Sen. Wiener Proposes State Revoke Tax-Exempt Status of Nonprofits ‘Engaged in Insurrection-Related Offenses’
Does disagreeing with the current administration qualify as inciting treason?
By Katy Grimes, June 14, 2022 3:15 pm
The highly politicized California Attorney General is loathe to pursue, prosecute or punish fraudulent or politically-active non-profit organizations operating in the state, but under an alarming new bill will “notify the Franchise Tax Board if the AG has determined that an entity granted tax-exempt status has engaged in specified criminal acts.”
We wish the Attorney General would pay attention to nonprofit organizations engaging in criminal acts. So what is the bill referring to?
Senate Bill 834 by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), “authorizes the Franchise Tax Board to revoke the tax-exempt status of a charitable organization if the organization has engaged in, or incited the active engagement of, any criminal conspiracies or acts.”
“Nonprofits that fundraise off of the insurrection and that are working to overthrow our government and dismantle our democracy should not receive privileged tax status,” said Senator Wiener. “These poisonous organizations are attacking the heart of our nation and cynically scamming people and preying on their fears and misunderstandings.”
Pot, meet kettle.
Senate Bill 834, the “No Tax Exemption for Insurrection Act,” just passed the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee by a vote of 7-0.
SB 834 was introduced by Sen. Wiener January 6, 2022 – one year after the January 6, 2021 rally-turned-riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Sen. Wiener explains his reasoning:
“SB 834 is a first-in-the-nation bill that will revoke the California tax-exempt status of nonprofit organizations that participate in or incite efforts to overthrow the United States government or any state government. Nonprofit organizations have used the ‘Big Lie’ – the fraudulent notion that the 2020 election was stolen – to fundraise for and funnel money to extremist and anti-democratic initiatives like the January 6 insurrection. Tax-exempt status is a privilege, not a right, and organizations that engage in or incite insurrection or conspiracy to commit insurrection – both of which are illegal – should not be given this special status to help them fundraise. Moreover, non-California nonprofits should not be able to register to raise money in California if they are engaging in or inciting insurrection.”
Where do we begin?
For starters, the Globe asked an attorney if this is legal or not. He said the Internal Revenue Code and IRS regulations determine who can or cannot be tax exempt. If a church, for example, is engaged in political activity, it can lose its tax exempt status.
The church example is pretty cut and dried. What Sen. Wiener is proposing is not. How does government legitimately determine if non-profit organizations are attempting to overthrow the government, especially based on the dubious Jan 6th committee we are witnessing in real time, and in prime time? Many call it “political theater,” while actual political prisoners are being held in the Washington D.C. jail 17-months later, without being charged with a crime (or are charged with trespassing).
Declaring political enemies as enemies of the state is dangerous turf.
“As the congressional hearings about the January 6 insurrection are demonstrating once again, allowing extremism to run rampant in our society is very dangerous,” said Sen. Wiener.“Any group actively working to overthrow the U.S. government or overturn democratic elections is breaking the law, and should not be allowed the privilege of tax-exempt status. SB 834 ensures these anti-democratic organizations aren’t able to raise money as a nonprofit in California.”
Wiener continued: “The January 6, 2021, insurrection took place when pro-Trump extremists – in response to the false narrative that the Democrats ‘stole’ the 2020 election and incited by then-President Donald Trump – breached the United States Capitol. Five people were killed as a result of this insurrection, and hundreds were injured. Vice President Pence and Speaker Pelosi were specific targets of this violent attack on our democracy. Many nonprofits that supported the insurrection and continue to perpetuate lies about the 2020 election in hopes of overturning the results still operate with tax-exempt status, both at the federal and state level.”
The unspoken intent of the January 6 committee is to chill speech and criminalize any talk questioning the veracity of the 2020 Election.
SB 834 bill analysis says:
“SB 834 revokes the California tax-exempt status of a nonprofit organization if the Attorney General determines that the nonprofit has actively engaged in or incited treason, misprision of treason, insurrection, seditious conspiracy, advocating overthrow of the government or the government of any State, or advocating mutiny by members of the military or naval forces of the U.S.”
Does disagreeing with the current administration qualify as inciting treason, misprision of treason, insurrection, seditious conspiracy, advocating overthrow of the government or the government of any State?
Will Christian nonprofit organizations risk losing their tax-exempt status for protesting at the State Capitol against Sen. Wiener’s innumerable bills which threaten the nuclear family and parental rights?
Will parent-led nonprofit organizations risk losing their tax-exempt status for protesting at the Capitol against Critical Race Theory curriculum in public schools, or the sexualizing of their children in public schools? The United States Attorney General and U.S. Department of Justice already labeled parents “domestic terrorists” for showing up at school board meetings and demanding accountability and transparency over CRT and LGBTQ “grooming” of their kids.
Will nonprofit news organizations risk losing their tax-exempt status for reporting on and exposing Sen. Wiener’s and Democrats’ legislation, much of which is antithetical to religious families, violations of parental rights, exposing children to unsuitable, graphic sex curriculum, and student sexual harassment, as the Globe has reported?
“While the FTB is currently directed to suspend the tax exemption of a nonprofit supporting international terrorism, there is no clear, explicit authority concerning nonprofits that support insurrection,” Wiener’s bill analysis says. “SB 834 will ensure that nonprofit organizations engaged in insurrection-related offenses will be held to the same standard as those that engage in or support international terrorist activity, and also have their exemption revoked.”
So far, SB 834 has passed four Senate committees, and out of the Senate, 28-0 (12 abstentions recorded). The bill is now in the Assembly awaiting committee hearings.
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“Pot, meet kettle.” No kidding!
If we were allowed to still use logic in this state I could say “I reject your premise, Sen Wiener!” But I’m guessing that wouldn’t fly.
It would be great if there were some fail-safe device in the legislative process that would automatically cut off purposely vague, horribly written, and completely unconstitutional bills BEFORE they could proceed. Oh wait! That’s what the committees are supposed to be for, right?
Thank you so much, Katy Grimes, for digging this out from the garbage pile of bills and bringing it to our attention. Will be watching SB 834.
Is this a declaration of economic war in disguise?
This guy is mentally ill….
So our very partisan attorney general would determine the tax exempt status of his opposition. Having elected officials who in any way shape or form think this is appropriate should scare everybody.
Wiener is an attention whore and needs to feel important and he does this by making ridiculous statements and suggestions which make the headlines here. Nonprofits should have their exempt status revoked for any crime not just the ones on his list. Furthermore, the lazy ass CA DOJ and AG hardly ever monitor 501c3s that is a fact and these businesses know it and that is why they do what they want with absolutely no fear of being caught and/or punished. Worse still, CA DOJ claims lack of manpower as the reason no complaints are ever acted on and why oversight is a joke.
There’s irony here, you have to admit. Weiner, the grandmaster of subversive and insidious bills, is worried about things “anti-democratic.” Citizens of the Bay Area need to say farewell to this clown.
So Democrat pervert Scott Weiner has taken a break from pushing radical LGBTQRST+++ agenda legislation and now wants to strip any non-profit of it’s tax exempt status that fundraises off of “working to overthrow our government and dismantle our democracy?” Does that include violent extremist Democrat affiliated groups like BLM and Antifa? Many of us think that the Democrat party is full of radical communists and Marxists who want to overthrow our government and dismantle our democracy?
Agree 1000%
Yes. Wiener, Pan, Gavi , Pelosi on down the line are all treasonous POS.
They should be in prison.
With zero say on how to run our state or country.
Wiener is filth. Should be removed from office now.
I can’t think of an organization that fits the mold of the bill better than BLM. BLM can be first on the list.
Channeling Lois Lerner are you, Weiner? I nominate any of those groups who stock our southern border with water, food, maps, and lawyers to facilitate illegal aliens’ efforts to sneak into our country.
Or, wasn’t that quite what you had in mind?
All the drag queens I know have common sense underneath their short hair cuts.
Not so with Weiner.
Ha! No kidding.
So BLM, Antifa, and Soros-backed NGO’s on the chopping block… Right?
Am I missing any Pro-Life Center firebombings in CA?
Hypocrites: Didn’t the legislature hire Eric Holder at one time? Has never been charged for “Fast and Furious”
gun-trafficking… seems like it would be a priority to ‘keep people safe’
It would be a priority if they actually cared.
99.99% of the politicians sold their souls and our country/ states to Globalist Psychopaths.
If justice actually reined. They all be arrested for treason.
But like Paul Pelosi. Nothing happens until We the people unite and say No More.
That’s why the Politicians keep dividing us.
If we United. They would be held accountable.
Election fraud gets you the California legislature.
Wiener is pedo pervert. Has zero care for California.
He is aligned w the creepy weather underground, Soros Agenda.
Remove him from office now.
Wiener and Pan are filth.
As are 99.99% of the politicians in California.
Leading the charge Feckless Lunatic Gavi
Just a furthering of the ever-more corrupt system of fraudulent governance to weaponize the law against anybody who stands up to their Frankenstate Monster. MEANWHILE outright criminals are allowed to fundraise, completely unpoliced, for all manner of “veterans groups”, and health-related things merely fronts for scams where most of the money goes TO the fundraising scheme itself. I know because after I got burned giving to a “Paralyzed Veterans” group and discovering it was fake I was told by “real” vets advocate that it’s “not a priority” for the California AG.
This demented sock puppet for the Soros/Wyss syndicate (look up that Swiss billionaire who lives in Wyoming) glories in the decline of our civilization. Go look at SanFranSewerhole to admire his handiwork. (Tuff his buddyboy Boudin bit the dust though). He is the sponsor of SB 519 which looks to pass, it legalizes LSD. I won’t take the space here to argue the point as I’m sympathetic to the premise that access to products of nature like the mushrooms and cacti have a basis in “natural law”—but if they legalize acid (I lived through the 60s) the insanity you see out in the streets now will turn into Zombie Apocalypse. But people like Scotty seem to actually like that.