In February 2013, Move America Forward announced an ambitious fundraising goal. The charity, launched in part by one of the most prominent figures in the Tea Party movement, had adopted the 800 Marines in a battalion fighting in Afghanistan and wanted to send them all care packages.
"For some troops, these care packages are the only mail they will receive all year," the group said in one email solicitation.
The charity later described the fundraising drive as a rousing success: In less than five weeks, all 800 Marines in a 1st Marine Division battalion nicknamed Geronimo were sent care packages and notes in Afghanistan, it claimed.
But that couldn't have been true. The Marines of Geronimo weren't even in Afghanistan during Move America Forward's fund drive. Instead, they were deployed more than 3,000 miles away, in Okinawa, Japan.
Move America Forward calls itself the nation's "largest grassroots pro-troop organization," and has recruited a bevy of Republican luminaries, including former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush and former Vice President Dick Cheney, to support its efforts.
Yet an examination of its fundraising appeals, tax records and other documents shows that Move America Forward has repeatedly misled donors and inflated its charitable accomplishments, while funneling millions of dollars in revenue to the men behind the group and their political consulting firms.
In several instances, the charity has taken images and stories from other groups and from veterans themselves without permission to use in fundraising appeals.
Last year, Move America Forward even solicited funds by claiming a partnership with Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the largest hospital for wounded service members in the country. No such partnership existed, Defense Department officials say.
The charity's funds and other assets also appear to have been used to subsidize three conservative political action committees, records show.
MUCH MORE: 'Pro-Troop' Charity Repeatedly Misled Donors, Funneled Millions To Tea Partiers
Exclusive: 'Pro-Troop' Charity Pays Off Tea Party Cronies Instead - The Daily Beast
Moving America Forward: The pro-troop charity that happens to give millions of dollars to "Tea Party" consultants.
'Pro-troop' conservative charity mainly exists to funnel money to Tea Party Express founder - U.S. Marine Corps News Today
This is yet another example why the IRS can't trust Conservatives not to misuse their tax-exempt status for political purposes.
"For some troops, these care packages are the only mail they will receive all year," the group said in one email solicitation.
The charity later described the fundraising drive as a rousing success: In less than five weeks, all 800 Marines in a 1st Marine Division battalion nicknamed Geronimo were sent care packages and notes in Afghanistan, it claimed.
But that couldn't have been true. The Marines of Geronimo weren't even in Afghanistan during Move America Forward's fund drive. Instead, they were deployed more than 3,000 miles away, in Okinawa, Japan.
Move America Forward calls itself the nation's "largest grassroots pro-troop organization," and has recruited a bevy of Republican luminaries, including former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush and former Vice President Dick Cheney, to support its efforts.
Yet an examination of its fundraising appeals, tax records and other documents shows that Move America Forward has repeatedly misled donors and inflated its charitable accomplishments, while funneling millions of dollars in revenue to the men behind the group and their political consulting firms.
In several instances, the charity has taken images and stories from other groups and from veterans themselves without permission to use in fundraising appeals.
Last year, Move America Forward even solicited funds by claiming a partnership with Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the largest hospital for wounded service members in the country. No such partnership existed, Defense Department officials say.
The charity's funds and other assets also appear to have been used to subsidize three conservative political action committees, records show.
MUCH MORE: 'Pro-Troop' Charity Repeatedly Misled Donors, Funneled Millions To Tea Partiers
Exclusive: 'Pro-Troop' Charity Pays Off Tea Party Cronies Instead - The Daily Beast
Moving America Forward: The pro-troop charity that happens to give millions of dollars to "Tea Party" consultants.
'Pro-troop' conservative charity mainly exists to funnel money to Tea Party Express founder - U.S. Marine Corps News Today
This is yet another example why the IRS can't trust Conservatives not to misuse their tax-exempt status for political purposes.
