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Nikki Haley, the former U.N. ambassador, is warning Republicans that they need to get tougher in the face of left-wing efforts to intimidate conservative contributors.
Haley tweeted a photo of the IRS logo, along with this statement: “Leaking a confidential tax return is against state and federal law… and look whose stamp is on the last page of the StandForAmerica filing leaked to the media this week. Liberal corruption strikes again.”
Haley, who is now the president and CEO of the conservative group Stand for America, was referencing a report from Politico, which published what it said were confidential tax filings from her nonprofit. The report claimed that the filings showed Haley’s group had “significant financial backing” from billionaires like Sheldon Adelson and Paul Singer.
While Haley did not directly confirm or deny the report, she said that it was an “attempt to intimidate” conservative donors.
“Republicans have been too nice for too long,” Haley wrote. “It’s time to fight!”
Haley’s comments come as Democratic lawmakers and presidential candidates have been increasingly vocal in their calls for wealthy donors to be taxed more. In recent weeks, both Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg have proposed plans that would tax the wealthiest Americans at a higher rate.
It is unclear who leaked the tax documents to Politico. However, Haley’s warning is a sign that Republicans are growing increasingly concerned about liberal attempts to target their donors.
In a statement to Fox News, Stand for America communications director Sarah Longwell said that the group is “fully cooperating with authorities to find out who committed this illegal act.”
“This was a clear attempt to intimidate and silence conservatives,” Longwell said. “It won’t work.”
Haley is not the only Republican to speak out against liberal attempts to intimidate conservative donors. In a recent interview with Fox News, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) accused Democrats of “harassing” Trump administration officials and conservative donors.
“What we’re seeing here is an attempt to weaponize the IRS by the Democratic Party,” McConnell said. “They don’t like some of the people that have supported President Trump, so they’re going after them.”
“This is typical left-wing tactics,” he added. “We’re used to it around here.”
McConnell’s comments came after it was revealed that House Democrats were considering issuing subpoenas to the IRS for Trump’s tax returns. Democrats have also been investigating whether Trump administration officials violated the Hatch Act by using their official positions to campaign for the president’s re-election.
While Haley did not specifically mention either of these investigations in her tweet, her warning is likely to resonate with Republicans who feel that they are under attack from Democrats.
In her tweet, Haley also called on Republicans to “fight” against liberal attempts to silence them. It is unclear what she specifically meant by this, but her comments come as some conservatives have been calling for a more aggressive approach to dealing with Democrats.
Last week, for example, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced a resolution to censure House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) for her comments about Trump’s “drug deal” with China. And on Wednesday, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) filed articles of impeachment against Pelosi, accusing her of ” high crimes and misdemeanors.”
These moves by Hawley and Gaetz are unlikely to succeed, but they highlight the growing frustration among some conservatives with the way that Democrats are treating them.
