History of suspicion toward GOP groups

The IRS allows donations to 501(c)(3), some 501(c)(4) and all 501(c)(5) organizations to be deducted from the taxable income of the donor.

All 501(c)(3) organizations are charities that spend nothing on political causes; 501(c)(4) organizations may spend almost half of their funds on political activities and the donations of some are deductible; 501(c)(5) organizations are labor unions, agricultural and horticultural organizations which, according to Karl Rove, have in past decades spent hundreds of millions of dollars on advocacy and political activities.

The McCain-Feingold Act banned political advocacy groups from soliciting, accepting or spending “soft” money that was subject to campaign finance limits imposed on money spent on political activities by corporations or businesses. At that time, most 501(c)(4) organizations were liberal.

In 2010, the Supreme Court's decision in the Citizens United case allowed U.S. (but not foreign) businesses to contribute to political organizations. In 2008, a left-wing 501(c)(4) organization “Accountable America” sent letters to 10,000 GOP donors warning them that if they continued to support the GOP, they might be subject to legal problems, public exposure, and “watchdog” groups delving into their lives. Thereafter, their donations dried up.

Similar letters were sent ... in 2012 to Romney supporters. Do you really think that the current IRS scandal was started by renegade IRS workers in Cincinnati? Consider what happened earlier.

J. Fred Doornbos

Iowa City