Subject: RE: RE: Electionlawblog news and commentary 2/23/06
From: "John Pomeranz" <jpomeranz@harmoncurran.com>
Date: 2/23/2006, 3:50 PM
To: richard@shepardlawoffice.com, jeff_hauser95@post.harvard.edu, "election-law" <election-law@majordomo.lls.edu>

Oh, for heaven's sake!  Pursuant to IRC 527(k) the IRS is required to
release information on 527s, and the IRS is doing so at:

http://www.irs.gov/charities/political/article/0,,id=109644,00.html

John Pomeranz
Harmon, Curran, Spielberg & Eisenberg, LLP
1726 M Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC  20036
p: 202.328.3500
f: 202-328-6918
e: jpomeranz@harmoncurran.com 



-----Original Message-----
From: owner-election-law_gl@majordomo.lls.edu
[mailto:owner-election-law_gl@majordomo.lls.edu] On Behalf Of
richard@shepardlawoffice.com
Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2006 5:31 PM
To: jeff_hauser95@post.harvard.edu; election-law
Subject: RE: RE: Electionlawblog news and commentary 2/23/06

Section 6103 is one of the more heavily litigated statutes in tax law
because it is one of the few areas of tax law in which a violation
renders the feds liable for damages.  I seriously doubt the IRS gives a
rip about disclosure laws, or is interested in assisting the FEC
regulate political speech.  It is certainly interested in protecting
itself from liability.

Richard Shepard, Attorney at Law
Shepard Law Office, Inc.
818 S. Yakima Ave., #200
Tacoma, WA 98405
253-383-2235

-----Original Message-----
From: Jeffrey MA Hauser [mailto:jmh248@nyu.edu]
Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2006 2:05 PM
To: richard@shepardlawoffice.com; election-law
Subject: Re: RE: Electionlawblog news and commentary 2/23/06

And Congress would, because it is incapable of making an exception to
that statute for 527s, be forced to increase regulation of 527s?

That's a rather odd argument.

----- Original Message -----
From: richard@shepardlawoffice.com
Date: Thursday, February 23, 2006 3:09 pm
Subject: RE: Electionlawblog news and commentary 2/23/06

The IRS is prevented by statute from disclosing anything from a return

filed by a taxpayer.  26 USC ? 6103.

Richard Shepard, Attorney at Law
Shepard Law Office, Inc.
818 S. Yakima Ave., #200
Tacoma, WA 98405
253-383-2235

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-election-law_gl@majordomo.lls.edu
[mailto:owner-election-law_gl@majordomo.lls.edu]On Behalf Of Jeffrey 
MA Hauser
Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2006 11:10 AM
To: election-law
Subject: Re: Electionlawblog news and commentary 2/23/06

I LOVE the sophistication of Congressman Tiberi's argument:

"If you want to find out who these groups are and where they get their

money, good luck. These organizations aren't regulated in the same 
manner as a candidate's campaign committee. A candidate files regular 
contribution and expenditure reports with the Federal Elections 
Committee, but what most people don't realize is that 527s report 
theirfinancial information to the Internal Revenue Service. So you 
won't find out who contributed to them and how much unless you know 
where to

look."http://www.thisweeknews.com/thisweek.php?edition=common&story=this
week
news/0
22306/NewAlbany/News/022306-News-102142.html

SO, apparently Americans are really expert at retrieiving data from 
theFEC, but the barriers toward making them equally capable with the 
IRS are insurmountable?