Treasury Confirms Turning Point USA Not Under IRS Examination, Letter Helps Erika Kirk Respond to Fraud Claims

The Treasury Department last week sent a letter to conservative influencer Erika Kirk confirming that none of the four Turning Point USA–related tax-exempt entities she manages are currently under IRS examination, according to sources who shared the correspondence with CBS News. The letter, which responded to a formal request from Kirk, also states that each entity filed its Form 990 on time this year.

Those findings could help Kirk and Turning Point USA rebut recent social-media allegations of financial impropriety that prompted some commentators — including podcaster Candace Owens — to urge donors to request refunds. A small number of low-dollar donors did request refunds, one source told CBS News.

Turning Point USA was co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk. Blake Neff, a producer on "The Charlie Kirk Show," pushed back on social-media claims that any financial misconduct at Turning Point amounted to millions of dollars. Neff said Charlie Kirk ensured the group was audited annually by an independent third party and that he personally reviewed and signed off on expense reports and bills "— down to a single United States dollar." He also noted the organization has not missed a Form 990 filing deadline. (Form 990 is the annual federal return required of tax-exempt organizations.)

"The IRS is able to provide this type of information upon request by the taxpayer. And in this case, it's hideous that malicious lies and smears obligated her to make the request," a senior Treasury official said about the swift response.

The Treasury letter names the four entities as Turning Point USA Inc., Turning Point Action Inc., Turning Point Endowment Inc., and America's Turning Point Inc. Sources shared the letter's contents with CBS News.

Turning Point held its annual fundraising gala over the weekend at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. A Turning Point representative described the two-day event as "maxed out" both nights. The organization reported substantial revenues on its most recent filings: a ProPublica analysis of tax documents submitted in June 2024 showed Turning Point reported approximately $85 million in revenue.

Erika Kirk has made multiple visits to the White House and Oval Office since her husband's assassination. She is scheduled to appear this week in a one-hour town hall moderated by Bari Weiss (editor-in-chief of The Messenger). The event is set to air Saturday, Dec. 13, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS television network and will stream later on Paramount+ and CBS News 24/7.

What This Means: The Treasury letter does not represent an exoneration of all questions, but it provides a formal confirmation from federal tax authorities that the named Turning Point entities are not under IRS examination and that required filings were submitted on time — important points for the organization as it responds to online accusations and donor concerns.