Every year most Americans work hard, play by the rules, and diligently pay their taxes. The same can't be said of the dark-money billionaires funding the left's socialist crusade.

In February, the House Ways and Means Committee held a hearing to investigate foreign actors who take advantage of the United States' tax-exempt status — typically reserved for nonprofit organizations — to spread discord, interfere in our elections, and peddle foreign government propaganda. The findings were alarming.

The hearing revealed "prolific" efforts to game our country's tax code — from loopholes that excuse political organizations from disclosing donors to social media campaigns meant to fuel protests manufactured by foreign-connected organizations. In at least one instance, a nonprofit lent its tax-exempt status to an entity designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the Biden administration.

A recent Fox News expose further pulled back the curtain on these under-the-table dealings. The series details a sprawling network of nonprofits, shell companies and media holdings funded by tech mogul Neville Roy Singham to create a "propaganda machine" to advance Chinese Communist Party interests and Marxists ideals.

The network funneled $591 million through "concentric rings of an ideological pipeline" across five continents to spread pro-China propaganda. Singham — a self-described Maoist and "socialist benefactor" — and his organizations directly contributed over $400 million to fuel anti-American disinformation.

The ultra-wealthy — names like George Soros and John Arnold — have long pumped money into Washington to advance the left's agenda. But these latest efforts take dark money to a new level, and, worse, they do so by cheating the tax system. They are stealing from honest Americans to attack the pillars of our democracy and foist socialist doctrine on a reluctant public.

Americans have a right to protest, organize and advocate for their beliefs. But they deserve to know who's paying for it.

Singham's American smear campaign isn't only dishonest; it borders on illegal. He and his network routed money through shell companies and donor-advised funds to bankroll groups like the People's Forum and CodePink — organizations the U.S. State Department identifies as Chinese Communist Party proxies that "denigrate the United States and whitewash the violence of Marxist regimes."

No one would allow a business or individual to shield money from the government — much less to then use it to champion our adversaries — under the guise of a nonprofit or shell organization. How much worse when it's a person who admittedly loathes America and has no accountability.

Sadly, this is hardly a novel problem. The Soros network and Arnold Foundation have poured and continue to pour money into super PACs and 501c4s that promote Democrats' liberal agenda. Their causes read like the far left's dream policy platform: defunding the police, open borders, gun control and, of course, a slew of socialist candidates.

These shadowy characters' playbook isn't complicated. Nonprofits' and super PACs' nondisclosure status allows them to effectively launder money. The rich and foreign countries use them as vehicles to advance their political goals, and no one is the wiser.

As one witness testified during February's Congressional hearing, "It's unfortunately all too common that foreign billionaires and foreign charities seem to have their thumb on the scale of American politics."

The blind spot in our tax system is even more troubling set against the backdrop of foreign meddling. Foreign nationals are prohibited from contributing to political campaigns. But these same individuals and organizations can shirk the rules by channeling money through nonprofit organizations. It's a loophole for them to destabilize our country while leaving no fingerprints behind. And they are using it.

A report this year found that just six foreign entities alone directed more than $2.65 billion into American politics. Sadly, even supposedly well-respected institutions are complicit. For example, the University of Pennsylvania received over $15 million in anonymous Chinese donations in 2018, the same year it started the Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement.

Our system of government was designed to provide transparency. The Founders knew that secretive dealings undermine the power of the people. George Washington cautioned that "foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of republican government" — which might well be said of crooked internal influence too.

This glaring hole in our tax code must be addressed. But it also points to a larger truth: The rise of socialism in America isn't organic. It's well funded, organized and often orchestrated by foreign interests. Transparency is the best remedy, and Americans should demand it.

Ken Buck served in the United States House of Representatives from 2015-2024 representing Colorado's 4th congressional district. He now serves as a Fellow with the Independent Center. To find out more about Ken Buck and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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