A different viewpoint:
Since lying on applications for 501c(4) status is rampant, see the Propublica investigation, the IRS may have had second thoughts about some of the approvals it had granted, and decided to start cracking down, starting with the most recent applications.
From what I've learned from the Propublica investigation, 100% of the applications from the organizations now claiming to have been "targeted," should be turned down as non-qualifying for 501c(4) status. They are all, 100% of them!, blatantly, and primarily, political organizations. This disqualifies them under published IRS guidelines. The obvious reason the IRS was asking questions was because these organizations lied on their applications about the extent of their political activities and about the extent of their social welfare activities. These organizations would be properly categorized as 527 organizations, but that would require that they disclose their donors.
Note that someone in each organization signed each application attesting that it was truthful. There are penalties under the law for intentionally lying, in writing, to the IRS! Once the IRS was on to them, these organizations may have recognized that they could be in some serious trouble.
We are now seeing a counteroffensive carried out in the public eye, intended to mislead the public and turn public sentiment in favor of the wayward, and lying, applicants for 501c(4) status. It's a brilliant tactic, considering how reviled the IRS is.
We also know, again from the Propublica investigation, that the IRS broke its own rules by releasing a few applications before they had been approved. Their policy is that applications are not in the public domain until after approval.
In addition to waging a counteroffensive in the public eye, these same, claiming-to-be-agrieved organizations have banned together to sue the IRS! But here they are on shaky ground, because if they do get into court they are in grave danger of the truth coming out. And then it is even conceivable that a few of the operatives that signed those applications could see jail time. It is my guess, therefore, that this business won't see the inside of a courtroom.
Since lying on applications for 501c(4) status is rampant, see the Propublica investigation, the IRS may have had second thoughts about some of the approvals it had granted, and decided to start cracking down, starting with the most recent applications.
From what I've learned from the Propublica investigation, 100% of the applications from the organizations now claiming to have been "targeted," should be turned down as non-qualifying for 501c(4) status. They are all, 100% of them!, blatantly, and primarily, political organizations. This disqualifies them under published IRS guidelines. The obvious reason the IRS was asking questions was because these organizations lied on their applications about the extent of their political activities and about the extent of their social welfare activities. These organizations would be properly categorized as 527 organizations, but that would require that they disclose their donors.
Note that someone in each organization signed each application attesting that it was truthful. There are penalties under the law for intentionally lying, in writing, to the IRS! Once the IRS was on to them, these organizations may have recognized that they could be in some serious trouble.
We are now seeing a counteroffensive carried out in the public eye, intended to mislead the public and turn public sentiment in favor of the wayward, and lying, applicants for 501c(4) status. It's a brilliant tactic, considering how reviled the IRS is.
We also know, again from the Propublica investigation, that the IRS broke its own rules by releasing a few applications before they had been approved. Their policy is that applications are not in the public domain until after approval.
In addition to waging a counteroffensive in the public eye, these same, claiming-to-be-agrieved organizations have banned together to sue the IRS! But here they are on shaky ground, because if they do get into court they are in grave danger of the truth coming out. And then it is even conceivable that a few of the operatives that signed those applications could see jail time. It is my guess, therefore, that this business won't see the inside of a courtroom.
