Issues@Hand

AFA initiatives, Christian activism, news briefs

June 2014 – Strong AFA voice helps protect freedoms
Overwhelming response by conservative grassroots activists compelled the IRS to delay implementing controversial guidelines to regulate the political activity of 501(c)4 tax exempt organizations, at least until after the November elections. 

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Critics of the IRS pointed out that the most influential 501(c)4 groups are conservative and Tea Party organizations, and said the regulations were intended to silence such groups. 

Conservatives said the new regulations targeted them while leaving labor union political activity untouched. They said the proposed regulations might have tilted the November mid-term elections in favor of the Democrats.  

Conservatives unleashed supporters during the IRS “comment period,” during which citizens  can argue for or against changes in proposed regulations before they are actually implemented.

IRS Commissioner John Koskinen spoke at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., in early April. He discussed the record-breaking number of public comments received by the agency.

“During the comment period … we received more than 150,000 comments,” Koskinen said. “That’s a record for an IRS rulemaking comment period. In fact, if you take all the comments on all Treasury and IRS draft proposals over the last seven years and double that number, you come close to the number of comments we are now beginning to review and analyze.”

The sheer number of comments meant the IRS would not be able to consider implementation of the rules changes until after the mid-term elections.

Randy Sharp, AFA director of special projects, said its network of supporters generated well over 10% of the total number of comments received by the IRS.