It’s probably worth noting that all these Tea Party groups that sprouted up seeking 501(c)(4) status were frauds. They weren’t doing anything illegal, although it should be illegal. The 501(c)(4) designation is for groups that can be fairly described as “social welfare organizations” or “local associations of employees.” Your average Tea Party group is neither of those things. When you start describing anti-tax fanaticism as social welfare, you’ve allowed everything to be social welfare. “We’re a social welfare group that tries to deny people access to health care!”
Give me a break.
The other thing about 501(c)(4) groups is that they have to be for-profit and they can’t have a primarily political purpose. Does that sound like a Tea Party group to you?
Maybe if the Republicans funded the IRS at an adequate level and didn’t deluge them with bullshit tax-avoidence schemes, the agency wouldn’t feel compelled to take short cuts.
Of course, the IRS will be lucky if they can keep the lights on by the time the GOP gets done with them.
Lunatics.
