Did Exxon Prompt IRS to Audit Greenpeace?

The Wall Street Journal reported that:

Two and a half years ago, a self-described watchdog of nonprofit groups (PIW), wrote to the Internal Revenue Service urging the agency to audit Greenpeace and accusing the environmental group of money laundering and other crimes.

The IRS began a months-long audit of the U.S. arm of Greenpeace, known for steering its boats in the way of oil tankers. Greenpeace says it [recently] received notice from the IRS that the group "continues to qualify for exemption from federal income tax" as a nonprofit entity.

Greenpeace says an IRS auditor said the PIW letter triggered the audit. The IRS won't say how it decided to audit Greenpeace.

What is clear is where PIW has gotten a lot of its funding: Exxon Mobil Corp., the giant oil company that has long been a target of Greenpeace protests.

"I believe organizations should be scrutinized and audited, but I just don't believe you should get targeted because ... you're a critic of Exxon Mobil," said the executive director of Greenpeace USA.

Oh yes, and this in a year that CNN reports that Exxon Mobil hauled in nearly $1 billion a day in sales last year, making it the biggest company in the United States according to the latest Fortune 500.

And Exxon Mobil‘s revenue and profit were the biggest ever for a U.S. company as a result of soaring oil prices. Once again proving that not everyone loses in wartime and rising fuel prices. Of course, this huge profit is not only due to Americans lining up at the pumps, but also because of furious growth in China and India, as well as the long-awaited recovery in Japan.

The point is that Exxon and the other four largest oil companies gained 28 percent of the combined revenue of the 25 largest companies -- making 2005 a year for Big Oil to remember. And there’s no question about their ability to bully if they want.