Is IRS soft on terrorists?

By WND Staff

The public-interest legal watchdog group Judicial Watch filed a formal complaint with Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Charles Rossotti today charging his agency has been soft on non-profit terrorist fronts while systematically targeting critics of the man who appointed him, former President Clinton.

In a complaint signed by Judicial Watch Chairman and General Counsel Larry Klayman, the group said, given the current state of war with terrorists and states that harbor them, the IRS must “investigate the misuse of these tax-exempt and other organizations, and, if necessary, shut them down forthwith.”

Copies of the complaint are being provided to President Bush, Attorney General John Ashcroft and members of Congress.

“In the past several year, the IRS has seen fit, largely under your direction, to audit tax-exempt entities and individuals who were perceived to be adverse to President Bill Clinton and his administration,” the complaint charges. “Score of persons and entities, many of whom are Judicial Watch clients, such as Billy Dale, Gennifer Flowers, Juanita Broaddrick, Katherine Prudhomme, Western Journalism Center, United We Stand America and others were harassed. In addition, over 20 conservative foundations, which criticized President Clinton and his administration, were audited, resulting in great damage to their financial condition and reputations. Not a single liberal organization supportive of President Clinton, such as Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow-PUSH Coalition, was audited and harassed. Indeed, Jesse Jackson’s own accountant has publicly confirmed that Rainbow-PUSH has never been audited, despite publicly reported misuse of tax-exempt monies. As a Clinton appointee, and given the pattern of political audits, it is obvious that you were responsible for this selective prosecution.”

Judicial Watch also pointed out that Clinton gave Rossotti a conflict-of-interest waiver concerning his own company, AMS, which contracts with the IRS for tens of millions of dollars in business.

The complaint specifically cites for appropriate targeting by the IRS groups associated with terrorist organizations Hamas. They include, according to Judicial Watch:

  • United Association for Studies and Research of Springfield, Va.;
  • Islamic Association for Palestine of Richardson, Texas;
  • The North American Islamic Trust of Plainfield, Ill.;
  • The Islamic Relief Association of Alexandria, Va.;
  • The Islamic African Relief Agency of Columbia, Mo.;
  • The Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development;
  • Mostan International;
  • Muslim American Society;
  • Cultural Society;
  • Muslim Arab Youth Association;
  • Alaqsa Educational Fund;
  • Council on American Islamic Relations of Garland, Texas;
  • Islamic Society of North America;
  • The Islamic Circle of North America of Jamaica, N.Y.;
  • The American Middle Eastern League for Palestine of Richardson, Texas;
  • Quaranic Literacy Institute of Oak Lawn, Ill.

The group also cited for-profit companies reputedly supporting Hamas as follows:

  • BMI of Secaucus, N.J.;
  • Kadi International, Inc.
  • Golden Marble, Inc.
  • Mecca Investment International of Los Angeles.