A former executive appeared to be operating his personal Florida for profit corporation out of Shriner HQ.
Shrine groups run by Shrine officers often include their family members.
If Shrine temples and clubs filed accurate and complete exempt organization and group tax returns, the public, donors, and members ("stakeholders") as well as the IRS would know that:
The Gwinnet County Shrine Club had raised nearly $100,000 through illegal Texas Hold 'Em tournaments.
The Omar Temple lost a court case after they tried to get $300,000 from the Myrtle Beach Shrine Club and was violating their exempt organization's purpose by forcing the Dorchester Shrine Club to pay off their mortgage instead of sending money raised to support the Children's hospital.
The Shriners fraternal prosecute only 19% of crime and fraud found in their temples because they "don't want their names in the papers and the bad PR."
Are these omissions the result of sloppy record keeping or are they intentional?
This quote from page 72 of the winter 2003 Shriners Treasurers Association minutes provides a clue:
"Going to the second page (of the IRS tax exempt return 990), there's too much work being done, I'm not being over critical, I'm just saying let's just do the minimum disclosure to the IRS" – Bob Phillips, Director of Temple Accounting"
Why would the director of Temple Accounting tell the Shrine treasurers to "do just the minimum disclosure to the IRS"? Might it be because corporate seems to operate the same way? Are these executives purposefully keeping these things from the public and IRS?
No one will know until the Shriners answer the questions on the updated 2008 exempt organization tax returns.
Remember, the IRS wants to hear from you.
The comment period lasts until Sept. 14, 2007.
Comments can be emailed to the IRS at Form990Revision@irs.gov or mailed to:
IRS
Form 990 Redesign, SE: T-EO
1111 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC, 20224
1 - News coverage can be read here.
