Martin James Beckman, IRS files

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

A copy of all documents or IRS files pertaining to Martin James Beckman (aka Red Beckman, aka M.J. "Red" Beckman), an obituary of whom was published by the Western Ag Reporter under the headline "Martin James (Red) Beckman November 21, 1928 – December 30, 2018." A PDF of the obituary is attached to this request and may also be found at: https://westernagreporter.com/articles/2019/martin-james-red-beckman-november-21-1928-december-30-2018/

Sometimes called the "Father of the Patriot Movement," Beckman gained a measure of fame within the anti-tax militia movement for refusing to pay more than $100,000 in income taxes and $34,000 in property taxes, contending that U.S. tax laws are illegal. The IRS auctioned Beckman's property in 1979, but he refused to leave. In a 1992 ruling, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also assessed $1,500 in sanctions against him, saying his arguments were "wholly without merit and frivolous." Finally, his home was bulldozed in 1994. He attracted about 100 sympathizers to a rally in Billings to protest the foreclosure — an event he billed as "No More Wacos." At a press conference that year, he called the IRS "a total criminal organization" and vowed, "We will put it out of business at some point."

In addition to being a tax protester and conspiracy theorist who believed the Federal Reserve and International Monetary Fund were conspiring to dominate the world, Beckman was a notorious anti-Semite. He was the author of the book "The Church Deceived," in which he claims the Holocaust was God's punishment of Jews for worshiping Satan. He also authored the books "Walls in Our Minds" and "Born Again Republic."

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter.

I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Nick Martin
Investigative Reporter
Southern Poverty Law Center