The Internal Revenue Service has granted tax-exempt status to a handful of politically active nonprofits, including several tea party groups and a Florida organization called America is Not Stupid, that ran political ads attacking "Obamacare.'"
America is Not Stupid is a so-called "social welfare" organization -- a nonprofit that may participate in political activities, including attack ads, as long as that is not the group's primary mission. The group is tied to a Republican political consulting firm from Florida, and in last year's Montana Senate race it ran an ad featuring a talking baby who likened alleged Obama Medicare cuts to his dirty diaper. The IRS came under fire earlier this year when it was revealed that some agency staff had been using keywords including "tea party" to identify applications from groups hoping to be granted tax-exempt status as "social welfare" organizations (it was later revealed that keywords tied to liberal causes were used as well). The idea was to weed out groups that were too political to meet the IRS guidelines.
Since May, when the scandal first erupted, at least four tea party affiliated groups have been granted exempt status:
Since May, when the scandal first erupted, at least four tea party affiliated groups have been granted exempt status:
- East Jersey Tea Party, of Jackson, N.J.
- Flint Hills Tea Party Education Fund, of Manhattan, Kans.
- Hampton Roads Tea Party, Inc., of Chesapeake, Va.
- Montana Tea Party, Inc., of Bozeman, Mont.
According to IRS data, 53 other organizations were also granted tax-exempt status in June.
rest http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2013/07/tea-party-groups-attacking-obamacare-granted-tax-exempt-status.html?utm_source=CRP+Mail+List&utm_campaign=b081fb1463-Newsletter_7_19_20137_18_2013&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9df8578d78-b081fb1463-210736669
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