Senate questions nonprofits' tax status

[Sapphire Blue]

Senate questions nonprofits' tax status
By JOHN HEILPRIN, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Five nonprofit groups, including one of President Bush's biggest supporters, may have broken tax laws and put their tax-exempt status at risk by helping convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, a Senate Finance Committee report concludes.

The 600-page report issued Thursday was prepared by the committee's Democratic staff. Majority Republicans, however, had agreed to its release and joined with Democrats in issuing subpoenas for documents and e-mails cited in the report.

Among the groups named as possibly taking money from Abramoff clients and funneling it into his lobbying efforts on their behalf were Americans for Tax Reform, Citizens Against Government Waste and the Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy.

Tax-exempt groups are barred by law from being paid to lobby or do public relations.

Americans for Tax Reform is headed by Grover Norquist, a key ally of Bush and a longtime associate of Karl Rove, the president's chief political adviser.

Continued @ http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061013/ap_on_go_co/abramoff_nonprofits_2

[williesgirl]

1. IRS should yank status immediately, they already have the proof

recommended

[bobbolink]

2. When I first saw your headline, I gulped--hard. Bad news, I thought.

BUT-- once again you've come up with a really intriguing story.

I must admit, I've given up ever seeing justice from this crew, but if only something could come of this... thanks so much for posting this!

Keep us informed if you see any more on this!

thanks, and :yourock:

bobbolink

[Sapphire Blue]

3. So did I! Pleased as can be that it was about RWers/Abramoff & NORQUIST!!!

:hi:

[Sapphire Blue]

4. ..

:kick:

[Sapphire Blue]

5. ..

one more :kick:

[slipslidingaway]

6. K&R and an older diary on Daily Kos.

snip>>

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/2/1/195344/1903

The story of Jack Abramoff's buying of influence goes well beyond a few Congressional players. While those relationships are key to the story, they're secondary to his cosy relationship with CREA director Italia Federici, her former boss, Sec. of the Interior, Gale Norton, and Deputy Sec. Steven Griles, and this seedy gang's take-over of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). This move, however, was not just to help a few gaming tribes expand their operations - remember, Abramoff dismissed his tribal clients as morons. He was using their money to screw not only tribes in direct competition for part of the gaming pie, but, probably unwittingly, to subvert justice for nearly half the Indians in the country.

The front-burner issue in the Interior Department during this Administration has been the foot-dragging, subverting and outright sabotaging of the largest class action case in US history, Cobell v. Norton.

[robinlynne]

7. and down they go.

[lonestarnot]

8. Couldn't be spreading the word on nicer people.

:rofl: Thanks Blue.