OA344: Did the Mormon Church Really Hide $100 Billion in Assets From the IRS? (Feat. Bryce Blankenagel)
Opening Arguments
Opening Arguments Media LLC
4.3 • 3.7K Ratings
🗓️ 24 December 2019
⏱️ 84 minutes
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Summary
Today's episode combines a deep dive into the IRS's tax exemptions with some breaking news about allegations made by a whistleblower that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (that is, the Mormon Church) has hidden over $100 billion in assets that should otherwise be taxed. Grab some yarn and pushpins, and we'll try and disentangle this conspiracy together!
Joining us is the host of the Naked Mormonism and Glass Box podcasts, Bryce Blankenagel, who has first-hand knowledge of some of these events and has done serious work trying to parse through the documents and help us figure out what the mainstream reporting on this story might have missed! Along the way you'll learn a ton about the various corporate entities owned by the Mormon Church.
After that, we return to a popular #T3BE question involving whether the court can instruct the jury as to one of the elements of a crime. Can Thomas add to his amazing one-question win streak??? Listen and find out!
Appearances
None! If you’d like to have either of us as a guest on your show, drop us an email at openarguments@gmail.com.
Show Notes & Links
- Click here to read the whistleblower's 78-page letter to the IRS, and here to watch his 7-minute video summary. NOTE: We do not endorse all of the claims and/or analysis made in that video.
- Check out 26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3) for the statutory provisions regarding non-profits, and here to read the special rules as to when the IRS can investigate or audit a church.
-Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/law
-Follow us on Twitter: @Openargs
-Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/openargs/, and don’t forget the OA Facebook Community!
-For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed! @oawiki
-And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com!
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | What's the first thing I want to do after we have a different president take a shower? |
| 0:11.0 | And impeachment is about cleansing the office. |
| 0:29.0 | I remind you that here to four documents had had dry ink on it for at least many |
| 0:35.6 | four nights here to find it a long time ago. |
| 0:54.6 | Welcome to opening arguments the podcast that pairs an inquisitive interviewer |
| 0:58.6 | with the real-life lawyer. This podcast is sponsored by the law offices of P. |
| 1:02.6 | T. Andrew Torres LLC for entertainment purposes is not intended as legal advice |
| 1:06.6 | it does not form an attorney-client relationship. Don't take legal advice from a podcast. |
| 1:18.6 | Hello and welcome to opening arguments this is episode 344 I'm Thomas that's |
| 1:23.6 | Andrew how you doing Andrew? I am fantastic Thomas how are you? |
| 1:27.6 | Doing great I am very excited to have our good friend Bryce Blankenegel on the show |
| 1:33.6 | from the various in-sundry Mormon podcast X Mormon podcast the glass box podcast |
| 1:39.6 | and naked Mormonism so excited to get to that because it's possible Andrew that |
| 1:45.6 | the Mormon church is hiding a hundred billion dollars in taxable assets. |
| 1:51.6 | I read this article in the Washington Post and I looked at it and I was like that |
| 1:54.6 | that somebody right like journalists are as bad with numbers as they are |
| 1:59.6 | with the law right that's it has to mean they're hiding a hundred million dollars |
| 2:03.6 | which still would be like insane right which if you have a hundred million dollars |
| 2:08.6 | that you would like that. Patreon.com or Patreon.com. |
| 2:11.6 | We will not tell yeah no it's this story is amazing and I love that we have |
| 2:20.6 | Bryce here to explain the facts he knows some of the inner workings and you |
| 2:25.6 | know I'm gonna get a chance to delve into our cane provisions of the tax law which |
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