“The Government Integrity Fund was founded in May 2011 and applied later that year for IRS recognition of its tax-exempt status, swearing under penalty of perjury that it would not engage in politics but would instead promote the social welfare of the citizens of Ohio. Within two months, the IRS had recognized the group. It then devoted much of its resources to backing [Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown’s Republican opponent, Josh] Mandel’s unsuccessful bid to unseat Brown. As previously detailed by ProPublica, the Fund was linked to a former top Mandel staffer.” The Fund “spent more than $1 million in 2012 on TV ads attacking ... Sherrod Brown and praising ... Republican opponent ... Mandel. Now the Funds tax return, which ProPublica obtained from the IRS this week, indicates that the group spent most of its money on politics — even though IRS rules say nonprofits like the Fund arent allowed to do that.” “Even with the [Fund’s tax] return in hand, several aspects of its operations remain confusing. [¶] In one spot, the group says $4.6 million of its $5.2 million in expenditures were made as grants and similar amounts paid. But it doesnt identify which groups received the grants, as the IRS requires, or what the similar amounts paid might have gone toward. At the end of the form, the group says only $1.1 million went toward grants — again, without saying who received the grants — with the rest of the $4.6 million going to its sister super PAC and what it classifies as public education.” Public education apparently means campaign ads.
Posted on: Sat, 04 Oct 2014 04:54:47 +0000
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