Transcription
Hi everyone. This is Marjorie Taylor Greene and today I wanted to do an interview and a video to address the situation that Americans are facing in our country.
Now, we are nearly $40 trillion in debt. We're on the verge of a massive World War in the Middle East with American Israel attacking Iran, and I don't believe we are making America great again, as most Americans are struggling to afford the cost of living, can't afford to buy a home, especially the younger generation, and many Americans can't afford health insurance.
Now, back over the holidays, if you all remember, there was something that went viral, and it was many Americans refusing and flat out saying that they were not going to pay their taxes in 2026. Now, we are a nation founded by great men. And these men protested the king by not paying their taxes. So, you can see why many Americans, especially given the situation where our government has failed us over and over again, Americans are talking about why do we pay taxes?
So, back in the holidays, I put up this tweet, and we'll see it here. And here's what I said: "Almost every Trump voter I see on X is so fed up, they are planning a 2026 tax revolt and rightfully so. It's because Americans work their asses off, barely make ends meet, and the government consistently gives their hard-earned tax dollars to foreign countries, foreign wars, and foreigners the US government has brought and allowed into America, and nothing is giving to Americans. We have nearly $40 trillion in debt, unaffordable health care, unaffordable housing, and the dollar loses value every day. Meanwhile, the government, no matter which party is in charge, screws over Americans. What will it take to put the American people first?"
Well, I can tell you, at that same time that I had posted that, I saw, I can't even count how many Americans made their own post on social media, and I'd like to show you one rant that went viral. We'll start with this one.
"Things could be so different, but we have a group of entitled rulers, quote unquote, that believe that they rule over us and they take half of our [ __ ] our entire lives. And then when you die, they take 60% of what you [ __ ] accumulated and have already paid taxes on. We are not [ __ ] free. There is no difference between what we do here and what they do in North Korea where they tell them, 'Oh, you're free. We're the greatest. We're the best.' But they can't see what the [ __ ] is going on anywhere. Okay? Most Americans have never been out of the country."
"No."
"And if they have, it's to [ __ ] Mexico or Canada."
"Don't count. Okay? They've never been."
"Off this continent."
"Exactly, bro. This is This is all [ __ ] This is all [ __ ] There's a reason that the wealthiest people in the world are moving to Dubai and places in the Far East. There's a reason for it. Taxation was never meant to be a permanent thing anyway."
"No. And it just went more and more and more and more. Do 20-year-old kids in 1776 literally killed [ __ ] over 3% tax? On tea?"
"Yeah, and what are we doing? Yeah. Yeah, tax me harder, daddy."
"Yeah. Oh, well, I don't know. I don't want to [ __ ] disrupt. I don't want to rock the boat."
"[ __ ] if you don't rock the boat, there ain't going to be no boat."
"If I don't pay taxes, Andy, how will the Somalian start their daycares and take care of all those Somali kids?"
"Every American should highly consider organizing and not paying [ __ ] tax. Period."
That was Andy Frasella, and we need to thank him for that epic rant because he spoke for millions and millions of Americans who were furious over a Somali daycare fraud in Minnesota, and rightfully so. And still nothing has been done about it.
There were other videos like this video: "Is it time to get rid of the income tax that apparently mostly funds Somali fraud? A national tax revolt is now brewing in response to apparently industrial scale federal fraud of which Somali daycares are the poster child, making it a wonderful time to ask why are we still paying an income tax originally imposed as a temporary levy to finance World War I, which ended sometime ago?"
Then there were many tweets across social media platforms like this one: "The whole country should stop paying taxes until the corruption ends. Hit them where it hurts. Demand accountability by taking away their money."
And this one: "I think we really need to organize a tax revolt and strike. There has to be a safe and legal way to do it."
And this one: "My fellow Americans, your ancestors started an armed revolt over a slight tax increase to their breakfast tea. Meanwhile, you hid in your house for 3 years over a virus that your own government subsidized and released on you. Stop embarrassing your ancestors."
That's my favorite part. Stop embarrassing your ancestors.
So, I think it's time for us to have a conversation. Who's an expert in the field of not paying taxes? This is someone that I've actually been looking into. I've watched quite a few of his interviews. And not only is he an expert in the field, he's experienced with over 30 years of not paying taxes. And by the way, no, he's not in prison.
Today, ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to welcome Payman Maatouda. Is that, that's how you say it, right? Maatouda.
Payda. Maatouda.
Good. Yes.
There you go. He's the president and founder of Freedom Law School. Payman, thank you.
Thank you for having me with you.
Absolutely. So, I think most people know it's, it's been pretty apparent by how I have vocalized my feelings. Um I'm pretty upset at where our country is right now, and uh you and I both are Americans, and I've, of course, born and raised here, and you have, uh, the unique history of being born in Iran and having moved to America. So, you have a different perspective, one that I greatly respect and appreciate. And, um, I'd like to ask you, why are you one of the bravest Americans in our country who is so brave, uh, to use basically use the law and have knowledge of it and have the courage to not pay taxes?
Well, having been raised in Iran and sitting next to my father discuss politics with his friends, not cars or sports or fishing or boating, I learned that the government in Iran, if you were to criticize the king, the Shah of Iran, they could kidnap you, disappear in jail, tortured, never a jury trial. I mean, like you are just a slave, and you better not even speak up against any wrongdoing by the king. So, coming to America in '77 at age 14, uh, I saw this beautiful, prosperous land, America. I was so in awe. And as I went through my college years studying economics and business, and I learned about, uh, how the economy works, and I saw that America is already a semi-socialist country, not free like it was meant to be and used to be. And I heard that people like me are called libertarians. So, I said, "Okay, call me libertarian. I'm for freedom, live and let live, and love and let live." And I realized that, you know, America is no longer what I saw on Westerns on television when I grew up in Iran. So, when I became an American citizen in '89, the first thing I did is to register as a libertarian party member and became involved with the party 'cause I wanted to do my part to having America be free like it was meant to be.
That's amazing. I want, you know, I should have said this first to you, but I want you to know that I'm praying for the people of your home country.
Thank you.
I, this war greatly upsets me. I'm, I'm very anti-war. I, I want people all over the world to be able to prosper. I'm very impressed at the fact that you came to America at 14 years old, but you figured out as an early adult something that it took me a very long time to figure out. You see, for most of my adult life, I believed that America and Americans are the freest people in the world. However, we're really not. We're not the freest people in the world, but we have been conditioned to believe that. And given the fact that we're really enslaved to $40 trillion in debt, we're controlled by a political system that completely fails our country and is failing our children and and is destroying our future, I don't think we're the freest people in the world. Especially as myself and most Americans believe that we have to pay taxes by law. And we believe if we don't pay taxes, that we're going to go to prison. And so I really commend you for figuring that out early on and then taking it upon yourself to for over 30 years practice what you preach, which is very rare, by the way. There's a lot of people that say all kinds of things and and make a living and and make a whole lifestyle and make a whole image of say of what they say, but there's very few that follow through and do it. So good for you and thank you for that.
Now, I have very real questions because I, I take this extremely serious. You know, I served in Congress for over 5 years. So I do have profound respect for our government, our, our institutions, our constitution, our laws. I do believe that our government does need need resources to provide certain things for Americans. However, I very much believe in the states and the state rights and and state power. I, I believe that supersedes the federal government. Now, I think the real question most people are asking is, okay, now if I seriously step forward and want to get involved, especially if it becomes organized. And I think that's the real question a lot of people are asking. That's the whole reason why I'm doing this video with you. If people were to organize together in a peaceful protest and say, "Enough."
Mhm.
"You, the government, you are failing us. You are not listening to us. We, we vote in election cycle after election cycle after election cycle. Nothing changes from either party." If, if Americans were to organize together,
Mhm.
and say in a peaceful protest, and we believe we have the constitutional right to not pay taxes, I think the real question they're asking is, are they going to go to jail?
Mhm.
Well, you are looking at living proof of you don't go to prison if you don't file pay income taxes if you do it the right way because I have not filed and paid income tax for over 30 years and I have been and continue to this day to be under criminal investigation by the IRS because they do not want me to speak and educate and empower American people to no longer be slaves. And here I am not in prison and not afraid to continue talking about it to American people who I love because this is your country. This is our country at the end. You know, so, but I want to say this about America, why even though we're not free like we used to be, I believe America still is the greatest country on earth, and here's why. Because the founding fathers paid an incredible price. They put their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor on the line and created this freedom that is unparalleled any place in human history. And what I mean by that is that the founding documents of America, the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, and Bill of Rights, they recognize that our rights do not come from the government, the king, or some dictator. They come to us from our creator. We're born with it. The government's job is only to secure our God-given rights that we're born with.
That's right.
And that is so different about America than England or Germany or France, any place in the on earth. And that is also what is allows us to by exercising these rights like free speech, you know, to take our country back. And that's why I started speaking, Marjorie, because back then I was 29 years old when I heard about income taxes voluntary in 1992. And I was a financial planner. I thought, well, I didn't file really except with my ex-wife twice 'cause she asked me to file with her.
Right.
But I thought, I think people file because there must be a law. So when I went to a meeting because I heard about it on talk radio, and I saw the law, not philosophy, not opinion. I'm already believing the slavery to be paying income tax. I was just blown away. I thought, wow, this is the answer we've been looking for as a freedom activist because Democrats and Republicans and Republicrats, uni-party, no matter what you do, the vast numbers of politicians unfortunately are not for the people. They're bought and paid for. Believe me, I know. I worked with them. So I think you're here talking about it number one because you're very courageous. Now, you're here talking about it number two because you've actually been following the law and you're using the law in your favor to not have to pay federal income taxes. So to answer everyone's question, are you going to go to jail? Clearly not, because Payman is sitting right here with me.
Now, how, what does it look like? Is there, is there, does Freedom Law School help people have have the paperwork? How does Freedom Law School help people do this?
Well, originally back in early '90s, my goal was to educate me and I educated my local fellow patriots in Southern California. Okay. And that little just teaching and learning from everybody developed into these classes I was doing in my living room and people walked in and then, you know, and into Freedom Law School 'cause I thought there's a need for a a school of law, not to be an attorney, but for the average American to know about the rights and basic legal procedure that we're not taught in high school or college.
Right.
Well, I agree with that because number one, attorneys are expensive, and I've paid way too many of them. And number two, it is, it's overwhelming for anyone to take that on on their own. I love the fact that you started it in your living room and that it was a bunch of your friends and neighbors and people you knew in California. I, I have to tell you, you Californians are some of the craziest, but the best people ever. You guys are good at fighting the system. God bless you. You've had to fight it for too long. Okay, so you started Freedom Law School, and how are you helping people? Is it, is it cost them a lot of money or how does it work?
Well, back then I was just like I said, charged a few bucks for, you know, copy and the paperwork I was sharing with them, and I, and I made a a few dollars as a single guy, no wife, no children, so I could afford to do that. But it was really my self-go to law school for 9 years, self-taught, you could say. And by 2001, I had done seminars locally, traveled across over 30 states. I, I sold audio, video. I mean, I've audio and CD of my classes. But then people were asking me, "Payman, I don't have the time to or interest to study all the stuff like you have learned. Can you just protect me from the IRS?"
Right.
And I'm the kind of person that I like to help people fish for themselves rather than me fishing for them 'cause I really believe in education 'cause my father taught me that. So, so I said, "Okay, let me see. I think what I'm going to do is I'm going to combine the education and then I'm going to take care of you and protect you from the IRS 'cause I learned from the best people in the patriot movement about the law and the constitutional legal system." So when I started that in 2001, um, I just kept it going and, um, it really started taking off a few years ago because not only I educate them, by the way, education is not for free. All my classes, all my everything I did, it's online and our website stopthefed.com for free anybody to download, educate yourself all you want. I don't charge for that because, you know, why not?
Right.
You know? I think that's great. No, and you're absolutely correct. People need to have control over their own lives, and when you have the knowledge and you understand it, and you've educated yourself, then you're able to succeed in a much to a much higher level than you can if you're paying someone or expecting them to do it for you. So I, I really appreciate that. I think that's a good way to go about it.
Which is why we don't want I don't have clients at Freedom Law School. I have students.
Students.
You're not a client, you are a student of law. Now, how much you, you do it or not is up to you, but I'll give you the opportunity for you to educate and empower yourself. So, but what I did now, I said, "Okay, I'll do all the paperwork for you. I'll give you unlimited consultation. I will pay the attorneys if necessary. All the legal work will be done. And, um, you will not go to prison," and I'll explain that later on how that happens by following the law. And if we were to lose in court and the IRS takes from you $10,000 or $10 million, whatever. It doesn't matter. I will reimburse you. And this is the trick is that we all do what the founding fathers did. One for all and all for one. We all like them, stop paying the oppressive king. Instead, refund George Washington and company. Now we have all this money, okay? Number one, to protect each other as Americans. And number two, fund truth-telling freedom media because the mainstream media is a bunch of liars.
Tell me about it.
[laughter]
And three, fund the election and re-election of statesmen that actually represent the American people and take the oath to uphold the US Constitution for the benefit of the American people, seriously. Okay? So that's why we just meeting with Thomas Massie just yesterday.
Oh, thank you. I love Thomas Massie. You know, I told him, you know, we want to get you in there and get more people like you in there.
Absolutely. I served with Thomas and he was one of my best friends in Congress. Um, perhaps my only real friend, and he, he honestly serves the, the fourth district of Kentucky, uh, incredibly well and loves his district. So we hope he wins that, that battle, and he deserves to win it because he is his opponent is being funded by billionaires that basically support a foreign country. They're not even from his district. And it's just a, a propped up puppet to to push Thomas Massie out, and Thomas Massie is one of the greatest we have in Congress. Thank you. Payman, I'm, I'm really glad you're, you're wonderful for supporting him.
Um, so one thing I was listening to you and you explained earlier that you're being investigated by the IRS. Now, that sounds extremely intimidating. Um, it sounds, I mean, most people would think, "Oh my gosh, what is that like? What is that like to be investigated by the IRS?"
Well, to me, it's like investigate me for murder, rape, robbing a bank account, all you want. I've not done any of those things or not filed or paid any taxes that by law I'm required to pay. I'm not, and neither is the people of the 50 states required by law to pay federal income or payroll or self-employment or estate taxes, even gambling and gun manufacturing taxes. The way the law is written is to be completely constitutional where it applies. The income tax law back in 1913 was written to apply only to Washington, D.C. and her territories. Because otherwise, it would violate the requirements in the US Constitution that direct taxes must be divided up amongst the states.
Okay, so that was something I read on your, on your website, and that is something that I did not know. And I thought to myself, "Oh my gosh, probably hardly anyone knows this that it's, the tax code is written to tax the people who live in the District of Columbia, in Washington, D.C. Not the 50 states." And I think that is, that's one of the most shocking little facts I learned on your website. I was like, "What? This is crazy." So I'm from Georgia. It, it makes me go, "Well, why am I paying taxes? I don't live in Washington, D.C. I'm not a, a citizen of, of the District of Columbia." And that was something that, well, your website is filled with a lot of great information, but I didn't know that. And then I, I looked it up and sure enough, it's true. So that's, that's a great thing to be able to fact-check things, but that was fascinating to me.
Um, I think, uh, what many people, well, you're being investigated, but you're following the law. And so tell us how does that work? Because I think that's what's confusing for most people is they're saying, "Well, how do you just not pay taxes? Is there, is there a certain form that they're not supposed to fill out? Is there any, what is the procedures if you can walk people through that?"
Well, the first procedure really is, I always believed that like my father taught me again, is education. Yes. You know, you could not take my word for anything. When we talked last time, Marjorie, I asked you all I invited you to do was to verify for yourself with your eyes, ears, and brain that what I'm telling you is the truth. So people need to go to stopthefed.com.
Right.
And just verify everything for themselves. That's number one. Absolutely. Because without education, they use our ignorance to make us afraid.
Right.
So everyone has to act on their own, educate themselves, and everyone acts on their own accord. I fully agree with that. So, 'cause that's how they get us. That's why I believe vast numbers of Americans lined up, voluntarily got the jab.
Yeah.
Without knowing what's in it because we were made afraid that if you don't get the jab, you will die or give it to grandma who dies. Well, I fought that one. I did not get the jab, and I fought that one in Congress. I served on the COVID Select Committee, and we investigated that. Still no one has been held accountable for COVID. It's another reason why Americans are so angry. There's never any accountability for the people that do so much wrong to Americans. And you're right, people lined up and just took that shot and and carried on with life.
Now, a lot of people are asking though, they say, "Well, um, you know, my employer withholds my taxes out of my paycheck. What do people do about that?"
It's very simple. If they go to our website, stopthefed.com, there is a page there on how to fill out the proper paperwork, give it to your employer to legally stop your employer from stealing a portion of your wages and giving it to the IRS, which now without that, you're forced to file a 1040 income tax confession form to get a little bit of that stolen money back.
I like how you call it a confession form.
[laughter]
Okay, now here's the question. Have you ever had any of your, um, Freedom Law School students, have they ever had to fight their employer over this issue, uh, to get their employer to stop withholding taxes? Is there any stories like that?
Couple, uh, sti- times. The more interesting one was the guy, uh, who wanted to do it, and the lawyer for the company said, "No." So we wrote a letter to the lawyer, explained everything to him, and he responded, "Oh, wow, very good job. You wrote, explained the law very well. It sounds good, but I'm still going to tell the employer to withhold money out of your paycheck." Mhm. So we wrote the lawyer, said, "Look, you just said yourself what we're saying is right. You couldn't find anything wrong with it. Just tell the employer to follow the law." So he chickened out. So then,
[clears throat]
we just go to the employer. We said, "Look, why pay this guy to give you legal advice when he's failing to do his job? You know, why is he creating a problem between you, the employer, and the employee fighting?" So we talked to the employer and employee, and he said, "No problem. I'll, I will not withhold from his paycheck."
That's incredible. So you acted as an advocate for, for one of your students with their employer. That's, that's wonderful. And, and, and is the employer, uh, this would be a question for anyone owning a business, of course. Um, are they breaking the law by not withholding taxes from an employee's paycheck?
Not at all. In fact, no employer in the 50 United States by law is required to withhold any income or FICA or federal payroll taxes from the employee's paycheck. And one of the things I'm really focusing a lot more now than in the past is educating employers, free your people. Do not steal from your employees. You don't need to make that FICA matching to pay, uh, social security and take out of them, 'cause that's the most regressive tax that taxes the poor and middle class. You know, so you can, we can free America's wholesale now. Oh, yeah. Ra- if we can convince the the employers to look, listen to your CPA or accountant if he knows the law, but they don't. They pretend to know the law, but all they are are glorified form fillers for the IRS because that's what they have been taught to do.
Right.
They're just, they're, they've been taught to do that and they're doing it. It's part of the system. I tell you what, I could talk with you for days about social security and FICA, but it is such a scam that your employer has to withhold. What is it? 6. Is it 6.2%? And then you have to match it for social security. And guess what? Did you know in 7 years, social security is going to be bankrupt? Absolutely bankrupt. They have robbed this money that everyone has been paying in for social security. And, um, that's enough right there for a tax revolt in my opinion. Uh, but anyways, I, I'll try not to go off on that issue.
Okay, here's another question that I thought was significant. Uh, how can you buy a home without showing your tax return?
You can buy a home with showing bank deposits or letter from your employer that you make so much or the W-2 form. You can do that. The problem is that most home loan agents and banks, they do not work that way. They want a tax return, the 1040 confession form, but it's not necessary. Look for independent home loan mortgage agents, experienced. They know how to give you a home loan without a 1040 income tax confession form.
Right.
And they want to give you a home loan. That's, they're in the business of doing that. So they'll find a way, right?
Exactly.
Okay. Now, let's talk about a term you're using because I know what it means, but can you explain why you're calling it a confession form?
Because your accountant, your CPA, before he had you sign on that 1040 form, he didn't tell you the small print next to the line that says sign here in big print. It says, "Under penalties of perjury, you declare everything on the 1040 is true, correct, and complete." And on line 37, you write the amount that you claim you owe to the IRS. Keywords there. The amount you claim you owe.
That is right.
IRS. So that's the confession. Under penalties of perjury, which means under oath, same as before a judge and a jury, you're saying that statement. So when you tell the IRS you owe them the money, you said it. There's no question about it.
Right.
You don't owe nothing automatically to the IRS unless you sign that 1040 form or the IRS has to initiate legal proceedings, give you a tax proposal letter, and give you the chance to challenge that proposal in US tax court. So what you've done is you've just shortcutted and got rid of your rights. Confessed you owe the IRS money. And on top of that, you open yourself to going to prison for three separate federal tax crimes that add up to potentially 9 years going to prison for each 1040 you sign and give to the IRS. So that's if you sign the 1040 form confessing under penalty and perjury that you and saying I owe this much money. That's when you put yourself at risk. That is how the IRS gets a power over you.
You know, there's a general called Sun Tzu in China way back then. And he said, "What is the best way to win any war?" The best way is to deceive and subdue your enemy and make him believe that you are strong and your enemy is weak. Now your enemy without fighting will just surrender to you without you risking any arms or any of your soldiers' lives. And that is what the IRS has done with the help of the corrupt major media and the accounting CPA community because they make money off of you being a slave of the IRS.
Oh, it's a whole industry. Oh my goodness, everything's an industry. Um, I blame Congress. I blame Congress. Congress has destroyed. I mean, I can't tell you the spending bills that we voted on. They were horrific. I'm, I mean, the amount of money that Congress spends on all kinds of ridiculous programs that if you sat down and said, uh, "Mr. and Mrs. American, would you like to pay for this?" Mr. and Mrs. American would say no, absolutely not. But you're right, it's a system in place and it's an entire industry where Americans simply believe they have to sign the 1040 confession form. Sign it and they literally say, "Under oath and penalty of perjury, I owe you, federal government, this much money." Because that's what we've been conditioned our entire lives. And, um, it, it's really shocking when you think about it. And it's infuriating.
Okay, but let's flip it a little bit another way, Paimon, because there's things that are extremely important that our federal government funds. Like I am a big believer in border security. I fully, who, by the way, they're not being paid right now because Congress is pathetic and can't get it done. But, like ICE and Border Patrol, TSA, Homeland Security, I think is one of the most important parts. Um, you know, there's many services that the government provides. You know, I think I think a good question is, is if Americans stopped paying taxes, how do we fund those things?
Good question. First of all, people need to realize that America is not one country. We are actually 50 countries plus one. Every state is a country in this union. Same as European Union with France, Germany, and Italy being part of that union over there. They're a countries. So is Georgia, Texas, New York. We're all countries in this, this union. And the services that we all expect to receive like safety from the police, sheriff, and the courts, as well as the schools and roads are paid by our local and state taxes. Property taxes, sales taxes, and so forth. And America did not have any income tax until 1913. Well, how did we prosper all these over a century without income tax? We did it back then, and we can do it again right now. Okay? And the federal government is a government of limited powers the founding fathers created. And they are supposed to do only 18 specific things. And you're right. Besides foreign relations and and military things like that, securing our borders is one of those things that was given to the federal government. They're not doing that. Instead, they're doing all these wars and socialism and using FBI and DOJ against the American people to silence us, to subdue us as their slaves. And I say no. I'm not a slave. You're not a slave. And we have to exercise our rights that are secured by the government, by the Constitution. Stand up to our public servants and let them know you work for us. With that attitude and knowledge of the law, I really believe we can take America back.
I, I really want to have hope like that, but I have to tell you. So during my time in Congress, one of the most kind of heartbreaking things for me was in the halls of Congress, I never really saw the American people. I would see them doing tours in Washington, going to the museums, and seeing different sites, and seeing the White House and the Capitol. I would see them come for the cherry blossom festivals, but I never really saw them organize and come into the halls of Congress to hold their their elected leaders accountable. Do you know who I saw in my office repeatedly and in the halls of Congress and coming to our our meetings is lobbyists and industries. And more even dis- more disgusting to me was foreign countries with their hands out wanting America's money. And countless foreign countries. Paimon, it was unbelievable. All with their hand out tell begging money, not even really begging, almost demanding money from America. And then lobbyists coming and demanding appropriations and demanding funding for industries and for the military industrial complex or certain language in bills that really only promote and protect maybe like Big Pharma, who certainly profited by the tens of billions of dollars during COVID, which was wrong. But that, that is primarily what I saw in Washington, D.C. And it made me really sad, and the only time I really saw people was when I went back home to my district. And most members of Congress don't go home to their districts. Actually, many members of Congress live in Washington D.C. So, you know what, Paymon? They should be the one paying taxes to the federal government. Think about that, not the American people. And that was something that always bothered me so much. And when members of Congress and senators are conditioned to only having meetings and hearing from the voices and the concerns and the wants and the demands from lobbyists and industries and foreign countries, they get conditioned to saying yes to the lobbyist and the industries and the foreign countries, and they'll no longer say yes to the American people. And it is, it is a travesty. It's actually horrific what's happened to our country. And, um, Paymon, I like, so I'm, I'm intrigued, very much intrigued with your idea, or actually something you're already doing. It's not even an idea. Once again, Paymon, you've taken words into action, and I have a lot of respect for that. Is you have over the years of your experience with Freedom Law School and the, the people that you've had as students and, and being interested in politics like you are, you have taken what really dark money groups are doing, which is accumulating money to support candidates and to support policy and, and use that money to push those candidates and policy. You're saying let's do it with the grassroots. And I, that's what I'm interested in. Can you tell me more about that?
Sure. You know, what happened is that,
[clears throat]
again, I realized that if people stop paying income tax that we legally we are not required to pay. First of all, American people need every dime of their hard-earned money. You know, they can't, uh, many people are in debt to credit cards. Yeah. They cannot afford good, good food or health care. And so they belong to them. Right. So, I tell them the truth. And that is that if you stop filing and paying income tax, stop withholding me from your paycheck by going to our website for free at stopthefed.com. IRS will leave you alone because you're joining about 80 million Americans who are, according to IRS's own best estimates, do not file tax return even though IRS claims that they should file tax return. The IRS simply just cannot come after 80 million Americans or even a tiny fraction of them every year. Right. So, they will leave you alone, and you get to have a better life that you deserve 'cause it is your money. But I also tell people this. If you want to organize like America's founding fathers did. Okay. What did they do? Let's learn from them. They took the money they did not pay to the king, the tea tax, and took that money and funded George Washington and company. So, now, you know, they're actually the money's being used for their benefit versus against them by the king. And unfortunately, the system now, the corrupt system is a new king. They like to think like it was in Soviet Union. And so the options available, the privilege, if people want to join a plan to restore freedom in America, not a revolution, but restoring our freedoms, they can do that. So, I, I prayed about it. I thought about it. And I thought, well, I think a good fair way would be to go, if people want to do this thing, they don't have to, is to keep 70% of what they would have otherwise paid the IRS for themselves. Okay? So, if you pay the IRS $10,000, don't. Keep $7,000 for yourself and your family, and the other 30% we can fund the restore freedom plan to, like founding fathers, put that money into getting America back. And that message in the last few years started really getting going, and it really got going even bigger this year because last year Americans were hopeful that Trump is going to get rid of the income tax. He talked about a little bit, hinted it.
Oh, he said it quite a bit.
Mhm. Yep. And a lot of people bought into that. They said, "Paymon, I'm going to wait for the Trump to do what he says." But now this year they're saying, "Uh-oh. It's not America first. No."
It's a foreign country over there first.
That's right.
Now they're they're all calling back and they're mad as hell. And the fact is that Gulliver has been tied down with ropes.
Yeah.
It's time for American Gulliver to wake up and take back our country, and I think it's very doable.
I agree with you. And you're right, Americans are furious. I, I talk to them all the time. All the time. Almost everyone I know. Well, we had such hope, and I take, I take full responsibility. I sold the message and the hope. Paymon, I traveled the country for years campaigning for President Trump. And because I believed in the message. And our message was Make America Great Again. It wasn't, we, we said on rally stage after rally stage, no more foreign wars, no more regime change, no, no more foreign countries first. We're putting America first and Americans first. And that really meant something. And people, oh my gosh, city after city, thousands and thousands of Americans would come out and come to those rallies, and they believed it in their heart. You're right. Not only did they believe that President Trump is going to get rid of the income tax through his tariffs is what he's promoted. They also believed they were going to get Dodge checks. Well, let me tell you something. I was the chairwoman of the Dodge Committee. Unbelievable fraud. There was terrible fraud. We did a lot of great work. I led the effort to defund PBS and NPR. We worked very hard on fraud programs, but it was extremely difficult to get Congress to do anything about a lot of the, a lot of our investigations and findings on the Dodge Committee. But are Americans getting Dodge checks? No. Are America, did he get rid of the income tax? No. No, not at all. So, I can see why people are calling you up and they're furious. But there's power in that, and I can tell you, my donations were small dollar donors. Okay? That's drastically different than the type of opponent President Trump was going to put up against me to take me out, just like he's put up an opponent against Thomas Massie. Those candidates are supported by just a few billionaires. But what you're talking about is where the people can take control, join together, and there's so much power. And the, I believe in the American people. I don't believe in the institutions anymore. I don't believe in Congress solving the problems because I've watched Congress fail. I've watched Congress be so weak and feckless that they refuse to act. I'll give you a perfect example. I passed a bill called the Protect Children's Innocence Act in the House of Representatives. This bill is literally what we campaigned on to make it a federal crime to trans a child to, to perform any type of so-called gender affirming care. My bill passed the House, and the Republican-controlled Senate has yet to pick it up. This was a key campaign promise of President Trump and Republicans. Not only that, it was an executive order of President Trump. And Republicans in the Senate have a bill that passed the House. By the way, three Democrats voted for it, which I thought was very compelling. And they won't even touch it in the Senate. So, this is like one of the simplest things. But I give, I give that example to you because I don't have faith in Congress to fix the problems. We don't have the right people there. I know that because I served there. And I'm watching what's happening to my good friend Thomas Massie because that's what they were going to do to me. But I decided on my own, I said, I cannot allow my district to go through this. It's too hurtful. It's just wrong. And, but they're, they're lining up just tens of millions of dollars and pouring it on Thomas Massie's head with lies and attacks day after day in his district. But the American people can fight back. They really can. And so, uh, your proposal is to take 30% of what they would have paid the IRS. So, like you said, if they paid $10,000, they say, "No, I'm not signing my 1040 confession form." Talking to their employer, "Here's my forms. I need you to fill this out. I, I'm not going to take part in this anymore." And then saying, "Okay, well, had I have done it and I paid $10,000, I instead I'm going to take just $3,000 of this and and put it into what you were organizing to support liberty-loving, freedom-loving patriots to get elected." Restore freedom plan is intended number one to protect those people who are paying the price to be part of it. Restore freedom plan. Yeah, restore freedom for them, and then together we can restore freedom for all America. We're creating a super PAC, Restore Freedom Super PAC, where now we're bringing not just millions, but tens of millions, but billions back from that swamp that otherwise we pay to the IRS to fund so that we can get people like you and Thomas Massie elected. That is the thing. Because with, with these super PACs, you can give unlimited amounts as a first amendment right. So this is Americans that have had it.
Yes.
They have, they're beyond fed up. Which is honestly, I'm, I'm past those people, beyond beyond fed up. But they have had it, and they're, and they're wanting to be involved in the Restore Freedom Plan to take back America.
Yes.
Is that, it's that simple?
It is really simple because I, I had to come up with seven easy steps to make it simple for everybody. The first four steps at our website stopthefed.com is to do it on your own for free. Okay? And the last step is to tell others, and the other two is if you want to join hands together and be part of the solution. Marjorie, let me share this exciting news for you. I was a kid growing up in '60s and '70s and saw the Soviet Union being this powerful, brutally violent dictatorship.
Right.
And nobody ever thought that this powerful tyranny would ever end. But I saw you and I saw in 1991 that it imploded from within.
It did. It was amazing.
So when I started reading some US Treasury reports and audits of the IRS, how it's the most wasteful, corrupt, incompetent, lazy, and irresponsible agency they are in the 1960s, computers still running, the old system, federal system, I saw, oh, this is a myth that the IRS is all powerful monster that will eat you alive and put you in prison, take all your stuff if you don't file. So I started putting it out there to people. Not just that the law's on your side, but I started showing people this is their own report. You know, here, your US Treasury gave a report in 2020 that the IRS is not going after high-income non-filers who in years '14 to '16 made over $100,000 per year. And they're, they said that, look, IRS is in such a bad shape. We have to concentrate on people who are afraid of us taking their paychecks. We have to take the telephone calls of people, make payment plans because that's easy money. Right. We don't have enough discretionary extra money to go after non-filers. Because for every dollar spent on a non-filer, they only get $2.25 back. But for every filer, for every dollar they get over $300 back.
Wow.
Because you sign and confess on that 1040 form that you owe the IRS money. Right. So their return on investment is definitely go after the filers.
Exactly.
Bother with the non-filers? Not, not.
bother. They said, "No, we're not going to come after non-filers." In fact, something interesting. The US Treasury auditors gave the IRS a list of the hundred richest non-filers who each owed the IRS about a hundred million dollars. Incredible. On a silver platter from IRS's own computers. That's incredible.
>> And said, "Here collect this easy 10 billion." You would think the IRS management would be embarrassed and say, "Gosh how can we be so incompetent and not identify and go after these super rich non-filers?" But they told the US Treasury auditors that said go after them they said, "Um we are not going to go after them. We're not going to commit." Imagine that. They could not spare 10 IRS agents to go after, you know, 10 each of them, 10 people that would owe a hundred million dollars each to the IRS. Not even lip service. That shows you the level of the incompetence and the system falling apart like the Soviet Union. And I'm here to let the American people know it's time we stand up like the Russian people, hold hands like they did in late 80s. Together there's a lot more of us than them. Okay? And that's all we got to do. That's exactly right.
>> [laughter] >> That's exactly right. I think you're I think you're preaching a message that a lot of people are hungry for right now. Myself included and I served in the system. I I saw basically behind the curtain. And I can tell you right now it's not it's not going to get fixed. People vote election cycle after election cycle. They donate to these same old politicians over and over again. They go in there and cast their vote again, put them back in office and nothing changes. No, you're right. And the American people can do it. I fully uh and totally agree with you. And it needs to be done. If it's not done the future that we're looking at is extremely concerning. It's terrifying really. Look at the value of our dollar. You and I in our lifetime have watched the value of our dollar fall to nothing. Americans used to be so rich all over the world because our dollar would go so far. Now our dollar our dollar hardly goes anywhere and now it's being threatened to be replaced as the world's currency. Especially with this war with Iran in the Middle East. There's there's really grave danger ahead for that.
But then also, you know, I bring up social security again because serving in Congress I had so many senior citizen constituents that oh my gosh, they were barely getting by because their little social security checks are nothing. Nothing. But I'm a mother too and I have my children are in their 20s and I'm watching them launch into adulthood and they're working very hard. But these kids today, these young adults, they can't make it on a like a single income. If they're married, they both have to be working and not even maybe working one job, they're working multiple jobs to try to have enough money to even pay rent. Not even save money to get ahead or save money for their future. And I think that it's gotten to a point, Paymon, where if we don't act it's our fault. Like it makes us responsible for what could be in the future. Because I can imagine a future someday where our our children have grandchildren of their own and there's America's become so desolate that they're they're saying bad things about us of why didn't our grandparents do something when they had the opportunity.
But you know what I know what's so upsetting? So many people are so busy in their lives and they're so distracted in their daily lives and and they don't take the time to pay attention. And I think I've watched you. You have gone on really great uh podcast. Laura Logan, Matt Gaetz, Clayton Morris, and many others and you're taking your message and you're taking this information and you're taking Freedom Law School and the education that is there for people to educate themselves with and you're laying out a proposal of here [snorts] is how we can do it. And I think that is that is so heroic. It really is. It's very courageous because I know so many Americans that they won't hardly take the time out of their busy day of playing golf or whatever it is after work and their weekends to even look at the news to know what's going on. And that's a sad state of affairs.
Um, there's things that I I want people to know because you've put so much effort into this over the years that you've done it. You have some great films. America from freedom to fascism. So that's one of your films. You've also got Slave Nation and these films people can find them on your website also. Um, so I I really encourage people to watch those. Uh Freedom Law School is where they can go to be educated about this and in the Fed. And I think I I just really am so impressed and so I don't normally do sit down interviews with people. I don't. I I'm very I would say, I'll be real honest about this, I don't trust a lot of um people because I've seen too many of them. Working in Washington, I've seen all kinds.
>> Mhm. Uh, but when I looked in I looked into you. I'll be really honest. I was skeptical. Um, and I think that's fair for me to say.
>> Yeah. And I did research about you and and some people said terrible things about you. And you know what I did? I looked at that and I went, "Oh my gosh, they have said terrible things about me, too."
>> Mhm. But as I looked further, there was a lot of credibility there.
>> Mhm. And I think one of the most credible things is you haven't paid taxes in over 30 years and you're sitting right here next to me.
>> Mhm. And that speaks more than any word that you and I both can say. And you know, none of my students who stopped filing and paying income taxes with Freedom Law School and stayed with Freedom Law School has ever gone to prison for not filing and paying income taxes. Nor has the IRS levied a paycheck or bank account or taken their home or property. So, that tells you that there is hope. It is just that we went to sleep like Gulliver. We trusted our government too much. And the Founding Fathers' spirit always was question authority. That's why, for example, one of the things that we do, Marjorie, is we have our students or anybody for free can go to stopthefed.com and we have petitions about the income and payroll taxes and withholding. Send to your congressman these free petitions by certified mail and the longest petitions is quoted attached and even highlighted for ease of reading by the congressman. And we tell the congressman, "Look, I will gladly pay my fair share of taxes. Show me if I'm wrong or stop the IRS and DOJ from misapplying the law to the people of the 50 states that do not owe it." And guess what happens? Guess how many times a congressman, whom Congress writes the laws, has shown us wrong and said, "Oh, here it is. You missed this. There's a law."
>> [laughter] >> If they're even reading it. If they're reading it or even the aides reading it. Right.
>> Right. Not one of them has ever shown us wrong. I think what Chuck Grassley, Senate Finance Chairman, who heads up there the money in the Senate, he wrote us a letter one time.
>> He did at first.
>> What did old Chuck Grassley say? He just gave some stuff that didn't even address anything we said.
>> [laughter] >> We wrote him back. He just ignored us.
>> Of course. Yeah. We don't have taxation with representation. We have this make-believe taxation without any representation. No representation.
>> No representation.
>> No. No representation. American people are $40 trillion in debt. They have over and over again and our president wants $1.5 trillion for the defense budget
>> Mhm. because he's he's not a peace president. He's a war president.
>> Mhm. And that's a shame. It it really is a shame. Payman, thank you so much. Um, I I'm going to put this video out on my social media because I want people that I I pray people will watch it. I want people to educate themselves and learn about this and I want people to pray about it. And I really want the American people to open their eyes. And I'm again, I I really am um, I'm inspired by you because you truly in your heart appreciate being an American.
Mhm. And at the same time, you're doing what our Founding Fathers did that so many Americans uh, uh, aspire to do or to be, but they're not doing it. They're not doing it. And we have to hold our government accountable. Our government is not going to hold itself accountable. Trust me, I I was in there. I can tell you firsthand, no one is going to hold themself accountable. I'll give you a quick example. Term Limits Bill, I co-sponsored it every Congress and the speaker would never bring it to the floor for a vote. They're liars when they say they believe in term limits. They do not believe in it. Balanced Budget Amendment, that's another one. Balanced Budget Bills, I co-sponsored them. Speaker would never bring them to the floor for a vote. They lie to the American people all the time about these very important things. And um, I think you've come up with a great plan to for people to truly consider and get involved in. And um, I I'll be speaking about this more, for sure. Thank you so much. Thank you for having me, Marjorie.