1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*24 An order will be issued granting respondent's motion to strike material from petitioner's rebuttal brief and denying petitioner's motion to supplement the administrative record.
Decision will be entered for respondent.
P, an organization seeking tax-exempt status under
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
OPINION
HAMBLEN,
1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*26 A preliminary issue for decision is: (1) Whether an appendix to petitioner's brief is a proper supplement to the administrative record under
This case was submitted for decision under
In applying for a State charter as a nonprofit corporation, which Mississippi approved on June 8, 1987, petitioner's incorporators stated the purposes of the organization as follows: To promote democracy and the rights of the American people; to uplift those who work, the poor, the sick, the aged and the distressed; to strengthen the Constitution, nationality, independence and freedom of the nation; to advance social justice; to charter and organize chapters and kindred organizations, all as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. * * *
According to its constitution, adopted on June 21, 1987, petitioner was to be "a non-profit charitable, educational and fraternal organization dedicated to advancing American freedom, American democracy and American nationalism." The overseeing board was to consist initially of a chairman (also known as the speaker and chief executive officer), a secretary, and a treasurer. The chairman was to have sole management1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*28 authority, including the appointment and expulsion of officers (i.e., board members), subject to override by a combined three-fourths vote of the board and a three-fourths vote of the "working" membership. Of the five classes of membership described in the constitution, only the working membership was entitled to vote or to hold office.
Under petitioner's bylaws, also adopted on June 21, 1987, all applicants for working, regular, and student memberships were to "submit an application, written and signed, adhering to the ideals of the organization and agreeing to abide by the Constitution, By-laws, rules and regulations of the organization." Prospective working members were required to submit, in addition, a recommendation from a current working member or officer. Applicants were to become members upon approval by the chairman.
Through its spokespeople, supporters, and other means of disseminating information, petitioner advocates social, political, and economic change in the United States. More specifically, petitioner espouses a "pro-majority" philosophy, which generally favors those Americans who are white, Christian, English-speaking, and of northern European descent. In 1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*29 a pamphlet entitled "Why Join The Nationalist Movement?", the enclosed membership application states: I apply for membership in The Nationalist Movement vowing freedom as the highest virtue, America as the superlative nation, Christianity as the consummate religion, social justice as the noblest pursuit, English as the premier language, the White race as the supreme civilizer, work as the foremost standard and communism as the paramount foe.
Petitioner's view of the appropriate Government in the United States is a majority rule, winner-take-all1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*30 democracy. In this regard, petitioner favors voting in at least some elections and on certain policy matters, such as busing and immigration, by means of nationwide initiatives and referenda. To petitioner, foreigners and domestic minorities are generally considered "unassimilable" and "incompatible", and petitioner favors voluntary emigration or repatriation for these people.
Petitioner often encourages its supporters to collect food and clothing for, and otherwise assist, the poor, sick, and elderly. Petitioner includes Christian observances in its public activities and sometimes conducts ceremonies that center around the raising of an American flag or the laying of memorial wreaths.
Most of petitioner's members are young, with an average age in the low twenties, and some join at age 12 or 13 or even younger. In late 1989, petitioner's fastest growing segment of supporters was high school students. Petitioner's literature refers to students as the "wellspring" of nationalist activity and to youth as the "mainstay" and "seedbed" of petitioner.
Richard Barrett (Barrett), who handles day-to-day operations, has been petitioner's chairman since its incorporation in 1987. He 1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*31 is petitioner's chief spokesperson and also serves as its attorney and treasurer. According to Barrett, the most authoritative work concerning petitioner's program is a book entitled "The Commission", which he authored in 1982. Nearly half of the 394-page text is an autobiographical account from early childhood forward, including a military tour of duty in Vietnam and subsequent political involvement. As recounted in the book, Barrett ran unsuccessfully in Mississippi for the State legislature in 1970 and for the governorship in 1980. The latter half of the book presents Barrett's view of the nationalist position in a wide range of subject areas. These chapters are entitled "Life", "Freedom", "The Citizen", "Constitution", "The American", "Labor", "The People", "Race", "Population", "The Nation", "The World", "Culture", "Education", "The Woman", "Morality", "Military", "The Law", and "Religion".
At its first national convention, in July 1988, petitioner adopted a comprehensive platform of 50 subjects. The topics covered included the environment, religion, crime, jobs, social justice, abortion, war, the right to keep and bear arms, the flag, drugs, the news media, morality, and1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*32 commerce. Among the specific provisions were the following:
(a) America must be one, indivisible, sovereign and independent nation ruled as a democracy by the majority of the American people.
* * *
(a) Work must be the common denominator of American nationality. Those who are productive and hard-working must be rewarded with better pay, decent working conditions and an advanced standard of living. (b) Those who loaf shall no longer be supported by those who work.
* * *
(a) There shall be justice for all, favors for none. All institutions and endeavors shall remove all vestiges of privilege and special favors for the few, the minorities and the rich.
* * *
(a) All laws which prohibit the freedom of the American people to buy and sell, hire and fire, live and work, vote and run for office, shall be repealed. (b) Special favors for minorities (such as quotas and affirmative action) shall give way to democratic rule by the majority, until the last vestiges of special-interest tyranny is [sic] removed from every corner of the nation. (c) Racial busing to promote integration shall1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*33 be abolished.
* * *
(a) Communism must be defeated and every trace of it rooted out within our borders and throughout the world.
* * *
(a) Citizenship shall be restricted to real Americans only who pass rigid tests for parentage, nationality, health, morality, literacy and adherence to American standards. (b) No non-American, anti-American or un-American shall vote or hold office. Gerrymandered districts created to give special privileges to minorities shall be annulled in favor of districts which assure democratic rule by the majority.
Barrett began a 1988 fund-raising letter for petitioner with: "Will you sign my petition to keep gangs of minorities from replacing government by the people?" He went on to describe some incidents of perceived injustice carried out by minorities against whites, including the beating of a high school student, demands for the ouster of white school officials and other white workers, and the tearing down of an American flag. Concerning proposed action, the letter stated:
Here's my plan. We'll do for the majority in the 1980's what others did for the minorities in the 1960's. Parading, 1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*34 speaking, rallying, petitioning. Only we won't riot, loot or burn. We'll wave flags, win lawsuits, sing songs and gain power. I am an American, freedom-loving citizen. As such, I protest the never-ending, escalating demands of minorities; I deplore the violence used by minorities when the American majority gets in their way * * * and I denounce the un-democratic public officials who cater to the minorities over the American majority. I call upon you to defeat each and every demand by the minorities, to regain all the rights we have already lost, to remove rowdies from schools by abolishing compulsory attendance, to restore discipline and learning to classrooms and to assure democracy, decency and opportunity for American youth.
A few times a year, sometimes in conjunction with its annual conferences, petitioner conducts "Warrior Weekends" involving physical and weapons training for members. Petitioner does not, however, advocate the use of threats, violence, or illegal acts. Petitioner uses "Strikers", who are unarmed young men in camouflage attire, to protect its other supporters during public events. 1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*35 So-called skinheads, who often participate in the weekend events, have long been welcomed as members. 3
Important activities for petitioner in terms of public exposure and impact are the conducting of, or participation in, "public forums", speeches, rallies, and parades. For broadcast media exposure, spokesperson Barrett sometimes appears as a guest on radio and television talk shows, some aired nationwide. On the talk shows, the interviewer or moderator is often skeptical or even hostile toward Barrett's views, as are other studio guests and those listeners and viewers whose comments and questions are broadcast. Barrett also occasionally engages in prearranged debates, some of which are broadcast.
Petitioner publishes a 4-page monthly newsletter entitled "All 1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*36 the Way", with the subtitle "Fighting Journal of The Nationalist Movement", and distributes it largely by mail. Each issue includes a simple order form that, among other things, permits the reader to purchase an annual membership for $ 20 (regular) or $ 10 (youth). Sometime before mid-1990, the order form began to include blanks for "Age", "Work", and "Marital", followed by the statement, "Applicant accepts TNM goals and rules". Most of petitioner's memberships, at least in its first 2 years, originated in the order form of the newsletter.
Although membership dues include a subscription to the newsletter at no additional charge, the order form in the newsletter indicates that subscriptions are also available to the nonmember public for $ 12 annually. Those qualifying for free copies, as stated in each issue, are "disabled veterans or unemployed, students or elderly without income". The November 1988 issue encouraged readers to "Order and distribute" extra copies, and the March 1989 issue stated that a planned expansion of the newsletter would be "more readable when handed out on streets."
Barrett has been the editor of the newsletter since October 1988 and thus generally controls1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*37 the topics covered, although he does receive input from members and other readers. Among its varied contents, which do not include advertising, the newsletter reports on past and upcoming rallies, speeches, litigation, and other events, answers questions about petitioner, and provides editorial commentary. As an example of the latter, an early issue noted, without elaboration, petitioner's "common sense" standards for Justices of the Supreme Court, including "No odd or foreign name", "No beard", "Christian and Protestant", and "Anti-ERA [Equal Rights Amendment] and anti-busing." Since 1990, each issue has contained a disclaimer that "Views [are] not necessarily those of TNM."
Recurring adversaries in the newsletter are "black-power" activists and groups, the latter sometimes characterized as gangs, mobs, or invaders. 4 A specific antagonist is Hosea Williams, who in January 1987 had led a march, termed by the newsletter a "black-power invasion", in predominantly white Forsyth County, Georgia. 5 At the time, Barrett had organized a protest against the march, and most of the newsletters make some reference to the "invasion" or its anniversary. Another event often recounted or 1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*38 referred to is petitioner's protest, led by Barrett, of the 1988 Democratic National Convention in Atlanta, Georgia.
A very common editorial topic is the Federal holiday commemorating the birth of Martin Luther King, Jr. (King). In November 1987, the newsletter urged readers to attend a parade in Greensboro, North Carolina, supporting abolishment of the holiday; this event would "kick off month-long Anti-King activities across the country." The next month's issue included purported background information1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*39 on King relating to his "scandalous" personal life, his "communist associations", and his alleged propensity for violence.
As paraphrased in the November 1988 newsletter, Barrett responded as follows to a question during a talk show broadcast about what the future holds: instead of a holiday for Martin Luther King, there would be a day honoring Mike Moran, the Newark, New Jersey policeman shot in the back by King-instigated looters and rioters in 1968. "No King Over Us," he said.
The newsletter often makes unflattering references to black people without specific regard to King or the events of January 1987. For example, the March 1988 issue contained an apparent first-person account of a white prison inmate, who lamented the high incidence of homosexuality and AIDS among nonwhite inmates, especially "Negroes". As reported in June 1988, a 17-year-old1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*40 white student introduced at a news conference by Barrett was allegedly beaten by "Negro gangs". In the October 1988 issue of the newsletter, the following appears: DETROIT -- Chrysler bragged that it employed more non-whites than Ford or GM. Within three years of increasing shoddy workmanship and white flight, the company went under, "resurrected" only by massive federal aid, robot assemblers and hi-tech. Manufacturers who still cling to the Yankee work ethic face the choice of: 1) moving to a white area where craftsmanship can be found (GM is moving to Tennessee), 2) moving to Japan (yellow is cheaper), 3) staying (and decaying) or giving up (Maytag said it would cease production if it had to hire minorities). GUARANTEED JOBS Leftists say "Buy American" when they mean: accept minorities. The solution is to cancel quotas -- remove minorities from the workforce -- so jobs can return home now from overseas. * * *
WHAT IS "BLACK HISTORY" ANYHOW? No such thing. Nary a wheel, building or useful tool ever emanated from non-white Africa. Africanization aims to set up a tyranny of minorities over Americans.
The1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*41 newsletter also portrays Jews and Jewish groups in something less than a favorable light. According to an article in January 1988, headlined "Poinsett Debunks WW2 Gas Chamber Lies", Dr. Herbert Poinsett was "setting the record straight" that there was no mass extermination of Jews during World War II. As another example, from April 1988: The Jews convict a retired Detroit auto-worker of "war-crimes" alleged before Israel even existed. President Reagan deports US citizens for death behind the Iron Curtain, at the behest of Jewish former Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman. Confessed Israeli spies are never even brought to trial. JEWISH LOBBY TO BLAME With presidential candidates and Congressional leaders vowing support for Arab-land-grabber Israel, Tel Aviv newspapers lately called Capitol Hill: "The best little Congress money can buy." The Jewish Lobby even maintains an Enemies List of Americans. Nationalists have long called for voluntary Jewish repatriation abroad; meanwhile, returning Arab lands, cutting off Israel's favors, shutting down the Jewish Lobby and curbing Wall Street could keep Uncle Sam from being Uncle Stooge.
The November 1988 newsletter referred to B'nai1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*42 B'rith ADL as a "Jewish supremacist group" that was "founded to whitewash the 'reputation' of Jewish murderer Leo Frank." The July 1990 issue stated that the Anti-Defamation League -- recently called for Nationalists to be prosecuted and even killed for pamphleteering and exercising free speech. NATIONALISTS STAND UP TO PERSECUTION ADL spokesman Simon Adler said in a news release from Hamilton, Canada, that Nationalists "must be stopped," in a thinly veiled bid for violence. Cohort, Gerald Swaye, head of the Jewish Federation, agreed that pro-majority activists must "pay the price," apparently even if killed by lawless street thugs. Another ADL supporter, Mark Silverberg, said in a tabloid interview that Nationalists should be compelled to "present themselves in court" as a result of passing out leaflets which called on neighbors to "Stand on Guard" against minority crime.
Homosexuals are also newsletter editorial targets. Appearing in December 1988 was a call to prepare for a march on Washington, D.C., to take it back from those "Once called queers, then homosexuals, now 'gays' or alternative lifestylers": Demand that queers be separated in society, removed from1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*43 jobs and deprived of any power. Insist on AIDS testing, defrocking of pro-queer clergymen and quarantine of all AIDS patients. Patronize only Americans who honor family, women, home and children.
The newsletter also makes derogatory references to other groups of people. For example, the February 1989 issue1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*44 contained a list of people who should be excluded from United States citizenship. Included on this list were "NON-AMERICANS: Boat people, wetbacks and aliens who are incompatible with American nationality and character, such as Nicaraguan refugees and Refusnik immigrants."
Since July 1989, one of petitioner's principal activities has been a prerecorded cable television program, a half-hour in length, which is available for viewing weekly in several markets across the country. The program format of these "N-TV" productions is usually an interview conducted by Barrett, but occasionally he appears without a guest. Members are encouraged to recommend potential guests, and topics have included art, law and order, labor unions, physical fitness, skinheads, and pornography.
Although the programs are not scripted, interview questions are typically discussed with a guest in advance, with an eye toward emphasizing the guest's point of view. During the interview, Barrett sometimes strays from the topic either to inject an opinion or to ask a question related to petitioner's philosophy. The guests are usually not members of petitioner, but their responses to Barrett's questions are generally1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*45 consistent with his viewpoints. The programs include a disclaimer at the end that the views expressed are not necessarily those of "the broadcaster or N-TV".
In terms of time spent by petitioner's staff, a primary activity for petitioner since mid-1990 has been so-called social service work, offered to the public through a telephone counseling service. 7 In this capacity, petitioner appears in the community service section of a Mississippi telephone book, under the heading "Counseling and Guidance". Providing a clearinghouse service for the most part, petitioner's volunteer counselors refer callers to various organizations, services, and governmental agencies. Some problems, however, are addressed through the reassurances and support of the counselors, without referrals. An attorney is on call to respond to legal questions, and Barrett himself takes referrals from the counselors, who have no apparent specialized training related to counseling. Callers, who are not routinely provided with petitioner's membership information or publications, are sometimes directed to petitioner's legal defense fund.
1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*46 Petitioner's legal defense fund is itself a relatively important activity in terms of staff time. Emphasizing
Litigation adversaries have included the City of Natchez, Mississippi; the City of Cumming, Georgia; and Forsyth County, Georgia. Issues have included the right to peacefully assemble and speak, the right to petition the Government, and the right of corporations with minimal assets to commence legal actions without prepayment of court costs. In at least one case, the court awarded attorney's fees to petitioner. In litigation culminating in
Petitioner distributes descriptive price lists of audio cassettes (typically $ 8 for each 30 minutes of a speech, rally, or talk show), video cassettes (typically $ 29 or $ 35 for 30 minutes), books, pamphlets, and miscellaneous items such as flags. The accompanying order forms characterize the specified prices as "donations". Each issue of the monthly newsletter also has a "donation" order form for a short list of items, which include flags, T-shirts, patches, and video cassettes. All of the materials offered are closely connected with petitioner or its ideology, and for most of the audio and video cassettes (other than N-TV tapes), Barrett is the sole speaker or interviewee.
Most of the items that petitioner distributes in exchange for "donations" have been provided free to petitioner, many by Barrett. Barrett does not, however, receive any indirect compensation, such as royalties, when petitioner distributes the items. Funds received by petitioner for cassettes (other than N-TV tapes) and published materials are not substantial1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*48 relative to other funding sources, which consist primarily of membership dues, newsletter subscriptions, and voluntary contributions. 9
Petitioner's total receipts, net of loans, as reported to the IRS on Forms 1120 were $ 1,123 in 1987, $ 5,460 in 1988, $ 5,228 in 1989, and $ 2,165 in 1990. Claimed deductible expenditures, which have approximated receipts during this period, consist mostly of paper, other supplies, and expenses for printing, telephone, and postage. Petitioner does not compensate any officer or member, including Barrett. Barrett has personally made loans to petitioner on occasion, at no interest, including $ 3,600 in 1987.
Petitioner formally applied for exemption under Your activities demonstrate that you are not operated exclusively for exempt charitable or educational purposes as required by
I.
organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, testing for public safety, literary, or educational purposes, * * * no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual, no substantial part of the activities of which is carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting, to influence legislation, * * * and which does not participate in, or intervene in * * * any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*50 candidate for public office.
Largely through constitutional arguments, petitioner here disputes respondent's determination that it does not qualify for exemption under
The facts and the administrative development of this case raise or suggest several issues that we do not here consider. For example, respondent explicitly abandons on brief an earlier administrative position that petitioner is an "action" organization pursuing legislation, a status that would preclude exemption. See
1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*52 II.
The function of the Court in a declaratory judgment proceeding under
Petitioner attached an 87-page appendix to its answering brief, which prompted respondent to file a motion to strike both certain items in the appendix and references to those items in the textual body of the brief. The essence of respondent's objection is that the appendix contains materials not in the administrative record, including newspaper and magazine excerpts and publications distributed by apparently exempt organizations.
Petitioner filed a response1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*53 to respondent's motion to strike, maintaining that it is not in violation of
The so-called Brandeis brief, whose name derives from the brief authored by eventual Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis in
1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*55 Petitioner argues that the appendix materials are relevant to petitioner's arguments involving respondent's conduct toward other organizations, and are complementary to the administrative record. However, although we did not decide the merits of petitioner's arguments regarding disparate treatment in Petitioner has failed to show why it could not have raised this issue during the administrative stage of this case and thus have developed the administrative record in support of its allegation. * * * Petitioner has failed to show that it had neither the opportunity nor the ability to develop at the administrative stage its claim of disparate treatment. * * * [
In sum, petitioner has not persuaded us that it is in compliance with the general constraints of
Respondent attached an even longer appendix to her opening brief, consisting of unofficial transcripts of the audio and video cassettes in the administrative record. Although we have no pending motion from petitioner concerning respondent's appendix, petitioner contends on brief that the transcripts contain many inaccuracies. For our part, we have listened to and viewed the actual tapes and have not assigned any independent evidentiary significance to respondent's transcripts.
III.
An organization does not operate exclusively for exempt purposes if it more than incidentally serves a private interest, such as that of the creator or designated individuals, rather than a public interest.
With reliance on
In
In
Respondent argues that Barrett's status with petitioner similarly provides him with a captive forum for widespread dissemination of his personal views. What respondent fails to acknowledge, however, is our emphasis in
Respondent also asserts that petitioner operates for Barrett's private benefit by promoting his personal career ambitions in politics. The record does not support respondent's position. Although Barrett's political ambitions were evident when he ran for the Mississippi legislature in 1970 and for the governorship in 1980, we see nothing in the record suggesting current ambitions along these lines.
IV.
To come within the terms of
As stated in the regulations, the "operational test" is as follows:
An organization will be regarded as "operated exclusively" for one or more exempt purposes only if it engages primarily in activities which accomplish one or more of such exempt purposes specified in
The purposes toward which an organization directs its activities, and not the nature of the activities themselves, determine whether the oganization meets the operational test.
Of the exempt purposes listed in
A. The term "charitable" is used1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*62 in
Petitioner has consistently argued that its activities, in one way or another, touch on virtually all of the charitable categories listed in
Petitioner considers its social service work to consist of, at least largely, its telephone counseling line begun in 1990. Respondent has published several rulings concluding that personal counseling1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*64 serves exempt educational purposes. See, e.g.,
The record is vague and inconsistent concerning petitioner's purported social service work. Petitioner initially wrote the IRS that calls for counseling services through September 1990 numbered "Up to approximately 30 per day". When subsequently asked, in December 1990, for the number of "social service work" inquiries received per month, petitioner wrote in reply: "Approximately in excess of 100". When asked whether it advertised its social services other than in the local yellow pages, petitioner wrote in response a simple "Yes", with no elaboration on where, when, or how. When asked about any special training either1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*65 provided to or possessed by staff members, petitioner wrote that there was indeed special training, referring to written "Counseling Guidelines" as support. These guidelines, contained within a single page, neither mention nor imply the need for any special training. Still on the subject of special training, petitioner also wrote that incoming calls are "largely" referred to Barrett, a practicing attorney with college credits in psychology, education, and "related fields".
Petitioner has the burden of proof on those grounds set forth in respondent's final adverse ruling, which include a failure to operate exclusively for exempt purposes.
Within the definition of "charitable" is the promotion of social welfare, through the defense of human and civil rights secured by law.
In most of the litigation undertaken, however, petitioner itself, 1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*67 rather than an individual, has been the party in interest. In essence, petitioner has often engaged in litigation to protect its own interests, though such litigation may have broader implications. As a notable example, petitioner recently prevailed in a Supreme Court case,
As part of its correspondence with the IRS, petitioner listed several
Despite the clear implication that any opinions in these cases were unpublished, petitioner has not been deterred from offering grandiose descriptions of its legal accomplishments. In an April 1989 letter to the IRS, petitioner referred to winning an unspecified "civil rights' [sic] lawsuit against a municipality who had denied local citizens their right to assemble in public", a description consistent with litigation involving the City of Natchez. In prevailing, according to petitioner, "we advanced the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans." Elsewhere in the same letter, petitioner stated: "We recently won an historic legal case in which we assured that the poor are not compelled to pay certain court costs." Similarly, petitioner earlier had informed the IRS of a "landmark ruling" in Mississippi Federal court benefiting "all1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*69 the poor and underprivileged everywhere."
On brief, petitioner counts among its many "contributions to the nation's jurisprudence" in the "public interest" -- the extension of the rights of citizens to peacefully assemble, the right of citizens to petition the government, the right of citizens to speak in public, the right of the poor to exercise their
Admittedly, even an unpublished decision can have implications beyond the immediate parties, such as when the decision compels a governmental entity to alter its enforcement or administrative practices. Here, however, petitioner provides very little detail about its litigation, so for any given case (other than petitioner's case in the Supreme Court) we have no way of knowing the precise constitutional issues raised, petitioner's expectations about public impact, the rationale of the decision, the type and scope of relief, and the potential implications to the public. 1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*70 Cf.
Consequently, petitioner has failed to prove that its legal activities are in furtherance of charitable purposes. Compare
B.
1.
Petitioner, which devotes most of its briefs to constitutional arguments, maintains that the following revenue rulings and revenue procedure relied upon by the IRS during the administrative process are unconstitutional, both facially and as applied:
Respecting petitioner's claims of vagueness and overbreadth, we will limit our consideration to
a.
The regulation at the focus of petitioner's constitutional arguments is (3) (a) The instruction or training of the individual for the purpose of improving or developing his capabilities; or (b) The instruction of the public on subjects useful to the individual and beneficial to the community. An organization may be educational even though it advocates a particular position or viewpoint so long as it presents a sufficiently full and fair exposition of the pertinent facts as to permit an individual or the public to form an independent opinion or conclusion. On the other hand, an organization is not educational if its principal function is the mere presentation of unsupported opinion. 15
1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*75 The same court later considered the exempt status of an organization concerned with preserving the racial and cultural heritage of white Americans of European ancestry. In
Later still, in section 3 of .01 The Service recognizes that the advocacy of particular viewpoints or positions may serve an educational purpose even if the viewpoints or positions being advocated are unpopular or are not generally accepted. .02 Although the Service renders no judgment as to the viewpoint or position of the organization, the Service will look to the method used by the organization to develop and present its views. The method used by the organization will not be considered educational1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*76 if it fails to provide a factual foundation for the viewpoint or position being advocated, or if it fails to provide a development from the relevant facts that would materially aid a listener or reader in a learning process. .03 The presence of any of the following factors in the presentations made by an organization is indicative that the method used by the organization to advocate its viewpoints or positions is not educational. 1 The presentation of viewpoints or positions unsupported by facts is a significant portion of the organization's communications. 2 The facts that purport to support the viewpoints or positions are distorted. 3 The organization's presentations make substantial use of inflammatory and disparaging terms and express conclusions more on the basis of strong emotional feelings than of objective evaluations. 4 The approach used in the organization's presentations is not aimed at developing an understanding on the part of the intended audience or readership because it does not consider their background or training in the subject matter. .04 There may be exceptional circumstances, however, where an organization's advocacy may be educational even if one 1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*77 or more of the factors listed in section 3.03 are present. The Service will look to all the facts and circumstances to determine whether an organization may be considered educational despite the presence of one or more of such factors. [
The four factors in section 3.03 of the revenue procedure had earlier been the foundation of an IRS "methodology test", which was advanced during the course of the
b.
Despite the apparent similarity between petitioner and the organization in
The essence of petitioner's argument is that, by denying tax exemption, respondent is attempting to suppress ideas with which she does not agree. Petitioner further contends that 1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*79 its viewpoints are constitutionally protected as commentary on issues of public concern.
Denial of a tax exemption for engaging in speech consisting of "dangerous ideas" can be a discriminatory limitation on free speech.
The constitutional foundation of the void-for-vagueness doctrine is due process, which requires, first, fair notice of proscribed conduct and, second, explicit standards for Government officials who might otherwise engage in arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement.
Under the overbreadth doctrine in the context of the
Under one branch of the overbreadth doctrine, a law may be void for granting overly broad discretion to a decisionmaker, such as a licensing authority or a police officer. See, e.g.,
Petitioner makes clear that its main constitutional objection to
Our starting point is starting from the breadth of terms in the regulation, application by IRS of the Methodology Test would move in the direction of more specifically requiring, in advocacy material, an intellectually appealing development of the views1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*84 advocated. The four criteria tend toward ensuring that the educational exemption be restricted to material which substantially helps a reader or listener in a learning process. The test reduces the vagueness found by the
This positive view of the methodology test, and hence the revenue procedure, does not appear to be inconsistent with the reasoning in
Petitioner apparently reads the revenue procedure to require organizations to present and rebut opposing views, and it is certainly true that such a presentation does not detract from educational status. See
Petitioner also contends that the discretion for "exceptional circumstances" granted the IRS in section 3.04 of the revenue procedure is a factor that aggravates the unconstitutionality. Petitioner's interpretation of the provision is that the IRS may reject tax exemption "on its own whim" if an organization "does1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*87 not curry its favor." Contrary to petitioner's reading, however, this provision is clearly written as a second chance for an organization that fails one or more of the specific standards. In other words, the exercise of IRS' discretion can only resurrect tax exemption, not displace it. If anything, then, the provision appears to favor respondent's constitutional defense of the revenue procedure. See
We are also not impressed with the authority cited by petitioner in support of its constitutional arguments. Petitioner extensively cites
Petitioner also relies heavily on
That case involved neither
Elsewhere, the Supreme Court has acknowledged that one consideration in a vagueness challenge is whether it would have been practical to draft more precisely. See
In our view,
2.
Petitioner maintains on brief that its principal educational activities are "discussions, forums and television interviews". Perhaps not coincidentally, this description is similar to an example in the regulations of an organization deemed educational. See
Whether an activity is substantial is a facts-and-circumstances inquiry not always dependent upon time or expenditure percentages.
1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*94 Moreover, the record reveals that petitioner does not confine its newsletter to a restricted readership. The November 1988 issue encouraged readers to "Order and distribute" extra copies, and the March 1989 issue referred approvingly to copies being "handed out on streets". Free copies are available to broad categories of people, such as the unemployed and the elderly without income, and every issue has an order form that solicits annual subscriptions and memberships, surely an unnecessary insertion if only current members and subscribers are intended readers. Indeed, most of petitioner's memberships during its first 2 years originated in this order form.
The newsletter contains a disclaimer to the effect that the views presented are not necessarily those of petitioner. Such a disclaimer is perhaps meaningful when applied to, for example, some of the people quoted in the newsletter. However, given that the newsletter editor is Barrett, who serves as chairman and chief spokesman of petitioner, the disclaimer does not insulate petitioner from the views presented by him in the newsletter. Cf.
The administrative record contains over 20 monthly issues of petitioner's newsletter. Neither party contends that they are unrepresentative, and we have reviewed them all. We now turn to an examination of how they hold up under the standards of
1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*96 The test contained in the revenue procedure focuses on "the method used by the organization to develop and present its views."
The first listed indicator of a noneducational method is that "The presentation of viewpoints or positions unsupported by facts is a significant portion of the organization's communications." No such thing. Nary a wheel, building or useful tool ever emanated from non-white Africa. Africanization aims to set up a tyranny of minorities over Americans.
Although some viewpoints presented in the newsletters are based on purported facts, and the newsletters contain some apparently neutral communications, such as the listing of upcoming events, the above examples, as well as others, demonstrate that a significant portion of the newsletters consists of the presentation of viewpoints unsupported by facts. See also
The second factor mentioned as indicative of a noneducational method is that "The facts that purport to support the viewpoints or positions are distorted."
The third indicator of a noneducational method is as follows: "The organization's presentations make substantial use of inflammatory and disparaging terms and express conclusions more on the basis of strong emotional feelings than of objective evaluations."
In addition, the words "invasion" and "invaders" often appear in the newsletter, usually to describe the January 1987 march in Forsyth County, Georgia, and its "black-power" participants. The November 1987 newsletter urged readers to prepare "to purify the ground defiled by the * * * Invaders". Similarly, an audio cassette distributed by petitioner was entitled "We Cleanse This Ground of the Invaders' Stain". Barrett himself was quoted in the January 1988 newsletter as saying: "'Just say no' to the never-ending demands of rioters, looters, burners and invaders". In the same issue and other 1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*100 issues of the newsletter, those resisting the "invaders" were characterized as "patriots" and "martyrs". A "patriot", as defined in petitioner's vocabulary information sheet, is "A lover of his country; a Nationalist".
Based upon these and similar examples, we conclude that petitioner's newsletter comes within the terms of the third of the factors in the revenue procedure that are indicative of a noneducational method.
The fourth and final disqualifying factor is as follows: "The approach used in the organization's presentations is not aimed at developing an understanding on the part of the intended audience or readership because it does not consider their background or training in the subject matter."
The administrative record leaves no doubt that young people are at least a substantial portion of petitioner's intended readership for the newsletter. The average age of petitioner's members, who have an automatic subscription to the newsletter, is in the low twenties. In addition, petitioner's literature refers to young people in glowing terms such as "mainstay" and "seedbed". Direct appeals in the1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*101 newsletter to young readers include the solicitation of volunteers to work at headquarters or to become Strikers and an occasional short "Inspiration to Youth" segment. In addition to the many references to "youth and workers" and "youth and working people" in the newsletter, other indirect indications that young people are intended readers include articles about activities of students, skinheads, and Strikers, articles about recruitment efforts directed toward skinheads and other "youth", and articles about the youth-oriented priorities of headquarters personnel.
Petitioner derives much of its ideological impetus from the civil unrest of the 1960s. The newsletter, not surprisingly, often refers to news and events from that period, including legislation such as the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. King, whose activities are the subject of so many negative references in the newsletter, was assassinated in 1968. Young readers, by virtue of age alone, might have a somewhat limited "background or training in the subject matter". We conclude that petitioner's newsletter does not educate its readership in the manner required by
Accordingly, petitioner's1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*102 newsletter is not in furtherance of an educational purpose within the meaning of
V.
Finally, again citing the
This Court has historically taken a restrained and cautious approach to alleged1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*103 IRS administrative inconsistency. See
As detailed in
Using as a source IRS Publication 78, "Cumulative List of Organizations described in
One weakness in petitioner's argument is the unsupported assumption that such "White"-named organizations have even applied for exemption. Moreover, we need look no further1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 24">*105 than National Alliance and petitioner itself to see that organizations favoring the white race do not necessarily use the word "White" to begin their names. In any event, a name without more is insufficient for us to decide that any organization is similarly situated to petitioner in terms of its activities or purposes. Petitioner implicitly acknowledges its proof problems by referring on brief to how it "suspects" respondent acts toward other organizations and by referring to what respondent "apparently" or "likely" does.
The administrative record, through petitioner's correspondence with the IRS, does include some published materials apparently distributed by or related to exempt organizations. Petitioner submitted most of these, however, to support specific positions either no longer in dispute or unrelated to the purported educational nature of the material. An exception is a newsletter from an organization with clear conservative leanings, which petitioner asserts fares no better than petitioner's newsletter under educational standards such as those in
Based upon the foregoing, we sustain respondent's determination that petitioner does not qualify for exemption under
1. Unless otherwise indicated, section references are to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. Rule references are to the Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure.↩
2. During the administrative process with the IRS, petitioner represented that it would no longer advocate the passage or repeal of legislation.↩
3. An information sheet distributed by petitioner to supporters defines skinheads as "Nationalist, pro-majority youth who wear boots and cut their hair short and who lawfully engage in self-defense of their persons, schools, neighborhoods and nation."↩
4. References to black people are usually to "non-whites", "minorities", or "Negroes". According to the August 1988 issue, "black" is not used as a noun because "Communist Stokeley [sic] Carmichael coined use of 'black' as part of his call for 'black power.' The word is demeaning to whites and to non-communists."↩
5. This event is described in some detail in
6. An information sheet distributed by petitioner to supporters defines "Queers" as "Misfits, perverts, deviates * * *. All are good words for dramatic emphasis, on occasion. However, 'minority' is often better, less caustic."↩
7. Petitioner also began to publicize a "free tip hotline" in 1990, consisting of recorded messages about current events, after which the caller could leave a message if desired.↩
8. This entity, which was actually the forerunner of petitioner, was wound up and dissolved during the administrative process.↩
9. During the administrative process, petitioner discontinued distribution of "The Commission" and those audio cassettes recorded by Barrett prior to the existence of petitioner. Less than 10 copies of the book had been distributed by petitioner.↩
10. Understandably, respondent does not argue that "donations" to petitioner for tangible goods are nondeductible quid pro quo payments, in whole or in part, under
11. In its historical context -- The purpose of the social science brief, or "Brandeis Brief," was to convince the [Supreme] Court that social science data existed that justified the statute at issue and thus would make it pass muster under a test of reasonableness. This kind of evidence was particularly valuable during the era of substantive due process, for in that period the Court determined a statute's constitutionality by inquiring into its substantive reasonableness. The Brandeis Brief distinguishes adjudicative facts, which are established in the court, from legislative facts, data upon which the legislature relied, or could have relied, in drafting its statute. * * * [Hovenkamp, "Social Science and Segregation before
12. Petitioner's full list of estimates is as follows: Social service, 25%; legal (
13. We recognize that the Supreme Court resolution of this case is not a part of the administrative record before us. Nonetheless, the controversy and some lower court activity are mentioned in the record. In these circumstances, we take judicial notice of the culmination of the litigation.↩
14. Although petitioner's newsletter often refers to the successful endeavors of the legal defense fund, it fails to communicate even the barest essentials of the cases. Cf.
15. For a detailed history of the educational exemption as administered by the IRS, see Thompson, "The Availability of the Federal Educational Tax Exemption for Propaganda Organizations",
16. The Tax Court considered the alleged unconstitutional vagueness of regulations under
17. It is also doubtful whether such a requirement would be appropriate even apart from vagueness and overbreadth considerations. See
18. Perhaps fearing the unfavorable implications, petitioner did not respond to a written IRS inquiry about how many staff people are involved in producing the newsletter. Cf.
19. In addition to the newsletter, respondent cites Barrett's 1982 book, "The Commission", as evidence that petitioner is not educational within the meaning of