April 8, 2026

Weaponization of the IRS Against Conservatives

The Obama Administration used government assets including the IRS to harass or shut down conservatives’ free speech, including two Columbus-based conservative advocacy groups: The Buckeye Institute and the Ohio Chapter of the Faith and Freedom Coalition.

In 2013, shortly after The Buckeye Institute publicly urged Ohio’s governor and General Assembly to reject federal efforts at Medicaid expansion, the organization was selected for audit by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Buckeye leaders feared that this audit was blatant retaliation for Buckeye’s prominent role as a leading voice opposing the administration’s proposed Medicaid expansion. Some Buckeye donors stopped giving entirely, and others began making smaller, anonymous, cash donations — often foregoing donation receipts and with it tax-deductibility—hoping to avoid any personal political retribution for their financial support of Buckeye.

In the same time period, Ohio’s Faith and Freedom Foundation found itself under increased IRS scrutiny. One consultant to the group was audited twice in the four years following the organization’s filing for charitable status. They had never been audited before and have not been audited since.

In the end, courts followed the US Supreme Court precedent upholding Americans’ rights of freedom of association protected in the 1958 US Supreme Court case of KKK v Alabama, in which the Klan sued the State of Alabama in an attempt to obtain the names of donors to the Alabama chapter of the NAACP, with the obvious intent to use that information to harass them and deny them their rights of free speech and association.

The KKK v Alabama precedent was cited in the 2021 case of Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Bonta (2021), which also preserved Americans’ rights to contribute to political causes without fear of retribution.

These cases protect Ohioans seeking to engage in public debate without fear of harassment, something the Ohioans for Justice Committee intends to preserve as well. Ohioans of every political opinion should work together to preserve their ability to advocate for change and improvement as they see fit. Healthy political debate and stronger communities depend on it.

Ohio 2nd Amendment Advocates Beware!

The US Supreme Court recently heard arguments on the case of Wolford v. Lopez, in which the State of Hawaii prohibited the carry of handguns by licensed concealed carry permit holders on private property open to the public unless the property owner affirmatively gives express permission to the handgun carrier.

Visit https://www.scotusblog.com/cases/case-files/wolford-v-lopez/

Ohioans should stay tuned to learn more as SCOTUS moves slowly towards a decision.