Everybody is aware of concerning the Nationwide Affiliation of Realtors’(NAR) political motion committee, however few find out about its affiliate nonprofit the American Property Homeowners Alliance.
Whereas NAR’s PAC helps political candidates whose beliefs and objectives align with these of the commerce group and its spending is sort of completely bipartisan, NAR’s affiliate nonprofit, the American Property Homeowners Alliance, is a special story.
Created by NAR in 2020, the American Property Homeowners Alliance, which is solely funded by the commerce group, seems to throw its assist in favor of Republican-backed causes.
In an examination of the nonprofits’ tax document, The New York Instances discovered that in its first 4 years of existence, the group distributed $12.8 million in grants, almost $10 million of which went to Republican-aligned tremendous PACs and teams with conservative agendas.
Of the teams who obtained grants, solely the Republican-aligned People for Tax Reform, which obtained $25,000, identifies selling housing or property rights as one in all its objectives.
In line with the New York Instances’ evaluation, this sample of donations seems to be politically motivated and never inline with the American Property Homeowners Alliance’s said mission of advocating “for the rights of all property homeowners.” By going towards its mission, the nonprofit might probably draw undesirable consideration from the Inner Income Service.
In a press release to the New York Instances, the American Property Homeowners Alliance wrote it “has acted in a fashion in step with that of a bit 501(c) (4) advocacy group,” and that the grants it awards “advance APOA’s personal agenda and, whereas not direct program exercise, advance the curiosity of property homeowners and their rights.”
To date, the biggest grant recipient has been One Nation, which has obtained $7 million in grants from the American Property Homeowners Alliance.
One Nation is a so-called dark-money group, which makes use of {dollars} to affect elections and is a daily contributor to the Senate Management Fund, which is the biggest tremendous PAC for Senate Republicans.
Different teams which have obtained grants from the American Property Homeowners Alliance embrace The Douglass Management Institute, which is a Christian group whose focuses embrace decreasing the variety of abortions, and abortion suppliers, within the Black group; the American Unity Fund, a Republican-aligned LGBTQ advocacy group that helps same-sex marriage; and the American Motion Community, which is a Republican advocacy group based by by former Senator Norm Coleman, a Republican of Minnesota, and Fred Malek, who served as an adviser to President Richard Nixon and President George H.W. Bush.
Regardless of its hefty donations to Republican aligned causes, the American Property Homeowners Alliance has additionally given roughly $3 million to Housing Majority Ahead, a key contributor to the Democratic Home Majority PAC, and a high tremendous PAC for Democrats. The Nationwide Black Empowerment Council additionally obtained a small grant. The nonpartisan group lists closing the wealth hole between Black People and different teams as a major purpose.
Along with their findings concerning the American Property Homeowners Alliance, the Instances’ investigation additionally discovered that Walt Witek, NAR’s former senior vice chairman of group and political affairs, was fired from his submit in 2018 resulting from his opposition to the creation of this affiliate nonprofit.
The concept for the American Property Homeowners Alliance got here from Invoice Malkasian, who created the Wisconsin Owners Alliance in 2005 whereas serving because the chief government of the Wisconsin Affiliation of Realtors. In line with tax information, a lot of the nonprofit’s funds have gone to assist conservative teams. When he started working as NAR’s vice chairman of political strategic planning in 2011, Malkasian introduced his thought to the nationwide commerce group.
“He needed to make use of comfortable cash and make it actually darkish. He didn’t need it branded with the Realtor title,” Witek informed the Instances of Malkasian’s plan. “He needed to make it untraceable.”
Malkasian went on to change into the primary government director of the American Property Homeowners Alliance, however retired in 2020. Nevertheless, he nonetheless stays on NAR’s payroll as a “former officer.”
A earlier Instances investigation discovered that NAR’s executives and leaders get pleasure from lavish perks unmatched by different trade commerce teams.
NAR didn’t return a request for remark.