Schneider on Senate Report: No Excuse for IRS Not to Investigate NRA’s Tax-Exempt Status
Today, Congressman Brad Schneider (D-IL), a member of the House Ways & Means Committee, released the following statement in reaction to a new report by Democratic members of the Senate Finance Committee detailing how the National Rifle Association of America (NRA) acted as a foreign asset to facilitate political access for known associates of the Russian government:
We already knew NRA leadership were abusing their positions to line their pockets through self-dealing, but the new Senate report makes clear they were even willing to partner with Russian assets in order to do so. This is yet more brazen misconduct by an organization enjoying the privileges of tax-exempt status. If the IRS is not yet investigating revoking the NRA's tax-exempt status, they should have no excuse now. I will continue my efforts to investigate and shine a light on this flagrant abuse of our tax code."
Background:
In September 2019, Schneider questioned questioned Marc Owens, former director of the Exempt Organization Division at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on allegations against the NRA, who responded they "absolutely" raise questions on the organization's tax-exempt status.
Schneider questioned the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration J. Russell George on the NRA's tax-exempt status at a hearing of the Ways and Means Committee in May 2019. When presented with hypothetical situations mirroring the allegations against the NRA, George called them "concerning," saying they would "raise questions" and warrant further investigation. That month, Schneider also urged the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to investigate the tax-exempt status of the NRA in a letter to IRS Commissioner Charles P. Rettig.
Schneider previously requested documents from the National Rifle Association (NRA) related to allegations of wrongdoing in a June 2019 letter to LaPierre. Schneider requested other documents from Ackerman McQueen in an August 2019 letter.