Get the latest BPR news delivered free to your inbox daily. SIGN UP HERE
(Video: Fox News)
The shady purchase of a California mansion by Black Lives Matter in a murky deal that has raised more questions about the organization’s finances and prompted calls for a Justice Department investigation by a Republican member of Congress could soon be put under the magnifying glass by the Internal Revenue Service.
On Friday, the deadline for Americans to file their taxes, news broke that a watchdog group has filed a complaint with the IRS over BLM’s “highly unusual” cash transaction for the luxurious property, one that was shrouded in secrecy until a New York Magazine expose raised serious questions about the deal and the $2.7 million over the initial sales price that materialized in less than a week.
In a blistering letter to Internal Revenue Service Exempt Organizations Director Robert Malone, the National Legal and Policy Center called for a federal government probe of the group’s finances.
“The IRS must conduct a full investigation and audit of BLMGNF’s finances and transactions immediately,” wrote Paul Kamenar, counsel to the NLPC, “including examining the minutes of all Board Meetings, thoroughly reviewing their 990-tax return to be filed next month, assessing appropriate civil and criminal penalties, and revoking their tax exempt status if warranted. The public demands it.”
Fox News’s Jeanine Pirro of “The Five” dropped by “America’s Newsroom” on Friday where she discussed the latest twist in the sordid tale of Black Lives Matter with host Dana Perino.
“A group filing a complaint with the IRS that puts the spotlight on Black Lives Matter, the National Legal and Policy Center wants the agency to investigate the far-left group and its co-founder on whether they broke federal tax rules about nonprofits using assets for private benefit, at issue, a $6 million mansion that BLM paid for with donated money,” Perino said.
After welcoming Pirro, she added, “We were talking about this last night on “The Five” and overnight, the Legal Policy Center said, yeah, we need to look into this, I don’t think BLM expected any of this.”
“Well, BLM didn’t expect any of it because they did everything they could to hide this not just from their donors but from all of us,” Pirro replied. “Look, there is a form called Form 990 which every charity is required to file with the government, significantly so that people who donate money to a charitable organization know how their money is being used.”
“And Black Lives Matter ended up purchasing a home in California for two and a half million dollars over the asking price and that was within a week of the house being for three-one, they end up buying it for something like five-seven,” the former New York State judge and prosecutor said.
“They immediately then put it in the name of a private corporation, and interestingly enough Dana, they used the law firm Perkins Coie to put it in the name of a shell corporation,” Pirro said, referring to the high-power Democrat law firm.
“As a result of that, Black Lives Matter, none of the donors, the government doesn’t know anything about this,” she continued, “they used all cash to purchase the home and instead of opening it up to Black Lives Matter the organization, Patricia Cullors, the co-founder of BLM lives in it for a short time, her mother works there, her brother is the head of security there, her sister is signed on to work there as well and she now is upset that the government is using Form 990 to weaponize.”
Pirro was referring to the scandal-drenched Patrisse Cullors who stepped down over questions over her own real estate purchases last year and who has reacted strongly to attention that’s been paid to the murky mansion deal, accusing the media of racism and playing the victim over the IRS form which she claims is “deeply unsafe” for BLM and is being “weaponized” by critics against the organization.
Patrisse Cullors, the Marxist millionaire cofounder of BLM, said she "did not know what 990s were," yet believes charity transparency laws are being "weaponized" against BLM.
"It's, like, triggering," she said of having to hear the term '990s.' pic.twitter.com/8GqRqwmfht
— Julia (@Jules31415) April 14, 2022
“It’s amazing,” Perino said after playing a clip of Cullors’ whining. “That law applies to everybody, how can it be a target just to them?”
Pirro responded, “Think about it Dana, everyone who’s watching us now, knows that this is April, they have to file a tax return.”
“That’s right, we’re all triggered.” she added. “But we follow the law, and for them to say the law is being weaponized against them when they did everything in their power, circumstantially proving the IRS’s case, both a civil and a criminal case as alleged by the watchdog group indicates that they knew what the law was and now they are saying you are using it against us.”
“Yeah. The government passes laws for good reason,” Pirro said.
DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW
Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!
Chris Donaldson is an ordinary American who is concerned about rampant corruption as well as the ongoing attacks on our way of life by those who have contempt for our hard-earned freedoms. A Navy veteran, he has been a frequent contributor to conservative websites and resides in Florida.
- ‘Were you there?’ MTG refuses to take protester’s bait on Jamaal Bowman controversy being about race - June 4, 2023
- Tim Scott to venture into nest of vipers on Monday’s edition of ‘The View’ - June 4, 2023
- Leftist bomb-thrower feels really, really strongly the next James Bond should be black - June 4, 2023
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.
