CREW: IRS: Regarding Records Provided to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus

On November 7, 2011, CREW sent a Freedom of Information Act request to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) seeking records the IRS provided to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) in response to his September 2010 letter asking the agency to survey major section 501(c)(4), (c)(5) and (c)(6) organizations involved in political activity. Sen. Baucus requested the IRS determine whether these organizations are being operated their intended tax exempt purpose, and asked the agency to report back its findings and recommendations as soon as possible. These kinds of tax-exempt groups reported spending at least $134 million on the 2010 elections, and their spending is expected to increase dramatically in the 2012 election cycle. The records CREW seeks are likely to contribute to the public’s understanding of the IRS’s oversight of these organizations and inform the public of the agency’s recommendations for addressing potential violations of the tax code.