Take a look at
the last paragraph of a column by Joe Nocera in today’s NYTIMES:
Toward the end of (Joe’s) interview
with Levin, he let slip a tantalizing tidbit. Sometime in the next few months,
the permanent subcommittee plans to call the Internal Revenue Service to task
for allowing the political super PACs to be classified as tax-exempt
501(c)(4)s. “Tax-exempt 501(c)(4)s are not supposed to be engaged in
politics,” he said. “It is against the law to do so.” Then he added, with a
certain undeniable relish, “We’re going to go after them.” Oh, boy!”
I can't wait for these 501c4
hearings mentioned in the last paragraph. I've been waiting for someone in
government to take on this issue because it seems that the nonprofit sector
itself doesn't want to raise the issue. Levin is exactly right when he says it's
against the law for 501c4 organizations to engage in politics--certainly at the scale being practices. Let's get the
IRS to enforce its own laws and regulations so that the nonprofit legal
structure can't be abused and manipulated by those who want to avoid our campaign
finance laws.
The entire
column is available at
What do you think?
