Sen. Cotton Seeks IRS Investigation Into SPLC’s Tax-Exempt Status

Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) is seeking an investigation into the tax-exempt status of the left-wing Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), according to a letter provided to the Washington Free Beacon.

Cotton sent the letter to the IRS April 2 and urges an investigation into whether the SPLC "should retain its classification as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization" amid news reports that have verified the "long-established fact that the SPLC regularly engages in defamation of its political opponents."

The SPLC has garnered massive amounts of cash for its operations. The Washington Free Beacon reported in early March that the group has $518 million in assets, with $120 million now offshore.

"The business model has paid well," Cotton writes in the letter. "The SPLC has accrued more than $500 million in assets. According to the group's most recent financial statement, it holds $121 million offshore in non-U.S. equity funds. The SPLC uses these assets to pay its executives lavish salaries far higher than the comparable household average."

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