IRS Should Quickly Issue, Vigorously Enforce New Rules for Political Nonprofits

Statement by Common Cause President Miles Rapoport on President Obama's 'Daily Show' Comments Concerning the IRS and Social Welfare Nonprofits

President Obama correctly declared that the “real scandal around the IRS right now is that it has been so poorly funded that they cannot go after these folks who are deliberately avoiding tax payments.” And he was right in labeling the laws governing nonprofit political spending and social welfare activity as “crummy” because they “didn’t give people guidance.” 

But sloppy drafting and a lack of guidance do not excuse the agency’s sluggish response to the proliferation of nonprofits that claim to have a social welfare mission but in fact exist only to funnel six- and seven-figure gifts from secret sources into our elections.   

The IRS should move quickly to issue and then vigorously enforce new rules that clearly define political activity and let nonprofits know how much of it they can engage in while retaining their social welfare tax status

Demand that the IRS take action today!