To: John Koskinen, IRS Commissioner
ALEC is committing tax fraud & helping Exxon deny climate science
ALEC is a corporate lobby group, not a charity. Immediately investigate ALEC’s practices, revoke its charity status, and hold ALEC and its corporate members accountable.
Why is this important?
Our elected officials should be beholden to the people, not wealthy special interests.
But the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) undermines that principle every day. ALEC sells corporations private access to lawmakers so they can push their extreme agenda -- while claiming to be a charity so its corporate donors can write off their donations on their taxes.
ALEC is committing tax fraud, and it’s weakening our democracy. So today, we’re releasing even more proof: hundreds of documents showing how after funneling millions of dollars to ALEC, oil giant Exxon received private access to legislators to push its anti-environmental agenda.
In 2012, Common Cause filed a whistleblower complaint with the IRS to expose ALEC’s abuse of its charity status. Then, last year, ALEC threatened legal action against Common Cause -- accusing us of lying when we said ALEC was denying climate science.
But we won’t be intimidated, because we have the facts on our side. We’re releasing hundreds of documents that show how Exxon used ALEC as a vehicle to secretly push its extreme legislative agenda and undermine the scientific consensus on climate change.
Between 1998 and 2014, Exxon contributed over $1.7 million to ALEC -- and in return, ALEC lobbied for more than a dozen bills that directly benefited Exxon, including blocking and undermining climate science, renewable energy, and environmental and health safety rules.
This is undeniable proof that ALEC is a lobby group -- not a charity like it claims. The IRS doesn’t have any more excuses for inaction -- it’s time to hold ALEC accountable.
But the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) undermines that principle every day. ALEC sells corporations private access to lawmakers so they can push their extreme agenda -- while claiming to be a charity so its corporate donors can write off their donations on their taxes.
ALEC is committing tax fraud, and it’s weakening our democracy. So today, we’re releasing even more proof: hundreds of documents showing how after funneling millions of dollars to ALEC, oil giant Exxon received private access to legislators to push its anti-environmental agenda.
In 2012, Common Cause filed a whistleblower complaint with the IRS to expose ALEC’s abuse of its charity status. Then, last year, ALEC threatened legal action against Common Cause -- accusing us of lying when we said ALEC was denying climate science.
But we won’t be intimidated, because we have the facts on our side. We’re releasing hundreds of documents that show how Exxon used ALEC as a vehicle to secretly push its extreme legislative agenda and undermine the scientific consensus on climate change.
Between 1998 and 2014, Exxon contributed over $1.7 million to ALEC -- and in return, ALEC lobbied for more than a dozen bills that directly benefited Exxon, including blocking and undermining climate science, renewable energy, and environmental and health safety rules.
This is undeniable proof that ALEC is a lobby group -- not a charity like it claims. The IRS doesn’t have any more excuses for inaction -- it’s time to hold ALEC accountable.