The Federal Election Commission (FEC) and the IRS should investigate Americans 4 Security Inc., a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization, for allegedly violating the Federal Election Campaign Act and the Internal Revenue Code, according to complaints filed with the FEC. and the IRS. The IRS complaint also requests that the IRS investigate a closely related group, Midwest Growth Inc., which engaged in similar activities. 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 requirements. Americans deserve transparency about how their elections are financed.
Americans 4 Security Inc.’s contributions to two super PACs made up as much as 90% of its total spending in 2020, its first year in existence. Since then, Americans 4 Security Inc. has continued to focus its resources primarily on political activity, and in 2024 contributed more than $3 million to federal super PACs, the majority of which supported the current Chairman of the Appropriations Committee of the House, Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) in his primary election. Given the organization’s significant spending on political activities, it is likely that Americans 4 Security Inc.’s outsized political spending in 2024 will once again account for the majority of its spending.
CREW’s FEC complaint alleges that Americans 4 Security Inc.’s past and current spending qualifies it as a political committee under federal law. These organizations must register with the FEC and publicly disclose their finances, including disclosing the sources of their funding. Despite spending heavily to influence federal elections, Americans 4 Security Inc. never did so.
Additionally, as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, Americans 4 Security Inc. cannot be operated primarily to influence political campaigns and is required to file tax returns annual reports disclosing his political expenditures. Despite its extensive campaigning, which accounted for the majority of its spending for several years, Americans 4 Security Inc. has repeatedly told the IRS that it has not engaged in any political activity. A closely related group, Midwest Growth Inc. has engaged in similar activities and for several years since its founding in 2016, the nonprofit has dedicated the majority of its funds to making contributions to political organizations while repeatedly telling the IRS that she had not engaged in any political campaign activity.
The public has the right to know the funding sources that influence their elections. The FEC should immediately investigate Americans 4 Security Inc. to determine whether it should register as a political committee and disclose this information. Additionally, the IRS should investigate Americans 4 Security Inc. and Midwest Growth Inc. for apparent violations of their tax-exempt status and misrepresentations regarding their political activity.