everyone knows National Association of Realtors(NAR) is a political action committee, but few people know about its affiliated nonprofit organizations. American Property Owners Alliance.
NAR’s PAC supports political candidates whose beliefs and goals align with those of industry groups, and its spending is almost entirely nonpartisan, but NAR’s affiliated nonprofit American Property Owners Alliance is a different story.
The American Property Owners Alliance, founded by the NAR in 2020, receives funding solely from industry groups and appears to be vocal in support of Republican-backed causes.
When examining tax records for nonprofit organizations, new york times The group distributed $12.8 million in grants in its first four years, with nearly $10 million of that going to Republican-aligned super PACs and conservative policy groups, according to the study.
Among the groups that received grants, only Republicans Americans calling for tax reformThe organization, which received $25,000, has one of its goals: promoting housing and property rights.
A New York Times analysis says this donation pattern is politically motivated and in line with the American Property Owners Union’s stated mission to advocate “for the rights of all property owners.” Apparently not. Nonprofits can attract unwanted attention by going against their mission. Internal Revenue Service.
In a statement to the New York Times, the American Federation of Property Owners said it has “operated in a manner consistent with the work of Section 501(c)(4) advocacy organizations” and that the organization has He said the grant “advances APOA’s own plans.” and although not a direct programmatic activity, it promotes the interests and rights of property owners. ”
So far, the largest grant recipient is One Nation, which received a $7 million grant from the American Property Owners Alliance.
One Nation is called black finance groupuses dollars to influence elections and is a regular contributor to the Senate Leadership Fund, the largest super PAC for Senate Republicans.
Other groups receiving grants from the American Property Owners Alliance include the Douglas Leadership Institute, a Christian group focused on reducing the number of abortions and abortion providers in Black communities. American Unity Fund, a Republican-affiliated LGBTQ advocacy group that supports same-sex marriage. American Action Network is a Republican advocacy group founded by former Minnesota Republican Sen. Norm Coleman and Fred Malek, who served as an advisor to Presidents Richard Nixon and George H.W. Bush.
Despite its large donations to Republican-aligned causes, the American Federation of Property Owners has also donated about $3 million to Republican supporters. Housing majority forwarda major contributor to the Democratic House Majority PAC and the Democratic Party’s top super PAC. of National Black Empowerment Council I also received a small grant. The bipartisan group says its main goal is to close the wealth gap between Black Americans and other groups.
In addition to the findings on the American Property Owners Union, the Times investigation also found that NAR’s former senior vice president of community and political affairs, Walt Witek, was fired from his position in 2018 for opposing the creation of the affiliate. It also became clear that Non-profit.
The idea for the American Property Owners Alliance came from Bill Markassian. Wisconsin Homeowners Alliance In 2005, while serving as CEO of Wisconsin Association of Realtors. Much of the nonprofit’s funds go to support conservative groups, according to tax records. When Markasian started working as NAR’s vice president of political and strategic planning in 2011, he took his ideas to the national trade association.
“He wanted to use soft money to create real darkness. He didn’t want to be branded with a real estate agent’s name,” Witek told the Times about Markasian’s plan. . “He wanted it to be untraceable.”
Markassian later became the first executive director of the American Property Owners Alliance, but retired in 2020. However, he remains on NAR’s payroll records as a “former officer.”
A previous Times investigation found that NAR executives and leaders enjoy lavish perks not found in other industry groups.
NAR did not respond to requests for comment.
