IRS complaint filed against Idaho Freedom Foundation

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) - A complaint has been filed to the IRS about the Idaho Freedom Foundation's 501(c)(3) status after the group was allegedly involved in "illegal" activities. 

Carrie Scheid of Idaho Falls, a retired non-profit executive, filed the complaint after seeing the group ask people to attend a rally in violation of the state stay-home order.

She says the Idaho Freedom Foundation should be disqualified from holding 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status based on the group’s involvement in recent Disobey Idaho events, which she says is a direct IRS violation. 

"The IRS does not allow you to engage in illegal activities, nor do they allow you to promote or sponsor illegal activities," Scheid said. "It’s right in their rules."

In an April 16 Facebook Live video, titled "Idaho Freedom Foundation President Wayne Hoffman talks about how to disobey the stay-home order," the IFF president seemed to encouraged people to go against the governor’s order.

"I get no pleasure from asking people to defy our governor, I’ve enjoyed very much working with Governor Little and his staff," Hoffman said in the video.

"We're gonna assemble, we’re gonna assemble tomorrow at 2 p.m. at the Capitol. Hope you all will be there," he said, calling the governor's order unconstitutional.

The IFF declined to comment Tuesday, but Hoffman told the Idaho Statesman: "Like all the previous bogus allegations leveled at us over the last dozen years, the complainant clearly doesn’t understand the law."

Scheid believes it may be Hoffman who doesn’t understand.

"He ought to take a look at that because it’s pretty clear," she said, referring the the IRS code.

Scheid says she has spoken to "a half dozen" people who had submited or planned to submit additional complaints about the IFF.

"I just think they have stepped over the line on this one, but it’ll be the IRS’ determination on that," she said.