Watch: Maddow on C-Street (Interview w Jeff Sharlet on C-Street losing Tax Exempt Status)

[mod mom]

Watch: Maddow On C Street
Zachary Roth | November 18, 2009, 9:30AM

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow picked up our report -- with credit -- on the C Street house losing its tax exempt status last night.

She tied residents of the Christian house to the effort to stop health-care reform, and interviewed Jeff Sharlet, the author of a book on the shadowy religious group that owns the house.

Watch!

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/watch_maddow_on_c_street.php

HERE IS MUCK'S EARLIER COVERAGE:

C Street House No Longer Tax Exempt
Zachary Roth | November 17, 2009, 1:40PM



Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC)

Residents of the C Street Christian fellowship house will no longer benefit from a loophole that had allowed the house's owners to avoid paying property taxes.

Previously, the house -- despite being home to numerous lawmakers -- had been tax exempt, because it was classified as a church. That arrangement had allowed the building's owner, the secretive international Christian organization The Family, to charge significantly below market rents to its residents. In recent year, Senators John Ensign (R-NV), Tom Coburn (R-OK), Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Jim DeMint (R-SC), and Reps. Zach Wamp (R-TN), Bart Stupak (D-MI) and Mike Doyle (D-PA) have all reportedly called C Street home.

Natalie Wilson, a spokeswoman for the Office of Tax and Revenue for Washington D.C., told TPMmuckraker that her office inspected the house this summer. "It was determined that portions of it were being rented out for private residential purposes," she said. As a result, the tax exempt status was partially revoked. Sixty-six percent of the value of the property is now subject to taxation.

According to online records, the total taxable assessment is $1,834,500. The building's owner last month paid taxes of $1714.70 on the property.

A commenter using the name Vince Treacy, posting on a blog run by George Washington Law professor Jonathan Turley, noted in June that the property enjoyed tax exempt status. In a comment yesterday, he wrote:
Well, at least one complaint just happened to be filed a few months ago, by some anonymous citizen who will remain nameless ""wink, wink," with the taxpayer hotline at the DC tax office.

-snip

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/c_street_house_no_longer_tax_exempt.php

NOTE: COMMENTS ARE INTERESTING TO THOSE FOLLOWING THIS STORY. JEFF SHARLET IS ONE OF THE FOLKS WHO POSTS COMMENTS.

LET'S HOPE THIS EXPOSES BART STUPAK'S CONNECTION TO THIS CULT!

[Overseas]

1. K&R. I hope they DO lose their tax exempt status. And love the attention they are getting.

Apparently Stupak was miffed when he did a town hall and his constituents asked him some pointed questions about his long-standing affiliation with The Family.

So glad their moral hypocrisy, defending scandalous behavior in their ranks, has drawn more attention to them.

[mod mom]

2. funny how BART STUPAK is connected with this cult. On Rachel it was brought up

that Stupak's 1st question back home was regarding his connection to this extremist cult. It needs to be fully exposed! It explains a lot!

[Overseas]

6. Stupdak is a long-standing "member" of The Family with other Conservadems

Conservadems who are dear friends of The Family in addition to Stupak:

Some argue that you "reap what you sow" and that this is what Democrats pursuing the majority status got in exchange for their "big tent" strategy in 2006 and 2008. Yet of all the Democrats who are reported Family members who voted for the Stupak-Pitts Amendment but against the bill -- Reps. Ike Skelton (D-MO), Mike McIntyre (D-NC), John Tanner (D-TN), Lincoln Davis (D-TN), Dan Boren (D-OK), Heath Shuler (D-NC) -- only one was elected within those two recent cycles (Shuler, who reportedly lives at C Street with Stupak, took office in January 2007).

...snip...

I honestly don't know what direction Stupak's true political compass points. He doesn't even appear to be a member of the Blue Dog coalition, though you wouldn't know it from recent media sources who mistakenly peg him otherwise. But his Family ties are undeniable. Bruce Wilson calls the congressman a "minister" for the Family, extrapolating from IRS 990 forms which the organization must fill out to preserve its tax-free status that Stupak must be one of those the organization defines as "persons in ministry."

Sharlet was skeptical of Stupak's denials as well, telling the Michigan Messenger that back in 2003 the congressman was identified by Family members as involved in mentoring at least one younger member on an ongoing, regular basis. Indeed, Stupak's silence before the press seems to underscore that he's taken the oath of secrecy integral to Family membership.

The idea that the Family might be holding the reins of any legislation as historic and wide-reaching as healthcare reform is troubling. Sharlet's reporting has revealed several instances in which Family leaders point to dictators and murderers such as Hitler for inspiration. He writes that "the Family's leaders consider democracy a manifestation of ungodly pride."

http://blog.buzzflash.com/analysis/941

[KittyWampus]

3. so glad this group is being further exposed.

[Bitwit1234]

4. Bart Stupak

well lets see back when he was running office he was said to have, and verified that, he had paid his wife 50,000 a year as an employee of finances or something. Isn't that illegal. Didn't a lot of lawmakers caught in the fraud prosecutions, been found guilty of that. How come he come away. And another thing the republicans have not said a word about these lawmakers not paying the going price for a room, when they are all over Rangel and want him prosecuted for paying a below average price for an apartment. And of course, how about the income tax. How come this family house is not prosecuted for fraud also.

It seems to me that when a democrat comes close to anything theything is wrong they (republicans) whine and moan. But they sure have been strangely silent on this.

And talking about being investigated when are they going to investigate Bachmann. How come she could do what she did and nothing is done. Damn they even had a congressional investigation when some republican nut tried to accuse Hillary Clinton of using government postage for Boots the Cat's Fan Club. Even after it was proven she wasn't they still made a fuss about it. Now they have proof that Bachmann used her federal funded website to support a rally. And since she didn't invite any news people she can not say it was a news conference. There is proof of that. Why isn't she being prosecuted.

[LatteLibertine]

5. I wish those in the C Street cult

would lose their office too.