US Lawmakers Urge Probe into Allegations of Election Interference by Chinese Diaspora Groups
US lawmakers on the 8th submitted a letter to the US Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) urging an official investigation into allegations that Chinese-descent groups interfered in US elections and violated laws related to non-profit organizations. In a letter sent to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and IRS Commissioner Frank Viciano, Rep. John Moolenaar, chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, and Rep. Jason Smith, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, formally raised 'grave concerns' that 'hometown' associations linked to the Chinese Communist Party are exploiting the US non-profit system. This letter follows up on a hearing held by the House Ways and Means Committee in February on foreign influence operations in the US non-profit sector.
The 'hometown' associations in question are non-profit organizations ostensibly formed by immigrants from the same regions in China to help new immigrants and maintain cultural ties. However, lawmakers allege that these groups are mobilized by the Chinese Communist Party's 'United Front' strategy to shape the political landscape and serve as a means to promote Beijing's overseas interests. The two lawmakers claim these groups are violating federal regulations applicable to non-profit organizations, such as endorsing political candidates or fundraising for elections. Non-profit organizations are fundamentally prohibited under US federal tax law from endorsing specific political candidates or engaging in fundraising activities for such purposes.
In their letter, the lawmakers cited findings from a New York Times investigation published last year, which revealed that at least 53 organizations had potentially violated regulations by endorsing political candidates or fundraising for elections. At least 19 of these groups were classified as having 'clearly violated' federal restrictions.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has recently investigated and raided the offices of the American Changle Association in New York City, alleging the office was an illegal 'secret police station' operated by China's Ministry of Public Security. The FBI stated that this secret police station was used to harass overseas dissidents and monitor Chinese citizens living abroad. Two individuals were arrested in connection with this case on charges of operating as unregistered foreign agents, and Chen Jinping, a resident of New York, pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges for acting as an illegal agent of the People's Republic of China government.