The Federal Election Commission (FEC) and IRS should investigate Americans 4 Security Inc., a section 501(c)(4) social welfare organization, for allegedly violating the Federal Election Campaign Act and Internal Revenue Code, according to complaints filed with the FEC and IRS. The IRS complaint also requests that the IRS investigate a closely-related group, Midwest Growth Inc., that has engaged in similar activity. The complaints filed by CREW allege that Americans 4 Security is a political organization operating under the guise of a social welfare organization, in order to avoid disclosure obligations. Americans deserve transparency about the funding behind their elections.
Americans 4 Security Inc.’s contributions to two super PACs accounted for as much as 90% of its total spending in 2020, its first year of existence. Since then, Americans 4 Security Inc. has continued to primarily dedicate its resources to political activity and in 2024, contributed more than $3 million to federal super PACs, the majority of which supported now-House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) in his primary election. Given the organization’s history of significant spending on political activities, it is likely that Americans 4 Security Inc.’s outsized political spending in 2024 will again account for a majority of its expenses.
CREW’s FEC complaint alleges that Americans 4 Security Inc.’s past and current expenditures qualify it as a political committee under federal law. Such organizations must register with the FEC and make public disclosures of their finances, including disclosing the sources of their funding. Notwithstanding its extensive spending to influence federal elections, Americans 4 Security Inc. has never done so.
Further, as a section 501(c)(4) nonprofit, Americans 4 Security Inc. may not be operated primarily to influence political campaigns and is required to file annual tax returns disclosing its political expenditures. Despite its extensive electioneering, which accounted for a majority of its spending in multiple years, Americans 4 Security Inc. has repeatedly told the IRS it did not engage in any political activity. A closely-related group, Midwest Growth Inc.has engaged in similar activity and in multiple years since its formation in 2016, the nonprofit has devoted the majority of its funds to making contributions to political organizations while repeatedly telling the IRS it did not engage in any political campaign activities.
The public has a right to know the sources of funding that are influencing their elections. The FEC should investigate Americans 4 Security Inc. immediately to determine whether it should register as a political committee and disclose this information. In addition, the IRS should investigate both Americans 4 Security Inc. and Midwest Growth Inc. for apparent violations of their tax-exempt status and false representations regarding their political activity.
