IRS: Watchdogs Lay Out Clear Violations by Rove’s Group and Warn IRS of Continuing Harm from Lack of Enforcement

The Campaign Legal Center today joined Democracy 21 in sending a letter to the IRS further documenting that Crossroads GPS is a campaign operation and thus not entitled to tax-exempt status as a section 501(c)(4) “social welfare” organization.  The letter attached transcripts of ads run by Crossroads GPS in 2012 targeting and praising presidential and congressional candidates, along with other information which refutes claims by Crossroads GPS that its ads are “issue ads,” not campaign ads.

“Crossroads GPS is operating as a shadow Republican National Committee, not a social welfare organization, and there are simply no two ways around the facts here,” said J. Gerald Hebert, Legal Center Executive Director. “A growing mountain of evidence makes laughable the claims that its work is for any sort of social good rather than purely and blatantly partisan political purposes. Even the group’s founder Karl Rove boasts publicly that Crossroads GPS ad buys of more than $50 million, attacking the President or boosting Mitt Romney, are a response to counter the advertising of the Obama campaign. Real and permanent harm is being done to our democracy each day this pathetic charade is allowed to continue. It is high time for the IRS to yank c4 status from Crossroads GPS and its political operation and force it to reveal its secret funders to voters.”

To read the full letter sent today to the IRS, click here.  

To read the transcripts, click here.