http://phoenixwoman.wordpress.com/2007/02/13/sow-the-wind-reap-the-whirlwind/ "Donohue’s minions think they’re being so cute by DoSing Pandagon so nobody can access the IRS form template Auguste so thoughtfully provided to nail Donohue. They reckoned without me."
“In his role as President of the Catholic League, a 501(c)(3) organization, William Donohue made national television appearances calling for the firing by the John Edwards for President campaign of two campaign employees. The Catholic League has issued press releases on Feb. 9 (
http://tinyurl.com/2dx4h4) and Feb. 12 (http//tinyurl.com/ywrcr5) of 2007 specifically pressuring the Edwards campaign to fire these two employees, thus violating FS-2006-17, which instructs 501(c)(3) groups not to intervene in political campaigns. Donohue’s group has also done similar interventions against John Kerry’s political campaign in 2004; On Feb. 7, 2007, Donohue boasted to Tucker Carlson of MSNBC that he caused two Kerry campaign employees to be fired (
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17049495/). Again, this violates FS-2006-17.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-browner-hamlin/more-potential-catholic-l_b_41166.html "Jeffrey Feldman has previously documented a possible violation by the Catholic League of its 501(c)(3) status based on Donohue's attempts to intervene in a political campaign. That may be true, but it's also possible that Donohue has put his organization in hot water by putting false information in his IRS filings.
The Catholic League's IRS 990 filing for tax year 2005 claims to have spent no money on lobbying expenditures. Page 13 of the filing asks (PDF link):
"During the year, did the organization attempt to influence national, state or local legislation, including any attempt to influence public opinion on a legislative matter or referendum through the use of:
a. Volunteers
b. Paid staff or management
c. Media advertisements
d. Mailings to members, legislators, or the public
e. Publications or published or broadcast statements
f. Grants to other organizations for lobbying purposes
g. Direct contact with legislators, their staffs, government officials, or a legislative body
h. Rallies, demonstrations, seminars, conventions, speeches, lectures, or any other means
The Catholic League filing -- signed by William Donohue -- answers "no" to all of these questions. This is the same answer that Donohue gave in 2004 and 2003.
Unfortunately for Donohue and his Catholic League, that was not an accurate answer. He repeatedly spoke out on TV, in the press, and to his email lists on a wide range of political topics at the state and federal level. He wrote to politicians and argued for particular courses of action with regards to judicial nominees and even lobbied for a constitutional amendment at a gathering that included at least one congressman. Everything that I link to and quote below is from the Catholic League's press release archive."