Posted on 06/25/2007 8:42:13 AM PDT by SergeiRachmaninov
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - When John Edwards pursued his crusade against poverty in 2005, he created a nonprofit center that allowed him to maintain a high profile - and avoid the legal scrutiny of presidential candidates. Not that Edwards was running for the White House at that point. Fresh from his loss as Democratic nominee John Kerry's running mate in 2004, he would not declare himself a candidate for president until late in 2006.
However, the nonprofit Center for Promise and Opportunity offered distinct advantages to Edwards, its honorary chairman. The center's five officers all had worked for his previous presidential campaign, for example, and it appears to have paid for his travel to New Hampshire and several delegate-rich states.
The center wasn't subject to the limits imposed by federal election laws on a presidential exploratory committee, the first major step in raising money toward a bid. Meanwhile, it may have stretched the limits of tax law, which prohibits political nonprofits from having a primary purpose of supporting or opposing candidates.
"It's possible that the 'opportunity' the center was promoting was only John Edwards' opportunity - his opportunity to run for president," said Massie Ritsch, a spokesman for the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington-based research group that tracks money in politics.
...MORE...
(Excerpt) Read more at newsobserver.com ...
FYI..good piece about this on Real Clear Politics today..
This was posted last week (but OK with me). We can never have too much bad info on former sen. ExLax.
The Washington Post (original) version was more damning than the edited version that made it to the N&O.
Want I want to know is why isn’t anybody challenging UNC about this BS?
His fight against “poverty” is a big sham. Just like the Clintons. It’s a method to hide money. What they don’t tell you is that there has always been poverty and there always will be poverty. People want out of poverty, but there are many that won’t do anything about it.....they don’t want to work for it. This opens the door for outfits like the Clintons and Edwards to scams.
I’m opening a competing non-profit. It’ll be called The Center for Obtuseness and Free Donuts(COFD).
I’m really excited about it!
But seriously, folks...COFD will do as much good for folks as will Mr. Edwards’ trumped up outfit.
Another civil fraud perpatrated by lawyers who believe they can flout the law forever with cute little loophole strategems.
I believe it’s illegal for nonprofit organizations to engage in politics. Isn’t it? Certainly it’s illegal for nonprofits to file false federal tax returns.
Not being a lawyer, I could only guess that there are several other predicate felonies here which could justify a RICO lawsuit against Edwards and his band of white collar criminals.
bump
How about establishing the Center for Happiness and Light?
UNC will get no more contributions from this alum.
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