A conservative watchdog says it’s being unfairly targeted with an IRS audit, while alleging government retaliation over its work that drove negative publicity.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been accused of being politically weaponized by engaging in a “deliberate attempt to punish and suppress” a conservative watchdog whose activities led to some of President Joe Biden’s nominees to senior administrative roles withdrawing their candidacies.
The American Accountability Foundation (AAF), a non-profit organization dedicated to scrutinizing public leaders and institutions, is under scrutiny itself as the IRS examines its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, according to a letter from the IRS to the AAF obtained by The Epoch Times.
The IRS has requested extensive documents from AAF, including all external communications related to its activities.
AAF President Tom Jones believes this move by the IRS is a deliberate politically-motivated crackdown against the organization, in part as retaliation for the watchdog’s efforts to draw the public’s attention to the radicalism of some of President Biden’s administrative nominees that led their nominations to fail.
“This sudden request by the IRS is not random,” Mr. Jones said in a statement. The fact that the IRS is demanding records from the group that relate to current public elected officials is “clearly a sign that they are targeting our research and education activities,” he added.
“It’s a deliberate attempt to punish and suppress AAF’s activities. It is surely no coincidence that AAF—the very organization that exposed the weaponization of the IRS—is now the target of it,” Mr. Jones added.
The IRS did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Epoch Times.
Spotlighting Biden Nominees
The watchdog has a history of putting President Biden’s various nominees under the microscope, bringing public attention to some statements and circumstances the group said were questionable, while taking credit for the individuals’ eventual decisions to withdraw their candidacies.
For instance, the watchdog ran billboards, newspaper ads, and digital ads informing the American public about President Biden’s FCC chair nominee Gigi Sohn, who ended up pulling her nomination.
By Tom Ozimek
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