A Washington, D.C.,-based government watchdog is calling for the Internal Revenue Service to investigate whether the American Future Fund (AFF) has violated tax law.
In a letter to the IRS asking for an investigation, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) says AFF is registered as a 501c4 nonprofit, which means it doesn't have to disclose its donors so long as engaging in political campaign activity is not its primary purpose. However, the group has spent millions trying to defeat Democratic candidates across the country.
American Future Fund, which is based out of a P.O. Box in Des Moines, spent almost $10 million on political activities in 2010 – $7.3 million on independent expenditures expressly advocating the election or defeat of candidates for federal office, and at least another $2.2 million on electioneering communications – ads that mention a candidate by name close to an election.
"There is nothing wrong with working to elect Republicans, but you can't violate the law to do it," said CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan. "Given the amount of money the American Future Fund spent on ads in the 2010 congressional elections, it seems clear the primary – if not only – goal of the group is to elect Republicans to Congress."
In October, AFF was accused of violating campaign finance laws in a formal complaint with the Federal Election Commission demanding that it register as a political action committee and disclose its donors.
In December, several groups called on newly elected state Sen. Sandy Greiner (R-Keota) to resign her position as president of AFF, saying it was a conflict of interest for a sitting senator to lead an overtly political group. In a statement to The Iowa Independent, Greiner said she would not resign from AFF, but did step down from the group's PAC.
rest at http://washingtonindependent.com/105267/group-calls-for-irs-probe-of-american-future-fund
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