Posted on 06/16/2011 9:07:48 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
Gingrich Fires Back, But Tax Expert Says He's in 'World of Trouble'
By MATTHEW MOSK, BRIAN ROSS (@brianross) and ANGELA M. HILL June 16, 2011
GOP Presidential contender Newt Gingrich attacked the "elite media" Wednesday for running "hit pieces" against him, even as tax and ethics experts were telling ABC News that the recent reports on a charity Gingrich founded have spawned serious questions about the former House Speaker's business and charity empire.
"I think he's in a world of trouble from a tax standpoint," said Marcus S. Owens, who ran the IRS Exempt Organizations Division for ten years, and who now works in private practice in Washington. "There are clearly enough questions there for the IRS to begin an investigation."
At issue are the activities of Gingrich's charity, Renewing American Leadership (ReAL), which was founded with a goal of promoting faith, freedom and free enterprise. The tax-exempt organization paid the salary of Gingrich's personal spokesman, bought Gingrich's books and DVDs, and provided Gingrich a copy of the fundraising list it spent more than $1 million to build. Over two years, ReAL made $220,000 in payments to Gingrich Communications, a for-profit business Gingrich owns.
Melanie Sloan, Executive Director of the good government group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said she found those activities troubling. "Charities should be engaged in demonstrably charitable purposes," Sloan told ABC News. "Here, given that ReAL hasn't done anything other than send out fundraising appeals, creating a mailing list for Mr. Gingrich to use to contact his supporters, it appears the major, if not sole purpose of the group is to further his political ambitions."
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Newt seems to be pretty proficient at doing "hit pieces" on himself.
Damn close, the man is a self centered a hole.
Newt = the gift that keeps on giving. To Democrats. Or himself. But I repeat myself.
Shades of Gingrich of the 90s who was under ethics investigations then.
Newts problems have never been his intelligence or political acumen. His problem is his character. (or lack thereof).
But I'm sure glad to see that the MSM is all over this, it's only fair seeing how much attention they have paid to all the members of 0bama's administration that have had tax "troubles". < / sarcasm >
Newt’s just a typical political whore. He started out as a Democrat, but switched when Roy Richards decide to sponsor him as a Republican. His one core belief seems to be in more power for Newt. Everything else is just expediency.
The Left is really giving him the Richard Nixon treatment. Nixon was a strong anti-communist in the 1940s and 1950s. He was an important part in the Alger Hiss case. The Left never forgot that. In the end, the Left used a third-rate burglary to bring Nixon down. They had to treat Watergate as the worst crime ever committed against humanity, but in the end Nixon resigned and the Left was happy.
Gingrich is the guy who gave Bill Clinton the most trouble. The Left has never forgotten that. They will work tirelessly to bring him down. Taxes? Bills at Tiffany's? Whether these are important or not does not matter to the Left. They will use any tool they can find to destroy Gingrich.
They do the same to Palin, of course (because of Trig) but their attacks against her have a harder time sticking because she doesn't make the mistakes that Gingrich does.
Boy...would that ever be full-circle political poetic justice karma.
It’s been called “founders’ syndrome”. Often the founder of a nonprofit will treat it like his own for profit business.
What Gingrich is accused of - setting up a nonprofit that is in reality a political entity - is what the Left does all the time, by the thousands.
(Melanie) Sloan served as Minority Counsel for the House Judiciary Committee, working on criminal justice issues for then-Ranking Member John Conyers (D-MI). Sloan also served as Counsel for the Crime Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee, chaired by then-Representative Charles Schumer (D-NY).
CENTER FOR LOBBYING IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST 2011
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Marcus S. Owens, Esq.
Caplin & Drysdale
******
(Melanie) Sloan served as Minority Counsel for the House Judiciary Committee, working on criminal justice issues for then-Ranking Member John Conyers (D-MI). Sloan also served as Counsel for the Crime Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee, chaired by then-Representative Charles Schumer (D-NY).
Notice Gingrich is not offering to open up his books. It is likely the IRS will now do it for him.
“The Left is really giving him the Richard Nixon treatment.”
I agree. Used to be a BIG Mr Newt fan, emphasis on used to be. Richard Nixon could have discovered a cure for cancer, adopted every orphan in the world and opened a shelter for baby chick and ducks and the MSM would have still treated him like Adolph Hitler. I see the same thing happening with Gingrich.
I find it amazing how ‘some’ FRpers condemn the MSM - UNLESS it spouts something they agree with.........
If they go after Gingrich for this, they should go after all of them, because they all do this funny accounting. And I say good...they make the rules for us, and then create the loopholes for theselves.
Please forgive us for having our own opinions...I don't know what we were thinking.
Weiner will resign and the Rats need something to completely wipe that slate clean in the sheeples memory, enter the IRS Gingrich investigations.
Gingrich will be the new MSM and late night comedians focus.
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