California Attorney General Targets Political Nonprofits

U.S. News & World Report ^ | May 3, 2017 | by Don Thompson

[Oldeconomybuyer]

California's new attorney general said Wednesday that he plans to target political nonprofit organizations that he said mislead donors and influence campaigns.

Attorney General Xavier Becerra put some political nonprofits in the same category as those that scam veterans or the elderly with false promises in a bid for contributions.

"The last thing I think most people want to find out is that all these groups that are getting tax breaks because they are not-for-profit are actually going out there and influencing our political system," he said.

That benefits donors, who can write off their contributions as charitable tax deductions, and the beneficiaries, who enjoy different tax treatment on their property and income, he said. It harms other taxpayers, who must make up the difference in funding government services, he said. It can also skew elections, Becerra said, because voters can't discern the origin of much of the money that is now being spent on campaigns.

He wouldn't specify which groups he plans to examine.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

"He wouldn't specify which groups he plans to examine."

I'll specify which groups - conservatives.

[Sasparilla]

Certainly not moveon.org or media matters.

[Grampa Dave]

Your comments are probably a safe bet!:

“He wouldn’t specify which groups he plans to examine.”

‘I’ll specify which groups - conservatives.’

[eyeamok]

political nonprofit organizations that he said mislead donors and influence campaigns.

Sierra Club
Green Peace
Earth First
CLimate Action
La Raza
BLM

The list of Marxist, Communist Front groups posing as Non Profits that mislead their donors and exert influence in politics is rather Long.

[snarkpup]

Over the years I've dropped out of a number of hobby-oriented societies whose purposes had nothing to do with politics, but got co-opted by the Left. I wonder if they'll go after this sort of thing. (Actually, I don't wonder. They won't.)

[snarkpup]

The list of Marxist, Communist Front groups posing as Non Profits that mislead their donors and exert influence in politics is rather Long.

Some of these groups are created for such purposes. What is scarier is when some random hobby-oriented club gets infiltrated and taken over. In addition to the ones I mentioned above (and dropped out of), I was once an officer in a local gardening club that got contacted by a radical environmental group who wanted to partner with us for the purpose of shutting down Colorado's oil & gas industry. Several of the communists on the board suddenly rose up and wanted to jump at the chance to do so. I put my foot down hard and stopped it. They're still trying, though.

[Freee-dame]

I am in favor of ending all non-profit status. People will still donate to causes and charities that they believe in, but the government will no longer give preferred status to any. So many are of no use to anyone but the people who work in and derive benefits from them.