutiny. These include the right to life, religious freedom, the right to bear arms, natural marriage, limited government, and more, according to Mat Staver, Chairman of the Freedom Federation.

Staver points out that he filed two separate 501(c)(4) organization applications, using one of the nation’s most qualified nonprofit CPA firms. These were filed at the same time on January 23, 2012. The other 501(c)(4) received its final status from the IRS on July 9, 2012. This organization had none of the buzz words mentioned above, but the Freedom Federation is still waiting on the IRS response. In fact, in March of 2013, the IRS finally responded with a letter requesting a wide-ranging response demanding information on more than two dozen items, most of which should have no relation to granting 501(c)4 status. The demands include a username and password to the organization's website and even bizarre questions like the following:
  • “Does your organization produce any original content that you publish on your organization’s website? If so, describe those activities and submit copies of the content.”
  • “Has your organization conducted any...meetings? If so, describe this activity in further detail and provide copies of any materials distributed at your meetings.”
  • Regarding an annual event, the IRS demands, “Provide copies of all materials distributed at the event, including but not limited to event agendas and itineraries, promotional materials, newsletters, educational materials, flyers, and other materials.”
What business does the IRS have asking these questions? “It now appears that the IRS delayed its response until after the 2012 election, and when it did finally respond after repeated inquires, the IRS demanded all sorts of information about private and public meetings, including the agendas and the content of what was discussed,” Staver complained. (Audio Clip)
 
“During an ABA event, American Bar Association event, some midlevel person with the IRS said, yes, they had actually been discriminating against some of these organizations based upon the Tea Party relationship or words like freedom, and other kinds of liberty ideas that you'd find in their applications for 501(c)4 or other organizations.”
 
Staver concluded,
 
“The IRS should be nonpartisan and should treat all organizations alike. An investigation of the IRS is necessary to stop this agency from pushing a political agenda.”
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