Committee Review of Certain Charities

Committee Review of Certain Charities

The following comment is from Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Committee on Finance.

"At this time the Finance Committee has completed reviewing the information requested from the IRS in late 2003 regarding Muslim charities. Because of the confidential nature of the IRS documents the Committee reviewed, we are prohibited from disclosing any specific information. Preserving taxpayer confidentiality is of great importance to the Committee, and we will continue to abide by the strict requirements set forth by law.

"The fact that the Committee has taken no public action based on the review of these documents does not mean that these groups have been ‘cleared' by the Committee. The reason for requesting these records was to gather information for the purpose of oversight and possible legislation.

"Therefore, the Committee will continue to gather information and examine the operations of the charities that have been designated or listed by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control and other similar charities that come to the committee's attention, as well as conduct oversight on the related activities of federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies, such as whether the agencies are adequately sharing information that could lead to the policing of inappropriate activity. Terrorism financing, and particularly the use of tax-exempt entities by terrorists, remains a major issue of concern for the Committee."

http://finance.senate.gov/press/Gpress/2005/prg120605a.pdf