The Council of Conservative Citizens Inc. is listed by the Internal Revenue Service as a nonprofit
organization that promotes social welfare, also known as a 501(c)(4). Such groups pay no
federal taxes, a form of government subsidy.
The council is now under fire for allegedly inspiring racial hatred in Roof, a 21-year-old high
school dropout. He is charged with nine counts of murder.
Tax-exempt social welfare groups are supposed to “primarily promote the common good and
general welfare of the people of the community as a whole,” according to IRS documents.
The Council of Conservative Citizens explains on its website that its members believe “that
the American people and government should remain European in their composition and
character…. We also oppose all efforts to mix the races of mankind."