|
Repost from BFA:
Some more on 'Americans For Jobs, Healthcare & Progressive Values' - The one reporter who really seemed to be on this - she sent the following:
IRS ate lobbyists' homework
Midnight, Feb. 2, was the deadline for political organizations to file IRS form 8872, disclosing full financial information, including donors.
A group called ``Americans for Jobs, Healthcare (sic), and Progressive Values" has no 8872 filing online. The group, started in November, ran three anti-Howard Dean ads including one picturing Osama bin Laden and is now inactive.
Tuesday, Feb. 3, an inquiry regarding the filing, made to the group's treasurer, David W. Jones, a Democratic fundraiser in Washington, D.C., elicited the information that the organization is not dissolving but that he is the sole officer listed. He referred the query to Kenneth A. Gross, a partner in law firm Skadden, Arps, who has been with ``Americans for Jobs. etc." from its beginning.
Gross, who lives in Bethesda, served in the Federal Election Commission for six years under Reagan. He confirmed that he was counsel for Bob Dole's campaign committees in 1996 and 2000.
``I'm a man of all trades," he said affably. ``I represent both Democrats and Republicans; I'm one of the few who do."
Currently, Gross is counsel for the 2004 Republican national convention; he is also general counsel for the Republican Leadership Council. The RLC's 2003-2004 Strategy Meeting featured Gross as a speaker on campaign finance reform.
Gross explained that the organization had filed the 8872 by fax the previous Friday, but, ``I guess they haven't scanned it into the system yet."
He said the group could not file electronically because, ``The IRS failed to give us a PIN number."
``They're not very well equipped," Gross commented. ``It's totally their fault. It's not our fault at all."
``We worked it out with Ogden, Utah ," and faxed it in. When asked to send a copy of the the filing, Gross turned the request back over to Jones - who provided the same explanation.
Jones offered to fax the filing on Tuesday, but did not. Gross said that the filing was handled in his office by Mark Ward.
When called on Wednesday, Ward explained that he did not himself have a copy of the filing, and that he could not get into either the fax machine or the photocopier without a client number, but would try to see what he could do. He suggested calling Dave Jones.
Later on Wednesday, Melissa Miles, a Skadden Arps, attorney representing Jones, called. She explained that ``Dave knows he's legally required to make a copy available,'' within regular business hours, and suggested a visit to Jones' office.
Thursday, after repeated messages, Jones called, saying he had just returned from New York. He offered to overnight the filing saying that he had to send the ``original," and giving assurances that he would send it Friday.
Seven Democratic primaries and three caucuses have taken place between the filing deadline and the publishing of this column. Tennessee and Virginia hold primaries Tuesday.
The bin Laden ad damaged Dean and basically ended Gephardt's candidacy. Jones, formerly a fundraiser for Gephardt among others, emphasized that the ads were not coordinated with any campaign. Jones insisted vehemently and angrily that Howard Dean, who is second in delegates behind Kerry at this early stage, is ``out."
Dean has raised donations directly from voters rather than through professional fundraisers.
Meanwhile, the filing arrived. Dated Jan. 30, it showed that ``Americans for Jobs" received $663,000 from 26 donors. The profile is not ``progressive." About two-thirds of the contributions were corporate, with two executives giving $100,000 each, and a third giving $50,000. Another $80,000 came from attorneys. The Torricelli for Senate Committee kicked in $50,000. Six labor unions gave $200,000. Expenditures, besides the half-million for television ads, included $40,000 for Jones' consultancy firm and $15,000 for Skadden
Oops, I will find the reporter's name at kos. Thought it copied over. Well, can't find it, but under name of Chicken Little at Kos.
|
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(47 posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
