Community Groups, Ex-IRS Chief Back Nunez on LA Times Allegations

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Leaders of charities statewide, as well as tax experts, are rallying to the defense of Speaker Nunez (disclosure: my boss) after allegations in the LA Times today.

"Not only is it okay for elected officials to support worthwhile charities, it is their civic responsibility. Their status as leaders in the community make their support invaluable. Our member agencies work with elected officials all the time to help them raise resources they need to serve vulnerable children and families. We are quick to criticize elected officials for being self-serving; we need to be just as quick to commend them for serving others. We applaud Speaker Nunez’s efforts to help charities in our communities." -- Carroll Schroeder, MS, Executive Director, California Alliance of Child and Family Services, Sacramento, California.
 
"Clearly, Speaker Nunez is involved in community charity events, as are virtually all political figures at the local, state or national level. The real question is whether the events truly benefited the children and the community. If the facts bear that out, then the IRS is unlikely to have a concern." -- Marcus S. Owens, Caplin & Drysdale, Washington, D.C., Director of the Exempt Organizations Division at the IRS from 1990 until 2000; now in private law practice in DC.