Steve Cohen, TN's Lone Democrat, Announces He's Not Seeking Re-Election
Dexter Taylor Shows Why New York's Anti-Gunners Can't Be Taken Seriously
Trump Just Clowned 'Vegan' James Talarico Into Oblivion With These Remarks
Gavin Newsom’s Former Chief of Staff Cops to Massive Fraud, Tax Scam, and...
Tim Walz Called Steve Scalise a 'Bootlicker' and Scalise's Response Was Perfect
The Justice Department Found Yale Discriminated Against White, Asian Med School Applicants
The Massachusetts Judge Who Gave Cambridge Gunman a Light Sentence Knew He Was...
As Gavin Newsom Touts CA's Education Spending, Spot What He Doesn't Brag About
If Democrats Care About 'Black Representation,' Why Are They Silent About Frederica Wilson...
Why It’s Time to Disown Tucker and Megyn
Judge Sues Illinois Supreme Court for Unconstitutional Dismissal, Violation of Free Speech...
The CIA Lands in Havana: Trump Sends a Direct Message to the Cuban...
Greg Gutfeld Mocks Whoopi Goldberg After She Accuses Trump of Castrating the United...
Here's How Seriously the US Took Digital Security on President Trump's Trip to...
Nithya Raman Wants to Ban What? See Her Latest Proposed Fire Prevention Policy
Tipsheet

True the Vote President Catherine Engelbrecht Slams IRS Abuse, Weaponizing of Government

True the Vote President Catherine Engelbrecht Slams IRS Abuse, Weaponizing of Government

President and founder of the election integrity group True the Vote Catherine Engelbrecht testified in front of the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs yesterday about the IRS targeting of her group and her personal business. Before 2009, Engelbrecht was not part of the political process, but after volunteering at the polls during Texas elections, she saw instances of fraud and abuse that she didn't think could go unexposed. Her decision to found her election integrity group would get her multiple visits from a handful of federal government agencies.

Advertisement
"My life before I spoke out for good government stands in stark contrast to the life I now lead. As a wife, a mother, and small businesswoman working with my husband, raising our children and participating in my church and PTA, the government collected my taxes and left me and my family in peace. But when I helped found and led True the Vote and King Street Patriots, I found myself a target of this federal government," she said. "Shortly after filing IRS forms to establish 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) tax exempt organizations, an assortment of federal entities including law enforcement agencies and a Congressman from Maryland, Elijah Cummings came knocking at my door. In nearly two decades of running our small business, my husband and I never dealt with any government agency, outside of filing our annual tax returns. We had never been audited, we had never been investigated, but all that changed upon submitting applications for the non profit statuses of True the Vote and King Street Patriots. Since that filing in 2010, my private businesses, my nonprofit organizations, and family have been subjected to more than 15 instances of audit or inquiry by federal agencies."

Engelbrecht was audited by the IRS, ATF and received multiple visits by OSHA and ATF.

"I found myself a target of this federal government," she said.

Advertisement


After the hearing, Engelbrecht and her attorney Cleta Mitchell filed a complaint against Democratic Ranking Member Elijah Cummings for his intimidation and singling out of True the Vote. Back in 2012, True the Vote issued a formal request to Cummings asking him to retract defamatory statements he made about the Houston based group on national television and in writing.

"Congressman Cummings on three separate occasions sent letters on letterhead from this committee, stating that he had concerns and felt it necessary to open an investigation on True the Vote," Engelbrecht said.

On Fox News' The Kelly File, Engelbrecht described federal government intimidation as "weaponizing of government."

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Recommended

Trending on Townhall Videos