Why IRS Can't Find CNP

In a stunning show of domestic incompetence, the Internal Revenue Service only looks for charities with "Middle Eastern sounding names" to find nonprofit groups funding terrorists. What happens if shadowy nonprofits employ the Congressional tool of naming something its exact opposite? They get a free pass from the IRS.

Another secretive nonprofit education group rides a twenty year free pass from feds despite never complying with 501(c)3 requirements. The Council for National Policy continues to benefit from Uncle Sam's generosity without providing any returns to the public at large. A number of their members successfully fended off the IRS in the past. Do their skills extend to the group as a whole?

But with over 1.6 million tax exempt organizations (excluding churches), the IRS can't keep their eye on all of them. But they can watch your local nonprofit community hospital like a chickenhawk as they struggle under the weight of Bush's legions of uninsured.

Grassley's Concern for Tax Avoiding Hospitals Doesn't Extend to CNP

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley continues to push the IRS toward making your nonprofit community hospital pay taxes. He fails to note that 80-90% of such institutions are already struggling financially providing care for America's legions of uninsureds.

Meanwhile, the Council for National Policy skates along with their 501(c)3 status unchallenged, despite its suspension in 1992. After making virtually no changes to comply with existing law, CNP negotiated its return to tax free status. It's been a 15 year skate since then for the exclusive, secretive group of conservative Christians. The CNP frequently has Bush administration officials speak at their confabs, yet only an accidental posting of a speech indicates their participation.

Code words for a CNP gathering with political leaders include "a confidential network of several hundred highly influential conservative business leaders", "elite Gold Circle Club", and "private Gold Circle dinner".

While any new dollars into the federal coffers may pale compared to taxing nonprofit community hospitals, tax exempt CNP appears to not fulfill a greater public benefit, other than provide a tax free dodge for already rich people to join together to influence public policy. It's clear which group is meeting a greater public need. So why is Chuck giving them heck? Senator Grassley's supporters want much more of America's healthcare system to be for profit.

Stay tuned for Chuck Grassley's report on CNP's community benefit...