DC group that ran vicious last-minute TV ads refuses to reveal its donors, claims to be a charity

[JPZenger]

http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/homepage-feature/item/83186-dark-money-group-in-philly-mayors-race-stays-in-the-shadows?linktype=hp_impact

A Washington-based political group that spent $93,000 on a hard-hitting ad attacking Jim Kenney in the closing days of the Philadelphia mayoral primary is refusing to say who funded the effort, in defiance of the city Board of Ethics.

Final campaign finance reports are due today... But Leadership Matters, the newly-formed group that ran the attack ad on Kenney organized as a nonprofit corporation rather than a political committee, a technique used by some national groups to conceal the identity of their contributors.

The Philadelphia Ethics Board has stated that it regards nonprofit groups that spend at least $250 to influence city elections as bound by the same reporting requirements as candidates and super PAC's. That means they're supposed to reveal the date and amount of every contribution they get, along with the name, address, occupation and employer of every donor.

The ads were run when Kenney (who is white) was running against several African-American candidates. The ads inferred that Kenney believed that Philadelphia Police should regularly beat up African-Americans.

[Curmudgeoness]

1. Why are they ashamed to have their names knows?

If this is truly how they feel, and they obviously support the stand that was taken, they should not be hiding under their rocks.