Congresswoman Elise M. Stefanik is continuing her call to cut NPR’s federal funding.

On Monday, Rep. Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, sent a letter to IRS Commissioner Paul Rettig, asking him to revoke NPR’s tax-exempt status. The congresswoman referenced a recent event at North Country Public Radio in Canton, where former employee Martha Foley Smith used her still-active NCPR email address to share an email promoting her own candidacy for Canton town council, other local Democrats and a series of state ballot propositions in this year’s general election.

“Taxpayer dollars should no longer fund New York Democrats’ political agenda,” Rep. Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, said in a statement publicizing the letter. “NCPR’s activity is illegal, and I’m taking action, so North Country residents’ hard-earned incomes are not advancing partisan initiatives.”

In her letter, the congresswoman argued that the actions of the separate, affiliate station should lead to the revocation of NPR’s tax-exempt status. NPR is classified as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit, and that exempt status prohibits the organization from directly or indirectly participating in any political campaign on behalf of or against any candidate for elected office.

By pushing for NPR to lose its tax-exempt status, Rep. Stefanik is attempting to force the organization away from any public financial support. Congress provides annual funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which then distributes that funding among the nation’s various public television and radio stations. To qualify for CPB funding, an organization must be a non-profit.

“This is an unacceptable and illegal use of taxpayer funds, which provided $3,008,241 to NPR in Fiscal Year 2020,” the congresswoman wrote, again referencing the events at NCPR.

NCPR did not receive any of the $3 million given to NPR by the CPB in 2020. It received its own, separate apportionment of $482,116 in 2020, according to the CPB.

NCPR and NPR are entirely separate organizations; NCPR is an affiliated station for NPR, airing NPR programs it pays for, along with its own locally-generated content. NCPR reporters often collaborate and work with the national organization, but are not employed by it. NCPR itself is an operating department of St. Lawrence University.

When Mrs. Foley Smith’s emails were discovered and the congresswoman began criticizing the organization publicly, NCPR’s station manager Mitch Teich explained that Mrs. Foley Smith had already resigned from NCPR over two years earlier. He said the organization has strict rules barring employees from running for office or campaigning for another candidate or issue, and would be reconsidering its policy of allowing former employees to keep their email addresses.

“I’m disappointed in Martha’s judgment in using her legacy email address to send a campaign email even to a closed (email) list-serv,” he said at the time.

Mrs. Foley Smith’s volunteer work as a contributing host on a nature show produced by NCPR was ended the same day Rep. Stefanik released the emails she had sent. She also lost her bid for election to the Canton town council seat for which she was running.