Dark Money Group Told IRS It Wouldn’t Be Political—Then Spent $1 Million on Campaign Ads
Dark Money Group Told IRS It Wouldnt Be PoliticalThen Spent $1 Million on Campaign Ads
by Justin Elliott
ProPublica, Oct. 4, 2012, 12:17 p.m.
A dark money nonprofit group that has run more than $1 million in ads in the Ohio race for U.S. Senate told the IRS last year it did not plan to spend any money to influence elections when it applied for recognition of its tax-exempt status.
ProPublica first reported on the group, the Government Integrity Fund, after information from television station political ad files became available online, showing extensive spending by the Fund.
The groups filings with the IRS illustrate how social welfare nonprofits, also known as 501(c)(4)s, are playing an aggressive role in this election, pouring tens of millions of dollars into races around the country, while taking advantage of the donor anonymity their tax status provides.
The Fund applied for IRS recognition last December and received the IRS approval less than two months later. ................(more)
The complete piece is at:
http://www.propublica.org/article/dark-money-group-told-IRS-wouldnt-be-political-spent-million-on-ads/single#republish