[EL] Crossroads Issue Ad
JBoppjr at aol.com
JBoppjr at aol.com
Tue Nov 29 11:26:36 PST 2011
Ellen points out another thing that confuses me about these two Revenue
Rulings. "Political intervention" can only be one thing and in each Revenue
Ruling they are attempting to determine what is political intervention. So
how can mention of an election be the most important factor in determining
that a communication is political intervention in one, but be totally
irrelevant to another. But the IRS is insistent on being oblique and adamant
about being opaque, which I find very problematic. Jim Bopp
In a message dated 11/29/2011 2:15:47 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
ellen.aprill at lls.edu writes:
I agree that the IRS use of facts and circumstances is problematic and
have recently written a piece urging that IRS and Treasury should want to
promulgate regulations in this area
(_http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1927611_
(http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1927611) ), but I also think that the two rulings have different purposes. Rev.
Rul. 2004-6 is attempting to distinguish lobbying from campaign
intervention while Rev. Rul. 2007-41 is attempting to distinguish issue advoacy that
is not lobbying from campaign intervention.
Ellen
On Tue, Nov 29, 2011 at 10:45 AM, <_JBoppjr at aol.com_
(mailto:JBoppjr at aol.com) > wrote:
Now, it you want to be totally confused, compare Rev. Ruling 2004-6 with
2007-41
_Click here: Internal Revenue Bulletin - June 18, 2007 - Rev. Rul.
2007-41_ (http://www.irs.gov/irb/2007-25_IRB/ar09.html) In Rev. Ruling 2007-41,
the IRS again lists factors to be consider to distinguish issue advocacy
from political intervention. Inexplicitly, the IRS does not use the same
factors -- adding some and deleting others-- and they don't even acknowledge
that they are doing that. Most troubling is that they add a new one --
reference to an election in the communication -- that they didn't mention in
2004-6, but now say that that factor is the most important factor! No
mention that 2004-6 is superceded either. So it is impossible to know what it
is that the IRS is using to make this distinction and to know what one can
now rely upon to decide this for ourselves. Jim Bopp
In a message dated 11/29/2011 12:56:04 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
_ellen.aprill at lls.edu_ (mailto:ellen.aprill at lls.edu) writes:
Here is a link to the IRS ruling that attempts to distinguish issue
advocacy from political campaign activity.
_http://www.irs.gov/irb/2004-04_IRB/ar10.html_
(http://www.irs.gov/irb/2004-04_IRB/ar10.html)
Ellen
On Tue, Nov 29, 2011 at 9:48 AM, Steve Klein <_stephen.klein.esq at gmail.com_
(mailto:stephen.klein.esq at gmail.com) > wrote:
"I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I
understand to be embraced within [the functional equivalent of express
advocacy]; and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it
when I see it, and the motion picture involved in this case is not that."
On Tue, Nov 29, 2011 at 9:33 AM, Steve Gold <_steve at actblue.com_
(mailto:steve at actblue.com) > wrote:
Perhaps I should have specified, a challenger not holding public office.
Is that not new? I'm less well-informed about attack ads than many, so
perhaps I simply missed it. I'm also not aware of an issue ad that lists the
phone number of a campaign headquarters (which seems like a really bad idea
if you expect anyone to call it).
--
Steven Gold
General Counsel
ActBlue
_steve at actblue.com_ (mailto:steve at actblue.com)
_617.517.7636_ (tel:617.517.7636)
_www.actblue.com_ (http://www.actblue.com/)
On Tue, Nov 29, 2011 at 10:55 AM, Jon Roland <_jon.roland at constitution.org_
(mailto:jon.roland at constitution.org) > wrote:
On 11/29/2011 09:47 AM, Steve Gold wrote:
Is this something we should expect to see more of from non-profits?
We already see much of this and have for a long time. Nothing new.
Why not simply come out and say, don't vote for Warren?
Good question. It points out the irrationality of campaign finance
legislation (aside from it being unconstitutional).
-- Jon
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