I'm Darrin Mish. For 32 years I've practiced federal tax litigation \u2014 routine audits, Tax Court cases, and everything in between. If you're facing an IRS issue, here's what you need to know first.<\/p>\n
Last October, Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer called for an IRS investigation into conservative independent group Crossroads GPS.\u00a0 Now he\u2019s making a similar call, together with the Campaign Legal Center calling for another IRS investigation this time into Priorities USA, an independent organization that does not need to disclose its donors that will participate in the 2012 election.<\/p>\n
Wertheimer said in a statement, Democracy 21 will call for a \u201csimilar investigation of whether Priorities USA is operating in violation of its section 501(c)(4) tax status because it has a primary purpose of participating in political campaigns in support of, or in opposition to, candidates for public office.\u201d<\/p>\n
As an independent organization, Priorities USA is run by former White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton and Sean Sweeney who is the former chief of staff to then-White House Chief of Staff, Rahm Emmanuel.<\/p>\n
President Obama himself has also been in opposition to groups such as Crossroads GPS, saying in a speech in Delaware last year that anonymous donors to such independent groups \u201cdon’t have the courage to stand up and disclose their identities.\u00a0 They could be insurance companies or Wall Street banks or even foreign-owned corporations.\u00a0 We will not know because there’s no disclosure.\u00a0 But this isn’t just a threat to the Democrats, it’s a threat to our democracy.\u201d\u00a0 Crossroads GPS was helped founded by former President Bush\u2019s political advisor, Karl Rove.<\/p>\n
But American Crossroads spokesman Jonathan Collegio retaliated against President Obama\u2019s \u2018brazen hypocrisy\u2019 which according to him was evidenced by the formation of new Democratic independent groups.\u00a0 According to Collegio \u2013 although there is no evidence of this \u2013 President Obama \u201cencourage(ed) his own operatives to start groups exactly like the ones he demagogued last year.\u201d<\/p>\n
In defense of its organization\u2019s existence, Sweeney issued a statement saying the new groups are part of \u201can effort to level the playing field.\u00a0 Americans deserve an honest debate about job creation, the economy, national security and education.\u00a0 That debate will never happen if only right wing extremists are engaged on the battlefield.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wertheimer contends that the groups founded by Burton and Sweeney \u201cclearly have been formed to make expenditures in support of the re-election of President Obama in 2012\u201d and therefore should not be accorded the status as \u2018social welfare groups\u2019 under the tax code that permits anonymous dnonors.\u00a0 The White House did not respond to requests for comments on these groups, saying through its spokesperson, \u201cWe don\u2019t control outside groups.\u00a0 These are not people working for the administration.\u201d<\/p>\n