Texas Nonprofit Is Cleared After GOP-Prompted Audit

[Judi Lynn]

Texas Nonprofit Is Cleared After GOP-Prompted Audit
Group Says Probe Was 'Political Retaliation' by DeLay Allies

By R. Jeffrey Smith
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, February 27, 2006; Page A03

The Internal Revenue Service recently audited the books of a Texas nonprofit group that was critical of campaign spending by former House majority leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) after receiving a request for the audit from one of DeLay's political allies in the House.

The lawmaker, House Ways and Means Committee member Sam Johnson (R-Tex.), was in turn responding to a complaint about the group, Texans for Public Justice, from Barnaby W. Zall, a Washington lawyer close to DeLay and his fundraising apparatus, according to IRS documents.



Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Tex.), left, with Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), wrote a letter to the IRS about complaints of possible tax violations by Texans for Public Justice, a group critical of DeLay. An audit found no wrongdoing by the nonprofit. (By Tim Johnson -- Associated Press)

~~~~~~~~~~~
Johnson, a member of the subcommittee responsible for oversight of the tax agency, sparked the IRS's interest by telling IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson in a letter dated Aug. 3, 2004, that he had "uncovered some disturbing information" and received complaints of possible tax violations.

Johnson said he was sure the IRS would follow up. "I ask you to report back your findings of each of these investigations directly to me," he told Everson in the letter, according to a copy obtained by The Washington Post.
(snip/...)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/26/AR2006022601227.html



WoooHOOOOOOO! Nice try, "Hammer" lovers!

[DRoseDARs]

1. I'd love me some Counter-Audit Souffle a la DeLay... n/t

:evilgrin:

[HuffleClaw]

2. a blatant abuse of power

but typical of the GOP, and pretty damn funny considering it was friends of tom delay who instigated it.

[depakid]

3. Just like Nixon's enemies list

except exponentially worse- because they blatantly ignore the law when it comes down to ANY ORGANIZATION ON THE RIGHT.

America's a country of men, not laws, so to speak. And I don't see that changing- because quite frankly, most Americans just don't care.

Unless something happens to them personally.

[Voltaire99]

4. Exactly. (nt)

[LynnTheDem]

6. Worse than.

What a corrupt psycho stupid regime we have squatting in the WH.

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. What's Delay doing to that guy in the picture?

It looks like a clumsy attempt to pick the guy's pocket. Didn't Delay get enough money out of the dude already?

[havocmom]

7. Anybody doubt the NSA spying isn't also being used politically?

Abusing the IRS to intimidate and harass groups that seek justice and democracy. Gee, what other agencies belonging to We The People do you figure they are using to strong arm opposition? We know DHS was used to tack down Texas Dem state legislators. Now the IRS.

Hmmm, makes one wonder about the pols who didn't like the Dubai Ports deal who are suddenly all in favor. What might they have said to someone on the phone that got overheard? Blackmail is such an ugly word... but let's go ahead and ask about it ;)

[mom cat]

8. Good presumption.

[sabra]

9. kick!

:kick:

[Moderator]

10. Kick

[seafan]

11. Nonprofit: IRS audit spurred by DeLay ally was abuse

Nonprofit: IRS audit spurred by DeLay ally was abuse

February 28, 2006

By TODD J. GILLMAN / The Dallas Morning News

WASHINGTON – The Austin nonprofit group whose complaint sparked U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay's indictment on campaign finance charges accused one of his allies of dirty tricks, saying Monday that U.S. Rep. Sam Johnson of Plano used his influence to prompt a tax audit.

"It's intimidation," said Craig McDonald, founder and director of Texans for Public Justice, which was cleared this month after a 13-month inquiry into whether it violated a ban on partisan activity by tax-exempt groups. "The IRS has every right to audit nonprofit organizations, but we think this was an abuse."

Mr. Johnson, who serves on the House tax-writing committee that oversees the IRS, wrote the agency's commissioner in mid-2004 urging him to open an inquiry.
"Anytime I have reason to believe someone may be breaking the law, I have an obligation to report it to the responsible authorities," he said.
Mr. McDonald's group drew Republican ire in March 2003, when it alleged that a DeLay-founded committee, Texans for a Republican Majority, had illegally raised and spent $600,000 during the 2002 state legislative campaigns. The GOP won control of the state House and subsequently redrew congressional districts at Mr. DeLay's urging.

The group filed a complaint with Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle, who obtained indictments against three DeLay lieutenants and several corporations. Mr. DeLay, R-Sugar Land, was indicted in September, costing him his powerful post as House majority leader. He denies the charges, alleging they are driven by politics.
IRS documents and other correspondence show that in July 2004, Mr. Johnson received a letter from Barnaby Zall, a lawyer with ties to Mr. DeLay, alleging that Mr. McDonald's group had targeted Mr. DeLay "for special partisan attack." He urged Mr. Johnson to use his influence on the tax panel to initiate an IRS investigation.

Mr. Zall did not return calls Monday. Mr. McDonald obtained the letters under federal open records law, and they were first reported in Monday's Washington Post.
Two weeks after receiving Mr. Zall's letter, Mr. Johnson forwarded it to IRS commissioner Mark Everson, mentioning his position on the supervisory committee and recommending an investigation.
The IRS opened an audit of Texans for Public Justice in January 2005 and closed it Feb. 3, when it told the group its tax-exempt status remained intact after a review of 2003 filings.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/local/stories/DN-audit_28tex.ART.State.Edition2.e327b72.html

[myrna minx]

12. Republican thuggery values. n/t

[myrna minx]

14. Sam Seder is discussing this on the Al Frankin Show now...n/t

[Lochloosa]

13. It must have surprised them that the IRS found nothing.

They assume everyone is a just like them. Criminals!

[seafan]

15. WP: Texas Nonprofit Is Cleared After GOP-Prompted Audit

Texas Nonprofit Is Cleared After GOP-Prompted Audit

Group Says Probe Was 'Political Retaliation' by DeLay Allies

By R. Jeffrey Smith
Washington Post Staff Writer

Monday, February 27, 2006; Page A03

The Internal Revenue Service recently audited the books of a Texas nonprofit group that was critical of campaign spending by former House majority leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) after receiving a request for the audit from one of DeLay's political allies in the House.

The lawmaker, House Ways and Means Committee member Sam Johnson (R-Tex.), was in turn responding to a complaint about the group, Texans for Public Justice, from Barnaby W. Zall, a Washington lawyer close to DeLay and his fundraising apparatus, according to IRS documents.

Johnson, a member of the subcommittee responsible for oversight of the tax agency, sparked the IRS's interest by telling IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson in a letter dated Aug. 3, 2004, that he had "uncovered some disturbing information" and received complaints of possible tax violations.

Johnson said he was sure the IRS would follow up. "I ask you to report back your findings of each of these investigations directly to me," he told Everson in the letter, according to a copy obtained by The Washington Post.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/26/AR2006022601227.html








UPI: DeLay pals sparked audit of Texas group

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- Texans for Public Justice, a non-profit group, recently survived a tax audit its leaders say was prompted by allies of embattled Republican Rep. Tom Delay.

"This audit was political retaliation by Tom DeLay's cronies to intimidate us for blowing the whistle on DeLay's abuses," Craig McDonald, the group's founder and head, told the Washington Post. "Enlisting the IRS to intimidate critics is a dirty trick reminiscent of Richard Nixon."

McDonald discovered, using the Freedom of Information Act, that Sam Johnson, a Texas Republican, told IRS Commissioner Mark Everson that he had "uncovered some disturbing information" about Texans for Public Justice. Johnson was reportedly responding to a complaint from Barnaby Zall, a Washington lawyer with ties to DeLay.

snip

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060227-040802-8116r







Rolling Stone: DeLay's IRS Hammer

Feb 27, 2006

Texans for Public Justice, the non-profit watchdog group I profiled in Rolling Stone's year-end Mavericks Issue, is the source of all Tom DeLay's troubles. They're the group that filed the original criminal complaints that led to the (now-former) House Majority Leader being indicted on charges of money laundering.

Turns out they were just put through the wringer by the IRS.

Why? Because a DeLay loyalist, Rep. Sam Johnson of Texas, who serves on the House Ways and Means committee demanded an audit. In truly Nixonian fashion, he cited nebulous "disturbing information" about the group's finances and demanded that an IRS commissioner "report back your findings of each of these investigations directly to me."

After a 13 month investigation, TPJ's books were declared clean as a whistle.

"This audit was political retaliation by Tom DeLay's cronies to intimidate us for blowing the whistle on DeLay's abuses," Rolling Stone Maverick Craig McDonald told the WaPo. "Enlisting the IRS to intimidate critics is a dirty trick reminiscent of Richard Nixon . . . It is not a crime to report a crime, as we did with DeLay."

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/nataffdaily/story/9399602/delays_irs_hammer?rnd=1141148300037&has-player=true&version=6.0.12.1040

[callous taoboy]

16. Just sent a $50 check to Texans for Public Justice:

Also sent a letter to Congressman Johnson thanking him for helping to bring this fine group to the center of media attention since I was unfamiliar with them before.

Anyone else care to do the same?

http://www.tpj.org/index.jsp :evilgrin:

[seafan]

17. WTG! Ain't this country great?

Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Tex.), left, with Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), wrote a letter to the IRS about complaints of possible tax violations by Texans for Public Justice, a group critical of DeLay. An audit found no wrongdoing by the nonprofit.

Photo Credit: By Tim Johnson -- Associated Press
Related Article: Texas Nonprofit Is Cleared After GOP-Prompted Audit, page A03

[formercia]

19. The Cheshire Cat.

and his litter mates...

[formercia]

18. I would

and even though I don't live in Texas, if someone could post their address, I would like to make a donation. Anybody else want to ante-up?

[seafan]

21. Here is some info from Google:

http://www.tpj.org/index.jsp

Texans for Public Justice
609 W. 18th Street, Suite E
Austin, TX 78701
PH: 512-472-9770
FX: 512-472-9830
E-Mail: [e-mail]

(I would call and check for the current correct address, etc, before sending a donation.)

[NJmaverick]

20. There is no end to their evil

They are a plague on our good nation

[napi21]

22. If they can prove it was intimidation or retaliation, they can prove

absolute illegality! This is one of the things that caused Nixon to resign!

[seafan]

23. Heads up. Sam Seder has Craig McDonald next on Al Franken Show.

Craig McDonald, founder and director of Texans for Public Justice

Around 2:30 EST

[Moderator]

24. kick