www.montereycountynow.com november 21-27, 2024 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 17 The House Ways and Means Committee met a year ago, on Nov. 15, 2023, for a hearing titled “From Ivory Towers to Dark Corners: Investigating the Nexus between Antisemitism, Taxexempt Universities, and Terror Financing.” Committee members and witnesses, including Hillel International President & CEO Adam Lehman and Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, revisited the still-fresh heartache of the gruesome Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7. Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Carmel Valley, spoke about joining the first congressional delegation to Israel following the attack. Part of what emerged was HR 6408, amending IRS Code to terminate the tax-exempt status of terrorist-supporting organizations. It passed 382-11 in the House in April, with bipartisan support. It would allow the Treasury Secretary to revoke the tax-exempt status of an organization believed to be materially supporting a designated terrorist group. The nonprofit would receive a 90-day notice, have an opportunity to make its case, and could later appeal to the IRS. Given that it is already illegal to provide material support to terrorist organizations, this all sounds like bureaucratese—so what’s the point? It would streamline things for an overburdened IRS. And as Kia Hamadanchy, senior policy counsel for the ACLU, says, “This gives the Treasury the ability to weaponize the tax code.” Hamadanchy wrote to the Senate back in May urging them to oppose the bill; it was never taken up there. The bill is now back in the House in a new form, HR 9495. The ACLU has been joined by dozens of groups including Freedom of the Press Foundation, Oxfam America, Planned Parenthood and the New Israel Fund urging the House to vote down the bill. “The potential for abuse is immense as the executive branch would be handed a tool it could use to curb free speech, censor nonprofit media outlets, target political opponents and punish disfavored groups across the political spectrum,” they wrote. The updated bill returned to the House on Nov. 12, diminished in popularity; a 256-145 vote, however, did not meet the two-thirds threshold required for passage. Now it’s back under a different procedure that requires just 50 percent to pass, with a vote expected as early as Thursday, Nov. 21. Panetta still supports the bill, even though many Democratic colleagues have defected. He’s one of just three Democrats on the Ways and Means Committee who voted yes on Nov. 12, compared to 11 who voted no. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, also diverges; she voted yes back in April, and no in November. “While I strongly support efforts to combat terrorism financing, I have serious concerns,” Lofgren says by email. “As written, the bill risks undermining civil liberties, reducing transparency and diverting resources away from more effective counterterrorism strategies. We must be cautious not to overreach.” That is of utmost importance now that President-elect Donald Trump is preparing for another term. He has pledged revenge against opponents. A bill like this makes that especially convenient for nonprofits. “This is the first battle of many to try to make sure that executive power is not abused over the next four years,” Hamadanchy says. “There’s going to be a lot more of this.” Panetta dismisses the change of heart among his colleagues as political, now that the presidential election is over. He also says there is enough evidence—of ISIS, Hamas and Al Qaeda raising funds via charitable donations—to show a need for the legislation, and sufficient protections in place. “The incoming administration will test our political fortitude,” he says by email. “That is exactly why this policy has so many guardrails and appeals in place while clarifying existing legal authorities to protect our national security. “I realize that politics can play into the perception of legislation. However, I try my best to operate based on the merits of the policy, rather than the politics of fear.” Of course, politics are always at play. An analysis by Open Secrets shows Panetta’s largest donor this election was the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which gave $248,467. Sara Rubin is the Weekly’s editor. Reach her at sara@montereycountynow.com. Claw Back A bill that claims to be about stopping terrorism threatens free speech. By Sara Rubin Big Time…Fortunately for Squid, who abides by the rules and the food chain, when it comes to talking to the cops, Squid is usually the one doing the interviewing. (There’s that one exception with a headlight out on the old jalopy—fixed!) Squid was recently perusing Monterey Police Department data Search warrants served in 2023: 101. New cases last year: 219. Arrests made: 67. Presidential cabinet appointees investigated for alleged crimes by MPD: 1. Wait, what? Make that one Peter Hegseth, a Fox News personality, National Guard officer and President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense. News broke almost immediately that Hegseth was investigated in 2017 by Monterey PD for sexual assault. (No charges were filed.) Given that police reports in California are not public records, Squid was not able to ascertain much—the alleged assault took place at the Hyatt between midnight and 7am on Oct. 8, 2017, when national news outlets report Hegseth was in town for a Republican conference. A police report was made four days later; no weapons were involved, and reported injuries were contusions to the victim’s right thigh. Media outlets have since reported that Hegseth and the woman entered into a settlement and mutual nondisclosure agreement, which means we’re not likely to learn much more. When it comes time for confirmation hearings, however, Squid will be standing by with popcorn. Check’s in the Mail…In Squid’s lair, some things happen fast—the entire life cycle of some nudibranchs is just a few months—while others happen slowly. Say you’re waiting for a gray whale to deliver a piece of snail mail from Alaska or Mexico, you’ll have to wait an entire season. Apparently the humans at radio station KAZU, housed on the campus of CSU Monterey Bay, expect the mail to arrive reasonably efficiently. Especially for a nonprofit reliant on donations, it really matters. Kellsy Panno, KAZU’s director of membership and marketing, wrote to supporters on Nov. 12 to notify them of “a significant delay” in processing checks, and advise them of a change: The station has given up on CSUMB’s mailroom and instead got a post office box in Marina to avoid future delays. “Unfortunately, recent staffing reductions in the campus mailroom, which handles all mail for the university, have caused considerable delays in receiving our mail, including many donations,” Panno wrote. “If you’ve been wondering why your donation check hasn’t been deposited, we apologize sincerely.” A CSUMB spokesperson says they’ve added temporary mailroom staff. For all the students expecting a holiday card and maybe a treat in the mail, Squid hopes for the best—and invites them over to the lair for some shrimp-and-caramel-flavored popcorn. the local spin SQUID FRY THE MISSION OF MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY IS TO INSPIRE INDEPENDENT THINKING AND CONSCIOUS ACTION, ETC. “The potential for abuse is immense.” Send Squid a tip: squid@montereycountynow.com
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