(The Center Square) – Following the discovery a U.S.-based nonprofit news website employed a Hamas member, Wisconsin Republican Rep. Bryan Steil called for a House briefing to address the problem of U.S. nonprofits that may support terrorist activity.
Steil called for the briefing in a letter to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, referencing the imprisonment of recently rescued Israeli hostages by a Palestinian journalist who writes for the U.S.-based nonprofit The Palestine Chronicle.
“We are concerned that nonprofit organizations with access to the U.S. financial system may be providing material support for terrorist organizations such as Hamas. This would be against the law, a threat to national security, and a material risk for U.S. financial institutions…we request a briefing for members and staff of the House Committee on Financial Services in a non-classified setting as soon as possible,” Steil said.
The chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions, Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Mo., signed the letter, as well as six other congressmen.
Steil also sent a letter to the IRS, requesting it provide information on how it prevents nonprofits from financially engaging with terrorist organizations.
“I would like to know what the Internal Revenue Service is doing to ensure organizations that benefit from non-profit status are not supporting terrorism,” he said. “To that end, I request further details on what mechanisms are in place to prevent a 501(c)(3) from providing material support to a terrorist organization and what investigative tools are at the IRS’s disposal to prevent this from happening.”
Steil, who is running for reelection against Democrat Peter Barca, has emphasized national security in his campaign.
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