New York and New Jersey have sued the IRS to provide a rationale for dropping a requirement that political nonprofit organizations disclose their donors, a rule that applies to high-profile groups like the National Rifle Association, Americans for Prosperity, Planned Parenthood, and the AARP.
The rule change was pushed for by Koch Industries, the NRA, and other major politically active organizations.
In a release announcing the suit, New York Attorney General Letitia James argues that the Trump administration is breaking the law by withholding information about the rule change from her office.
“Not only was this policy change made without notice, the Treasury and the IRS are now refusing to comply with the law to release information about the rationale for these changes,” said James in the release. “No one is above the law — not even the federal government — and we will use every tool to ensure they comply with these regulations to provide transparency and accountability.”
The New York attorney general’s office filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the information in October, but Monday’s release claims that the IRS has only provided a small portion of the information requested and that the Treasury Department has yet to provide any at all.
The IRS and a Treasury representative did not have immediate comment.
