President Trump’s Administration Finds New Ways to Target Left-Leaning Nonprofits

The Wall Street Journal reports (subscription required) that Trump allies at the IRS are planning to overhaul the IRS, including its criminal investigative division, to target left-leaning nonprofits disfavored by the President. Democratic members of Congress quickly responded to the report, writing to the acting Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and calling for an immediate investigation. And they of course cited the federal criminal statute (Internal Revenue Code section 7217) prohibiting employees of the executive offices of the President or the Vice President, among other federal employees, from requesting the IRS audit or investigate any specific taxpayer. See also Opinion: Trump wants the IRS to investigate his foes. That won’t play out the way he thinks (highlighting potential legal exposure not only for those making such requests but also IRS employees following them).

And this effort comes on top of a N.Y. Times report that a senior Justice Department official is pushing federal prosecutors to investigate the Open Society Foundations, founded by George Soros. The Open Society Foundations swiftly responded to the report. And a follow-up story by the N.Y. Times highlights the fact that the Capital Research Center analysis relied upon by the Justice Department does not show evidence of any illegal activity by the Open Society Foundations.