Sen. Cruz Rep. Zeldin send letter to IRS Commissioner Koskinen in light of organizations reported efforts to oust Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON D.C. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz R-Texas and Congressman Lee Zeldin this week sent a letter to IRS Commissioner John Koskinen asking for information regarding the tax-exempt status of The PeaceWorks Network Foundation most commonly known by the name OneVoice" after several media reports indicating OneVoice a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization has been using its resources to influence the outcome of the upcoming Israeli elections.
The Islamic Republic of Iran is pursuing the deadliest weapons on the planet and there can be no doubt that their first target will be Israel followed by the United States" said Sen. Cruz. Yet the Obama Administration seems much more interested in regime change in Jerusalem than in Tehran. In January Rep. Zeldin and I sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry asking for information about whether the United States government is funding overtly political action in Israel designed to influence the upcoming election. While we still dont have complete answers from Sec. Kerry OneVoices actions raise significant questions about whether it has violated its tax-exempt status as a 501(c)(3) organization."
Its abundantly clear that OneVoice a U.S. taxpayer funded 501(c)(3) is fully engaged in political activities to oust the Israeli Prime Minister" said Rep. Zeldin. It is important for IRS Commissioner Koskinen to assist with our efforts to hold OneVoice responsible for any possible violation of its tax exempt status. U.S. law must always be consistently enforced and the IRS Commissioner must not make any special exception for OneVoice."
As specified in the letter a recent article in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports that a U.S. taxpayer-funded non-profit organization called OneVoice is actively working with a campaign operation called Victory 2015 (V15) in an effort to influence the upcoming elections in Israel on March 17 2015.
The letter continues: Other media reports indicate that OneVoice helped build the social network group V15 into a proper campaign organization and that OneVoice has and still supports according to statements it has also issued on its own behalf the V15 campaign intended to topple Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu openly and declaratively. Another source has reported that one of the founders of V15 confirmed in an interview that V15 receives financial support from OneVoice:
V15 itself says that it is supported by the OneVoice organization. Nimrod Dweck one of the founders of V15 told Israels Channel 2 anchor Keren Neubach that OneVoice writes our receipts.
They are our legal-organizational conduit. (emphasis added)"
The Internal Revenue Code clearly states that organizations that are exempt from the collection of income tax under Section 501(c)(3) may not participate in or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements) any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office." This is an absolute prohibition and the tax-exempt status of any organization that violates it is subject to revocation. As a result Sen. Cruz and Rep. Zeldin requested that the IRS undertake the following preservation efforts effective immediately:
1. Preserve all documents and records including e-mail e-mail-based calendar appointments electronic documents and other electronic data (electronic records) created since the date of The PeaceWorks Network Foundations request for non-profit organization status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code that relate to OneVoice. For the purposes of this request preserve" means taking reasonable steps to prevent the partial or full destruction alteration testing deletion shredding incineration wiping relocation migration theft or mutation of electronic records as well as negligent or intentional handling that would make such records incomplete or inaccessible.
2. Exercise reasonable efforts to identify and notify former Treasury employees and contractors subcontractors and consultants who may have access to such electronic records that they are also to be preserved.
3. If it is the routine practice of any Treasury component employee or contractor to destroy or otherwise alter such electronic records either halt such practices immediately or arrange for the preservation of complete and accurate duplicates or copies of such records suitable for production if requested.
Cruz and Zeldin also requested that the IRS answer the following questions and provide the following information no later than March 9 2015:
1. A copy of The PeaceWorks Network Foundations Section 501(c)(3) application (or the Section 501(c)(3) application of any component or subsidiary organizations of The PeaceWorks Network Foundation including any of the OneVoice" organizations).
2. A copy of The PeaceWorks Network Foundations (or any component or subsidiary organizations including any of the OneVoice" organizations) Internal Revenue Service Form 1023 and related documentation.
3. IRSs position on whether The PeaceWorks Network Foundations (or any component or subsidiary organizations including any of the OneVoice" organizations) activities as discussed in the provided public domain news accounts indicate that the organization may be engaged in political activity.
4. IRSs position on whether it considers The PeaceWorks Network Foundations (or any component or subsidiary organizations including any of the OneVoice" organizations) political activities violate its tax-exempt status as a non-profit organization under 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3).
5. IRSs position on whether The PeaceWorks Network Foundations (or any component or subsidiary organizations including any of the OneVoice" organizations) activities including its partnership with the foreign campaign organization known as Victory 2015 (V15) violate either Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code any other provision of the Internal Revenue Code or any other federal statute or regulation.
6. Any additional information in IRSs possession about how The PeaceWorks Network Foundation (or any component or subsidiary organizations including any of the OneVoice" organizations) spends its funds including any voluntary or involuntary financial reporting information.
7. What if any steps the IRS is taking to investigate The PeaceWorks Network Foundations (or any component or subsidiary organizations including any of the OneVoice" organizations) potential engagement in political activities as described above.
In the letter Cruz and Zeldin wrote Of course private American citizens are free to engage in political activities according to their inclinations. It is not the role of the IRS to limit the free speech protections of the First Amendment or target organizations for their political beliefs. But in this case OneVoice has not only received State Department grant funding for its activities but is also potentially using its grant funding to directly impact a foreign election and that on its face violates its status with the IRS."
Full text of the letter is available here.
