Mother Jones has a new piece out that highlights Tea Party Congressman Tom Cotton (R. AR) big mysterious Super PAC funding:
http://www.motherjones.com/...
Arkansas is witnessing what may be the most expensive political ad campaign in state history: $1.5 million-worth of glowing TV spots hailing Tom Cotton, a Republican congressman who's running against Democrat Sen. Mark Pryor.
A super PAC called the Government Integrity Fund Action Network is footing the bill for the six-week ad campaign, which is airing in three different television markets. But that group has reported only one source of funds in 2014—$1 million that a separate organization, the Government Integrity Fund, donated to it in mid-April. The Government Integrity Fund is based in Ohio and is registered with the IRS as a social welfare group, also known as a 501(c)(4). Its purpose, according to papers it filed with the Ohio secretary of state in 2011, is to "promote the social welfare of the citizens of Ohio."
Political groups frequently organize as 501(c)(4)s because this type of tax-exempt organization is not required to disclose its donors. So no one in the public knows who gave the $1 million to the Government Integrity Fund that it passed to the Government Integrity Fund Action Network to underwrite these pro-Cotton ads.
When the Government Integrity Fund first filed with the IRS, its chairman filled out a form with the following question: "Has the organization spent or does it plan to spend any money attempting to influence the selection, nomination, election, or appointment of any person to any Federal, state, or local public office or to an office in a political organization?" He answered "no." A "yes" answer might have caused the IRS to think twice before giving the group 501(c)(4) status. Knowingly providing a false answer on the form can result in perjury charges.
William Todd, who runs the Government Integrity Fund Action Network super PAC, would not say who donated the $1 million to the Government Integrity Fund for the Cotton ads. Neither would he say whether all $1.5 million that the super PAC spent on the Cotton ads came from the Government Integrity Fund. He would not say whether the Government Integrity Fund has helped the super PAC pick which candidates to back. "My dealings have been with outside consultants and that's all," he says. "Those outside consultants brought names to the table that were considered." - Mother Jones, 5/23/14
The article is worth the read because the Government Integrity Fund Action Network super PAC was the same group that spent millions of dollars on failed U.S. Senate candidate Josh Mandel (R. OH) in his bid to unseat Senator Sherrod Brown (D. OH). With Cotton's extreme record on voting against federal disaster aid and wanting to gut Social Security and Medicare, voters are souring on him as the latest polls show. By the way, since Senator Brown has had to deal with the Government Integrity Fund Action Network super PAC, Brown is helping Pryor raise the money he needs to win:
The GOP’s plan to take control of the Senate runs straight through Arkansas. They need to pick up six seats this fall, and they’ve set their sights on my colleague, Mark Pryor.
The thing is, the people of Arkansas like Mark Pryor, and with good reason. He stood with farmers when his opponent decided to play politics with the farm bill. He voted in favor of the health care reforms that have helped hundreds of thousands of people find affordable health insurance.
But that’s not going to stop the RNC and special interest groups from dumping millions of dollars into the Arkansas Senate race. Karl Rove’s group, Crossroads GPS, just announced Arkansas would be one of the targets in a $10 million plus ad blitz.
Mark needs our help. His campaign is trying to raise $60,000 by the end of May to fight back. Can you chip in $5 to help him stay strong?
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Mark’s race is a gut-check moment for Democrats all across the country. If he loses, we could have a Tea Party Congress. That would be a disaster -- and it’s up to us to stop it.
We know what it takes to beat back the special interests in a close race like Mark’s. In the 2012 elections, special interests spent more than $40 million against us.
We won because grassroots supporters like you, Sam, had my back. And now, we need to help Mark.
Please show Mark the power of our grassroots support by contributing $5 to his campaign.
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Thanks for your help.
Sherrod
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