Category Archives: tax law and election law
Bob Bauer: “The Disastrous Legal Implications of the Trump Foundation’s Activities”
Bob in the Altantic:
The law governing the activity of charitable organizations can be complex, but on the question of whether 501(c)(3) charities can engage in political activity, it could not be more straightforward. They cannot. The IRS enforces an… Continue reading
“IRS revokes dark money group Americans for Job Security’s tax exempt status”
Big news from Issue One:
This week, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that it revoked the dark money group Americans for Job Security’s tax exempt status. The announcement followed a complaintfrom Issue One and the Campaign Legal Center… Continue reading
“Missouri House drops effort to get documents from Greitens’ secretive nonprofit”
KC Star:
The Missouri House has dropped its effort to enforce a subpoena demanding documents from former Gov. Eric Greitens’ secretive dark money nonprofit.
Lawmakers had asked Cole County Circuit Court Judge Jon Beetem to force Greitens’ nonprofit, called A… Continue reading
“Companies face many dark perils when it comes to political money”
Bruce Freed and Karl Sandstrom oped in The Hill.
Nonprofit Spending Millions of Dollars to Influence Federal Elections Asks D.C Circuit for Right to Do So Anonymously
Bloomberg BNA:
A nonprofit that is spending millions of dollars supporting Republicans in the midterm elections is the latest group to ask a federal appeals court to help keep its donors secret.
Three cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals… Continue reading
“Tax-Exempt Lobbying: Corporate Philanthropy as a Tool for Political Influence”
“Koch Flagship Dark Money Organization Received $48.7 Million Gift During Election Year”
MapLight:
A single donation accounted for more than three-quarters of the $63.7 million donated to the Koch brothers’ flagship political organization in 2016, according to tax records obtained by MapLight.
The $48.7 million gift to Americans for Prosperity (AFP), the… Continue reading
“EXCLUSIVE: Robert Mercer backed a secretive group that worked with Facebook, Google to target anti-Muslim ads at swing voters”
Great work by Open Secrets:
As the final weeks of the 2016 elections ticked down, voters in swing states like Nevada and North Carolina began seeing eerie promotional travel ads as they scrolled through their Facebook feeds or clicked through… Continue reading
U.S. Opposes Award Attorneys Fees to True the Vote in IRS Targeting Litigation
The motion is here.
TTV is fundraising off the motion.
“Another Effort To Get Rid Of The ‘Johnson Amendment’ Fails”
NPR:
A provision in the U.S tax code that bars churches and charities from engaging in political campaigns remains intact, more than a year after President Trump pledged to “get rid of and totally destroy” it.
Under the Johnson Amendment,… Continue reading
“Elected Officials, Secret Cash”
Brennan Center:
At least two presidents, seven governors and several prominent mayors – from both major parties – have established nonprofits that allow them to raise unlimited, anonymous funds for political spending after election day. In recent years, the risk… Continue reading
“GOP’s new tax law encourages campaign donor secrecy”
Ellen Aprill oped in the Hill:
As a result of these changes, estimates of the percentage of taxpayers who will itemize has fallen to somewhere between 5 percent and 10 percent. The vast majority of taxpayers will benefit more from… Continue reading
“The Move to Politicize Churches Is Back, and Conservatives Should Be Outraged”
Eliza Newlin Carney for TAP.