Stand Up to Karl Rove

A message from CREDO Action:

Since the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision, a shadowy organization co-founded by Karl Rove called Crossroads GPS has raised tens of millions of dollars from big-money donors.

Rove's group has spent the lion's share of its money on vicious attack ads targeting candidates for federal office like Elizabeth Warren.¹

But now the group is trying to illegally exploit a loophole in federal election law to hide the identity of its donors.²It's up to the IRS to stop them.

Tell the IRS: Crack down on Karl Rove's shady political organization. Don't let it hide the identity of its big-money donors. Click here to automatically sign the petition.

According to election law, certain tax-exempt organizations (those organized under Internal Revenue Code section 501c4) may spend money supporting or opposing candidates for federal office without disclosing their donors.

But to qualify for the 501c4 status, an organization "must be operated exclusively to promote social welfare" and one of its primary purposes cannot be "direct or indirect participation or intervention in political campaigns on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office."³

The idea that Crossroads GPS qualifies for this status is laughable.

But the group has applied to the IRS for that designation, hoping that doing so will allow it to keep the identity of its donors (which may include both corporations and wealthy individuals) secret.

The IRS has every reason to deny that designation and penalize Rove's organization for failing to disclose its donors in the interim, but the IRS has bowed to political pressure before.⁴

We need to speak up to make sure the IRS does not bow to pressure again.

Tell the IRS: Crack down on Karl Rove's shady political organization. Don't let it hide the identity of its big-money donors. Click the link below to automatically sign the petition:

http://act.credoaction.com/r/?r=6884869&id=40008-2593817-L7mLq3x&t=9

Thank you for speaking out.

Matt Lockshin, Campaign Manager
CREDO Action from Working Assets

1. "Crossroads GPS Argues Ads Attacking Candidates Aren't Political," Dan Froomkin and Paul Blumenthal,Huffington Post, 05-07-12.
2. Ibid.
3. "IRS To Take On Karl Rove? Tax Laws Could Take A Bite Out Of Secret Political Spending ," Dan Froomkin, Huffington Post, 05-25-11.
4."IRS Buckled To GOP Pressure On Secret Donations, Lawyer Says," Dan Froomkin, Huffington Post, 08-08-11.