Super PACs are bad. Phony “social welfare” organizations may be even worse.
The Center for Public Integrity and Center for Responsive Politics just released an investigation, finding that super PACs were outspent 3-2 in 2010 by blatantly political, so-called “social welfare” nonprofit organizations. Typically, organizations under this nonprofit status are intended to “operate exclusively to promote social welfare” -- and the vast majority of them do just that. But some groups, like Karl Rove's Crossroads GPS and the Koch brothers' Americans for Prosperity, habitually stretch the law to funnel secret contributions into election spending.
This development is already becoming one of the most pernicious parts of the 2012 election cycle, since expenditures and donations to these organizations (which are tax exempt) do not have to be disclosed.
Unsurprisingly, in 2010, 90 percent of these "social welfare" organizations chose not to disclose their donors, injecting $84 million of secret money into the election.
Although super PACs have spent the lion’s share of money so far in 2012 -- mostly thanks to the rise of candidate-specific super PACs in the Republican primary -- the influence of non-disclosing political organizations is expected to grow; for example, Sheldon Adelson’s “limitless” donations could likely be given through secret-money groups.
While organizations such as these are allowed to do some election work, that work cannot be their primary purpose. Karl Rove’s Crossroads GPS has masqueraded as one of these “social welfare” organizations while spending an estimated $44 million on this election cycle alone.
Supporters of Progressives United have gathered nearly 75,000 signatures to ask Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and the I.R.S. to enforce the law and clamp down on phony “social welfare” organizations. Join them and help put the petition over 75,000 signatures today.
This development is already becoming one of the most pernicious parts of the 2012 election cycle, since expenditures and donations to these organizations (which are tax exempt) do not have to be disclosed.
Unsurprisingly, in 2010, 90 percent of these "social welfare" organizations chose not to disclose their donors, injecting $84 million of secret money into the election.
Although super PACs have spent the lion’s share of money so far in 2012 -- mostly thanks to the rise of candidate-specific super PACs in the Republican primary -- the influence of non-disclosing political organizations is expected to grow; for example, Sheldon Adelson’s “limitless” donations could likely be given through secret-money groups.
While organizations such as these are allowed to do some election work, that work cannot be their primary purpose. Karl Rove’s Crossroads GPS has masqueraded as one of these “social welfare” organizations while spending an estimated $44 million on this election cycle alone.
Supporters of Progressives United have gathered nearly 75,000 signatures to ask Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and the I.R.S. to enforce the law and clamp down on phony “social welfare” organizations. Join them and help put the petition over 75,000 signatures today.