The left 501c4 groups have been doing this for many years also.
70 percent of
America's Families First's 2010 expenditures went to grants to five social welfare nonprofits. Four spent money on ads supporting Democrats or criticizing Republicans, including one group that put almost half of its expenditures into political ads.
A group called
Economy Forward spent $173,470 on ads in March 2010 praising Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, the Nevada Democrat, according to a transcript of the ad and public filings with eight TV stations in Nevada. That's almost 99 percent of the total the group told the IRS it spent that year.
America's Families First told the IRS in late 2009 that it would spend 50 percent of its time on its website and emails, 30 percent on conferences and 20 percent on grants.
There's no sign America's Families First sponsored any conferences, however. The group's website consists of a photograph of a family holding hands and a single paragraph of text. Its tax return does not specify how much time the group spent on grants, but most of its expenditures were grants to other liberal groups.
Although America's Families First's IRS application said the group would "be funded by contributions from individuals only," tax records show much of its money came from other sources.
The group received $2 million from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, or PhRMA, the pharmaceutical industry's main trade group, and an additional $3.15 million from the National Education Association teachers union weeks before the election. The contributions became public in late 2011, when PhRMA and the NEA disclosed them.
America's Families First's leadership includes Greg Speed, now the treasurer for Priorities USA Action, the super PAC devoted to re-electing Obama.
The Women's Voices Women Vote Action Fund, for example, told the FEC it spent $250,000 on ads calling for people to vote for a Democrat for Senate in Maine, but it told the IRS it spent nothing on politics. Asked about the disparity, an official with the nonprofit said it was an inadvertent error and the group would amend its tax return.
No action was taken for this lefty group.
Another group,
CSS Action Fund, gave a grant of $175,865 to Economy Forward for "promoting health care reform." Economy Forward spent almost all of this on ads promoting Sen. Harry Reid's help for the economy; health care reform
Treasury releases 501(c)(4) regulation proposal In November, the Treasury Department issued proposed regulations to provide guidance and more definitive rules on political activity for 501(c)(4) organizations. The proposal would provide that the promotion of social welfare does not include “candidate-related political activity,” which would include communications expressly advocating for a clearly identified political candidate and communications made within 60 days of a general election, or within 30 days of a primary election, that identifies a candidate or political party, among other stipulations. Also included in the new definition of candidate-related political activity are voter registration events and “get out the vote” drives. Treasury and the IRS have requested guidance and public comment by February 27 on several elements of the proposed regulations, including on the meaning of “primarily” engaging in social welfare activities, how the standard should be measured, and whether these rules should also apply to 501(c)(5) and (c)(6) organizations - See more at:
Political Activity of 501(c)(4) Organizations | Independent Sector
In the last hearing it was found out that Louis Lerner was helping to make these rules and regulation.
None of these rules apply to 501c4 that already exist.
Thus making the Democrat 501c4 to still be able to advocate for the Democrats.
It effectively stifles the new right wing 501c4 (that is if they are every able to get them).
Yes it also applies to any new lift wing groups, but they are many and I mean many left wing 501c4 that have been around for many years and they can still be able to get away with political lobbing and Democratic political ads.
They both do it and they are allowed to do it.
501c4 Rules
501(c)(4) organizations may inform the public on controversial subjects and attempt to influence legislation relevant to its program[43] and, unlike 501(c)(3) organizations, they may also participate in political campaigns and elections, as long as its primary activity is the promotion of social welfare.[44] The tax exemption for 501(c)(4) organizations applies to most of their operations, but contributions may be subject to gift tax, and income spent on political activities – generally the advocacy of a particular candidate in an election – is taxable.[45] An "action" organization generally qualifies as a 501(c)(4) organization.[46] An "action" organization is one whose activities substantially include, or are exclusively,[47] direct lobbying or grass roots lobbying related to advocacy for or against legislation or proposing, supporting, or opposing legislation that is related to its purpose.[48] A 501(c)(4) organization may directly or indirectly support or oppose a candidate for public office as long as such activities are not a substantial amount of its activities.
But now that Tea Party groups are starting up it has now become a political witch hunt of which the IRS said that they did target these groups.
ACORN. Great, eagle eye is pulling out 2006 shit now of an org that no longer exists.
