Three years after the deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, one of the groups allegedly involved in inciting violence at the event has been granted tax-exempt status as a charity. And it’s not the only organization viewed by some as a hate group that is receiving financial benefits from the federal government in the form of an IRS tax exemption, a CBS News investigation uncovered.
A CBS News search of IRS tax-exempt charities revealed that 90 white supremacist, anti-immigration, anti-Muslim and anti-LGBTQ groups are registered as tax-exempt charities with the IRS. This includes groups such as the one formerly known as Identity Evropa and others associated with the Unite the Right rally, as well as the Council of Conservative Citizens, which inspired white supremacist Dylann Roof to open fire on a Charleston church in 2015, killing nine Black church members.
That day in Charlottesville still haunts Liz Sines, who narrowly escaped injury when a car deliberately plowed into a crowd of counter-demonstrators, killing Heather Heyer. Continue reading.