The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) has announced that it calling on the IRS to investigate Steven Emerson, the director of the Investigative Project, based on a Tennessee local media article alleging possible tax-violations in the way his organization is structured.According to the CAIR announcement
A prominent national Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization today called on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to investigate allegations that Steven Emerson, one of a growing number of “self-proclaimed experts who spread hate toward Muslims,” has used a non-profit “front” group to collect tax-exempt donations that are later transferred to his for-profit endeavors. The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said those allegations were raised following an investigation by The Tennessean newspaper, which described Emerson as “a leading member of a multimillion-dollar industry of self-proclaimed experts who spread hate toward Muslims in books and movies, on websites and through speaking appearances.” According to one expert quoted by Tennessean reporter Bob Smietana: “Basically, you have a nonprofit acting as a front organization, and all that money going to a for-profit,” said Ken Berger, president of Charity Navigator, a nonprofit watchdog group. “It’s wrong. This is off the charts.”
Steve Emerson and the Investigative Project IP) have been long-time critics of CAIR and over the years have been the subject of numerous attacks by CAIR. The IP has issued an explanation of the organizational structure saying that it is based on security concerns.
Documents released in the Holy Land Trial have revealed that the founders and current leaders of CAIR were part of the Palestine Committee of the Muslim Brotherhood as well as identifying the organization itself as being part of the US. Brotherhood. A recent post discussed an interview with the Deputy leader of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood in which he confirms a relationship between his organization and CAIR. Investigative research posted on GMBDW had determined that CAIR had it origins in the U.S. Hamas infrastructure and CAIR and its leaders have a long history of defending almost all individuals accused of terrorism by the US. government, frequently calling such prosecutions a “war on Islam.”