VoteVets secretly funds political activities
TSO sends a link to an article from Bloomberg about how some tax-exempt non-profits are evading IRS and Federal Election Commission scrutiny to fund political activities and allow donors a measure of anonymity. If you scroll all the way down to the bottom you’ll read this;
VoteVets Action Fund, a tax-exempt that raised money from secret donors and favors Democrats, reported $3.2 million in election spending to the FEC in 2010.
The group told the IRS in its filing covering the 2008 election that it had no political activity, while it reported $205,000 in ad spending to the FEC for that year. Questioned about this, Ashwin Madia, the group’s interim chairman, called it a mistake. VoteVets “should have checked yes under political activity,” Madia said. “We’re going back to the IRS to correct that oversight.”
In its latest filing, for the year ended June 30, 2010, the group told the IRS it had campaign activities and reported a $200,000 donation to Patriot Majority, a Democratic-leaning organization whose donors include the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the Teamsters union.
2008? Wasn’t that when Jon Soltz was running the joint? And now Ashwin Madia is caught holding the bag. Really? An Army officer trying to defraud the American tax payers? That probably won’t sit well with his commander.
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This shouldn’t be a secret to anyone. VoteVets has openly endorsed candidates and even aired commercials for them. I see emails all the time about “help send (someone) to congress” always asking for donations. This has been a huge sticking point for me with every vets organization I’ve seen so far. I have looked into the VFW, American Legion, VoteVets, and IAVA and I always see major political partisanship one way or the other. I am currently a member of the Disabled American Veterans, but that is all. IAVA puts on a nice show, but I can never find out what they actually do. I mean when the rubber hits the road, what do they actually provide? Same with VoteVets – plenty of trips to DC to talk to a congressman or senator that already agrees with you, but no actual action that benefits vets. Even the American Legion, which I’ll admit does a TON of work for vets still shows a giant political partisan agenda. I joined the DAV back in because they helped me with a lot of my disability paperwork. And so far I haven’t heard a peep of political rhetoric from them one way or the other.
Personally, I’m not a very political person. I’m a HUGE supporter of the 2nd ammendment, the NRA, and various laws pertaining therein. But that is all. I wish more veteran organizations would be the same way. Do good stuff for vets, leave politics alone.
UtahVet: please explore some threads created earlier this week about IAVA.
Part of what benefits you receive is in large part due to vet organizations working politically with members of both houses of Congress (mostly Democrats).
IMO where there’s a difference is in the follow-through. Ron Guidry never struck a batter out just holding the ball. Some of these new organizations are ponzi schemes. The Big 3 (VFW, AmLegion, DAV) are consistent: they hire vets, they work for vets (with anyone who’ll listen), most of their money is to benefits of vets in general.
The politics of the groups doesn’t bother me, beyond my usual philosophical disagreements, so much as these jackwagons taking vets’ money, given in good faith, and living the high life.
Isn’t “fraud” by an active duty enlisted/officer covered under the UCMJ?
Who here is shocked? I noticed their agenda when I encountered them. Still can’t stand them.
#2 Last paragraph, Agreed. I don’t agree with them politically, but as long as they were candid about it, raised funds accordingly I wouldn’t have a problem. I’d never support them though.