Two top Senate Democrats are pressuring the Internal Revenue Service to investigate whether the National Rifle Association deserves to be a tax-exempt organization.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon sent a
“Russia’s interference in the 2016 elections represented an unprecedented attack on American democracy,” the senators write in the letter. “In light of the continued efforts of Russia to undermine American democracy, IRS must use its full authority to prevent foreign adversaries from again exploiting tax-exempt organizations to undermine American interests.”
The call to investigate the NRA comes after Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee released a
Maria Butina, one of the Russian nationals mentioned in the report, was convicted on a felony charge of acting as an unregistered foreign agent. The report also said that NRA executives used the organization to benefit themselves.
William Brewer, counsel to the NRA, said in a statement that the report was “politically motivated” and said an “avalanche of proof” confirms that the organization wasn’t involved in the activities detailed.
Groups claiming social welfare status, like the NRA, can participle in some political activity, but it can’t be their main focus, according to IRS rules. Losing its tax exemption could add to the organization’s financial troubles, which have grown in recent years as the group has been locked in expensive legal battles and executives have squabbled over spending.
-- Laura Davison, Bloomberg News
