Connecticut drawn into fight over conservative ALEC's tax-exempt status

[TexasTowelie]

Connecticut is one of 15 states where campaign finance complaints were filed against the American Legislative Exchange Council this week, alleging that the conservative non-profit group was illegally distributing software to Republican lawmakers.

Common Cause and the Center for Media and Democracy allege that ALEC, as the council is known, made unreported in-kind contributions to its members in 2020 by giving away campaign software worth $3,000 a copy, violating state campaign laws and federal laws prohibiting partisan activity. The voter-management software compiles and collates voter history and information and helps the coordination of campaign efforts. Many campaigns use such software.

The complaints by two groups that fashion themselves as campaign-finance watchdogs are the latest elements of a decade-long fight with ALEC over its secrecy and whether it abuses its tax-exempt status by lobbying and helping to elect state lawmakers. They also have asked the IRS to investigate.

“The state needs to know who is supporting their elected officials or the people who are interested in contributing to those elected officials,” said Cheri Quickmire, the executive director of Common Cause in Connecticut.

Read more: https://ctmirror.org/2021/07/29/connecticut-drawn-into-fight-over-conservative-alecs-tax-exempt-status/

[SergeStorms]

1. Where's a hacker when you need one?

It would be a crying shame if that software of ALEC's was loaded with with ransomware or malware. A crying shame, I tell you.

[murielm99]

2. I printed this article

to bring to my discussion group. We are reading "Democracy in Chains."

This book discusses the origins and the ongoing work to subvert our democracy by the Koch brothers and the conservative think tanks that want to end all social programs, public education, majority rule and taxation of the most wealthy in our society. They want to suppress the vote, get rid of unions and stop programs to alleviate climate change.

When William Cronon at the University of Wisconsin began to dig up the truth about ALEC, it was one of the best things to ever happen in the fight to save our democracy. We still do not know enough about this secretive organization.

Thank you for posting this article.

Please read "Democracy in Chains," by Nancy MacLean. It is not new book. It came out in 2017. It is not fat book, either, at only 234 pages.

Many DU members are aware of the facts presented in this book. But the book is important because it pulls together and explains the history of the far right's malevolent plans for our country.

[TexasTowelie]

3. You're welcome and thanks for the reading suggestion.

I'm sure that you're a hoot at those reading group meetings.