Deal would exempt NRA and others from campaign finance disclosures

[Are_grits_groceries]

House Democrats have reached a compromise that would exempt the National Rifle Association and some other nonprofit groups from having to comply with stringent new campaign finance disclosures aimed primarily at large corporations, sources said Monday.

The deal paves the way for a House vote as early as later this week on the legislation, which is aimed at pushing back against a Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that freed corporations, unions and nonprofit groups to spend unlimited funds for or against political candidates.

The legislation, spearheaded by Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and paired with a companion bill in the Senate, would require companies and organizations to identify themselves on ads that they pay for; disclose information about such expenditures to shareholders and the public; and stand by the message of any ads through statements from a chief executive or other top official, much as political candidates currently are required to do.

A number of major interest groups objected to some of the disclosure requirements as overly intrusive, particularly those requiring identifying top donors. Under the House compromise, first reported by Politico, nonprofit groups such as the NRA would be exempt from the disclosure requirements if they are more than 10 years old, have at least 1 million members and receive 15 percent or less of their funding from corporations, a Democratic aide said.

The AFL-CIO and other unions would not be covered by the proposed exemption, a legislative aide said.

Fred Wertheimer, president of the Democracy 21 campaign-reform group, called the compromise "a very narrow exemption" that will not apply to most groups organized under section 501(c)(4) of the tax code.

"Almost all c4 advocacy groups that make campaign-related expenditures will be covered by the donor disclosure provisions in the legislation, as will c4 groups formed to function as dummy or front groups or to serve as groups to make campaign-related expenditures without disclosing their donors," Wertheimer said in a statement.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/06/deal-would-exempt-nra-and-othe.html?hpid=topnews

[villager]

1. So the NRA puppetmasters strike again...

n/t

[NC_Nurse]

2. A good compromise leaves everybody mad. This sure makes me mad. Every

corporation will have a Trojan Horse non-profit to make secret contributions through. Great.:eyes:

[bluethruandthru]

3. I'd like to know the other groups that would be exempt under this

compromise. And I'd like to know why every time the NRA says Boo....everyone jumps? Interesting how the AFL-CIO would NOT be exempt. Why should the NRA be exempt?

[jody]

4. Who would have thought that NRA's 4 million members have such political power. n/t

[msongs]

5. fear of a black president has gotten the NRA gobs of $$$$$$$ to buy politicians nt

[jody]

6. Lots of Dem voters support RKBA and NRA gives many Dem candidates A ratings. n/t

[divideandconquer]

9. Begs the question, "What is the NRA cult hiding?"

They're already a trojan horse for corporations, that's what their hiding.

[LWolf]

7. Unions not exempt. NRA exempt. Alrighty. nt

[katandmoon]

8. Fuck the NRA