Rep. Smit Urges Investigation into Illegal Nonprofit Electioneering
LANSING, MI – Speaker Pro Tem Rachelle Smit has formally requested a comprehensive investigation from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi into alleged fraudulent activities by certain tax-exempt groups in Michigan. In a letter signed by 21 fellow House Republicans, Smit expressed concerns about potential violations of IRS regulations, accusing nonprofits of engaging in partisan electioneering, particularly during the critical voter registration period.
“Nonprofits appear to be raising and spending funds for electioneering purposes, which violates IRS regulations that prohibit nonprofits from engaging in partisan activities,” Smit stated. This call to action comes in light of recent testimony from Parker Thayer of the Capital Research Center before the House Election Integrity Committee, which Smit chairs.
Thayer’s research shed light on GBI Strategies, a partisan voter registration firm implicated in questionable practices during the 2020 election in Michigan. Notably, the Voter Registration Project reportedly paid GBI Strategies over $2.5 million for consulting services, despite being barred from partisan electioneering. Another organization, the Voter Participation Center, has faced scrutiny for allegedly applying filters that could exclude Republican voters from its registration efforts, further raising alarms about the integrity of the electoral process.
Smit emphasized the importance of a thorough examination, urging the Department of Justice to investigate these entities and their involvement in illegal electioneering and fraudulent voter registrations. "Such an investigation is crucial to uphold the integrity of our electoral process and ensure that tax-exempt organizations comply with federal laws," she wrote.
The call to investigate these serious allegations underscores a growing concern among lawmakers regarding the integrity of nonprofit organizations and their adherence to election laws, potentially reshaping the landscape of electoral participation and accountability in Michigan.
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