Florida Sen. Rick Scott has formally requested that the Internal Revenue Service strip the tax-exempt status of the political activist group CodePink, alleging that the organization has violated federal rules through excessive lobbying and ties to foreign adversaries.
In a letter sent to IRS CEO Frank Bisignano, Scott argued that CodePink’s operations disqualify it from being classified as a 501(c)(3) educational organization. The senator pointed to the group’s funding sources and a controversial recent trip to Cuba as primary reasons for an immediate federal investigation.
Scott raised specific concerns regarding CodePink’s financial links to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). According to the letter, approximately 25 percent of the group’s funding over a six-year period originated from entities tied to an individual who “finances its [the CCP’s] propaganda worldwide.” Scott noted that these funds were channeled through mechanisms designed to obscure the donors’ identities.
“When credible evidence suggests that a tax-exempt organization may be receiving material support from, coordinating with, or advancing the interests of a foreign adversary, there must be a thorough, impartial, and fact-based examination,” Scott wrote. “CodePink has long been connected to shady characters, acted inappropriately, and seemingly broken the rules and standards established for non-profit entities.”
The letter also referenced a March trip by CodePink members to Cuba, noting that the Treasury Department is currently investigating whether the travel violated U.S. law. Scott criticized the group for staying in five-star hotels and praising the nation’s communist regime while overlooking political prisoners.
Beyond foreign influence, Scott alleged that CodePink regularly engages in substantial lobbying, which is heavily restricted for 501(c)(3) nonprofits. He cited the organization’s own website, which notes CodePink was established to lobby lawmakers during the Iraq War. Scott’s letter highlighted that the group has boasted of becoming “famous for confronting the warmongers, in the halls and hearing rooms of Congress, the national conventions of both the Republicans and Democrats, political fundraisers, and in the streets.”
According to Scott, CodePink has also held private meetings with the House Select Committee on China to deny forced labor in Xinjiang, which he claims violates internal revenue codes against using tax-exempt status for propaganda or attempting to influence legislation.
The IRS has not yet publicly issued a response to the letter.
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