Smit sends letter, signed by 21 other lawmakers, to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi requesting an investigation.

Speaker Pro Tem Rachelle Smit on Thursday requested that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi open a formal investigation into potential large-scale tax fraud schemes involving several 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entities. Smit is concerned that the nonprofits are engaging in electioneering activities in Michigan, including partisan voter registration efforts. The letter was signed by 21 other House Republicans.

“I would like to bring to your attention and request that you investigate what appear to be serious and significant crimes that are adversely affecting our nation and corrupting its political systems,” Smit wrote. “Nonprofits appear to be raising and spending funds for electioneering purposes, which violates IRS regulations that prohibit nonprofits from engaging in partisan activities.”

Parker Thayer of the Capital Research Center recently testified before the House Election Integrity Committee, chaired by Smit. Thayer presented research highlighting the activities of GBI Strategies, a partisan voter registration firm that operated during the 2020 election in Michigan.

The Voter Registration Project, for instance, paid GBI Strategies more than $2.5 million for “Voter Registration Consulting” during the 2020 election despite being legally barred from partisan electioneering. Another nonprofit, the Voter Participation Center, also has been involved in similar activities. The Center has been accused of using targeted filters to exclude potential Republican voters from its voter registration efforts, while the Voter Registration Project has been linked to multiple scandals involving illicit partisanship and fraudulent voter registrations.

“Given the scale and seriousness of these allegations, I urge the Department of Justice to initiate a thorough investigation into these entities to determine the extent of their involvement in illegal electioneering activities and fraudulent voter registration efforts,” Smit wrote. “Such an investigation is crucial to uphold the integrity of our electoral process and ensure that tax-exempt organizations comply with federal laws.”

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