01/18/2024

Lawmakers Call for IRS Scrutiny of a Trump-backed Nonprofit

The organization aids Jan. 6 rioters

Congressional Democrats are raising alarms about a nonprofit group that provides financial support for defendants charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, questioning whether the organization's apparent support for Donald Trump's presidential campaign may violate federal tax law.

The group, known as the Patriot Freedom Project, launched in response to the arrest of a Jan. 6 rioter known for promoting extreme racist, antisemitic and pro-Nazi views. The group's leaders describe Jan. 6 defendants as "political prisoners" and have developed a close relationship with Trump and his 2024 presidential campaign. The former president has embraced defendants charged in the attack on the U.S. Capitol, calling them "hostages" and promising to issue pardons to defendants if he wins the 2024 presidential election.

That close relationship has now drawn scrutiny from members of Congress.

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