MADISON — The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel just published article on the line from the leftists ProPublica attacking U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson for the tax breaks he fought for. In doing so, the newspaper illegally printed “confidential” tax information from prominent conservative donors.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise. The Journal Sentinel has been in open warfare with the Oshkosh Republican for years.
But it is astonishing the lengths to which this newspaper will go to smear the senior U.S. senator from Wisconsin and to distort the truth.
The story, bordering on slander, has a breathtaking title: “Ron Johnson’s Trump Tax Cut Efforts Saved Billionaire Campaign Donors Millions of Dollars, IRS Records Show.” The false narrative, of course, is that the senator was following orders evil prosperous.
In fact, as the authors grudgingly admit, Johnson sought and obtained through legislative haggling a better deal for so-called pass-through businesses under the Republicans’ 2017 tax cut. More than 90 percent of American businesses are classified as pass-through companieswhose income, unlike corporations, is reported on the tax returns of their owners and subject to personal income taxes. Johnson said he does not want the historic Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to leave millions of businesses behind in the kind of growth-friendly tax breaks that corporations would receive.
As ProPublica’s article points out, “Dick and Liz Uihlein of packaging giant Uline, along with roofing magnate Diane Hendricks” took advantage of the tax break. As did business owners enormous and diminutive across the country who pleaded with lawmakers for relief from punishing tax rates. But wealthy Wisconsinites collectively donated “about $20 million” to groups supporting Johnson’s 2016 reelection campaign, among other causes, so ProPublica would have you believe there’s a quid pro quo going on here.
Liberal nonprofit makes false accusations, and Johnson-hating Journal Sentinel confirms allegations based on documents that were illegally disclosed.
“ProPublica obtained a trove of IRS records covering thousands of the wealthiest Americans. The records allowed reporters this year examine “The diverse menu of options the tax code offers the ultra-wealthy to avoid paying taxes,” the damaging article proudly proclaims.
Who would have access to such a treasure? Maybe the Biden IRS? It is a crime for a US government employee to disclose tax returns or tax return information. As Forbes reports, IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig said in June that internal and external investigators were working to determine whether the data used by ProPublica was obtained illegally.
Sounds all too familiar.
“The IRS has been used to target political opponents before, and the latest leak of confidential IRS tax data suggests the most disturbing type of politically motivated abuse — targeting innocent people and promoting extreme, partisan legislation,” said U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), who, along with U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), launched a separate investigation into the leaker.
ProPublica insists it does not know the identity of the source who dumped all that confidential taxpayer information on its doorstep. The tax-exempt news organization says it has taken “significant measures” to ensure the accuracy of the information.
There has been a significant effort to paint a false picture of political corruption, but that is exactly what left-wing media outlets like ProPublica and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel are doing. The Uihleins and Hendricks have long been targeted by the left and their media allies for their support of narrow government policies and politicians. There is nothing illegal about their donations. But they are wealthy and conservative, which makes them criminals in the warped minds of the rabid, redistributive left.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel clearly despises Johnson. It is on a crusade to force out Johnson, who has not bought into the leftist narrative of “insurrection.”
ProPublica is a left-wing investigative reporter. A 501(c)(3) backed by some of the wealthiest liberals and left-wing groups in America. In 2017, ProPublica reported $43.5 million in revenue. Yes, there’s George Soros money involved. And a lot of founding money from the slow Herb Sandler and his Sandler Foundation. It has generously supported liberal organizations like the Center for American Progress, which coincidentally opposed the 2017 tax cuts, particularly the pass-through provision. Now their Democratic allies are looking for a $3.5 trillion spending plan paid for with higher taxes, including a proposal that would get rid of the pass-through corporate tax cut.
ProPublica also received at least $480,000 from Donald Sussmanwho donated $25 million to support Democrats in the 2018 election cycle, and left-wing advocacy group Solidarity Giving donated $150,000, according to Monitor the proceeds.
Interestingly, the group does not take into account the tax returns of huge billionaires such as Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk in his report.
As for following the money, ProPublica is supported by some pretty powerful benefactors who have given a lot of money to liberal, government causes. But ProPublica’s story isn’t about revealing the truth; it’s about twisting it for political purposes. And the “journalists” involved seem willing to do anything, including violating privacy laws, to achieve their goals.
