Am Crossroads GPS

this node refers to AC and GPS

2018 election top 3 dark $

see rove main, tag, crossroads main and gps tag

==

tools:  outside spending

<a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cmte=American+Crossroads/Crossroads+GPS">http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cmte=American+Crossroads/Crossroads+GPS</a>

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<div style=" font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">yay but why do the right thing?</div>

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<div style=" font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/stunning-supreme-court-decision-dark-money-were-about-know-lot-more-about-who-funding-our-elections" style=" text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none;">https://www.alternet.org/stunning-supreme-court-decision-dark-money-were-about-know-lot-more-about-who-funding-our-elections</a></div>

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<div style=" font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">In  a win for increased transparency and those demanding an end to the so-called "dark money" eating away at U.S. democracy, the Supreme Court on Tuesday lifted a previous stay on a lower court ruling by rejecting the argument by right-wing advocacy groups who said they should not have to reveal the identity of big-dollar donors who fund their issue-based campaign ads.</div>

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Crucially, the ruling means that groups that in the past have been able to hide the source of their funding before, during, and after campaigns will have now have to make that information available before voters go to the polls—in this case, that means before the upcoming mid-term elections. Effective immediately, any group or individual making more than $250 in express advocacy ads — ads that tell viewers who to vote for or against — must now disclose the identities of all contributors who gave more than $200 in a year.

As the Huffington Post <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/dark-money-disclosure-2018_us_5ba1691ce4b046313fc03baa" style=" text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none;">reports</a>:

The decision came about after Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a liberal watchdog group, fought for the past six years to get the Federal Election Commission to enforce campaign finance laws against Crossroads GPS, a conservative nonprofit group founded by Karl Rove, a senior adviser to George W. Bush when he was president. CREW finally won its battle on Tuesday.

</blockquote>

As of Sept. 18, any group that runs an independent expenditure ― election ads that expressly call for the election or defeat of a candidate ― in excess of $250 will have to disclose all political donors above $200.

</blockquote>

Norm Eisen, the chairperson of CREW, <a href="https://twitter.com/NormEisen/status/1042132286806929408" style=" text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none;">celebrated the decision</a> on Twitter: "We are about to drive a lot of dark money donors into the light—it's gonna look like the climax of a Harry Potter movie where the creatures shrivel in the sun."

<a href="https://www.publicintegrity.org/2018/09/18/22264/dark-money-politics-about-get-lighter" style=" text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none;">Writing</a> for the Center for Public Integrity, Dave Levinthal and Sarah Kleiner report that "secret money in politics will soon be a lot less secret."

And while Levinthal and Kleiner quoted Federal Election Commission Vice Chairwoman Ellen Weintraub, who said it won't be surprising to see some groups "come up with clever ways of getting around the rules," champions of disclosure said the ruling is a major crack in the armor of the forces of those using shadowing groups and their vast fortunes to undermine democracy.

"This is a great day for transparency and democracy," said Noah Bookbinder, CREW's executive director. "Three courts, including the Supreme Court, have now rejected Crossroads' arguments for a stay, meaning we're about to know a lot more about who is funding our elections."

<div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">===</div><div style=""><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;"><header id="header" style="box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top: 5px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); padding-bottom: 5px; white-space: pre-line;">From:tmatzzie@gmail.com

To: bigcampaign@googlegroups.com

Date: 2010-05-06 08:52

Subject: [big campaign] Karl Rove building a new Death Star apparently   </header><div class="email-content" id="uniquer" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: inherit; overflow-x: auto; white-space: pre-line;">

<a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/36841_Page3.html">http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/36841_Page3.html</a>

*Rove, GOP secretly plot vast network to reclaim power

By: Mike Allen and Kenneth P. Vogel

May 6, 2010 </div><div class="email-content" id="uniquer" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: inherit; overflow-x: auto; white-space: pre-line;">
</div><div class="email-content" id="uniquer" style="box-sizing: inherit; overflow-x: auto; white-space: pre-line;">  The Republican Party’s best-connected political operatives have quietly

built a massive fundraising, organizing and advertising machine based on the

model assembled by Democrats early in the decade, and with the same

ambitious goal — to recapture Congress and the White House.

The new groups could give Republicans and their allies a powerful campaign

apparatus separate from the Republican National Committee. Karl Rove,

political architect of the Bush presidency, and Ed Gillespie, former

Republican Party chairman, are the most prominent forces behind what is, in

effect, a network of five overlapping groups, three of which were started in

the past few months.

The operating assumption of Rove, Gillespie and the other organizers is that

despite the historical dominance of Republican fundraising and organizing,

the GOP has been outmaneuvered by Democrats and their allies in recent

years, and it is time to strike back.

“Where they have a chess piece on the board, we need a chess piece on the

board,” said Gillespie, who is involved in all five groups in roles ranging

from chairman to informal adviser. “Where they have a queen, we shouldn’t

have three pawns.”

The network, which doesn’t have a name, attempts to replicate the Democracy

Alliance, an umbrella group — founded in 2005 and funded by George Soros and

other billionaires — and to borrow tactics from liberal groups established

to help Democrats regain power after eight years of the Bush administration.

Two organizers of the Republican groups even made pilgrimages earlier this

year to pick the brain of John Podesta, the former Clinton White House chief

of staff who, in 2003, founded the Center for American Progress and was a

major proponent of Democrats developing the kind of infrastructure pioneered

by Republicans.

Rove, currently on a book tour, has provided “a laying-on of hands” for the

groups — as one organizer put it — by encouraging major Republican donors to

support them as part of the GOP’s path to revival. “Karl has always said:

People call us a vast right-wing conspiracy, but we’re really a half-assed

right-wing conspiracy,” he said. “Now, he wants to get more serious.”

While separate, the five entities are so closely related that three share an

11th-floor office near the White House. The groups are:

*American Crossroads

American Crossroads — designed to counter spending by labor and progressive

groups, including the AFL-CIO, Service Employees International Unit and

MoveOn.org — will focus on voter contact with the potential to move into

ground game and turnout efforts. Organized under the tax code as a Section

527 organization, meaning it can spend directly on political activity, it’s

set an ambitious budget of $52 million and says it’s already received

commitments for $30 million of that. Its president and CEO is former top

U.S. Chamber of Commerce executive Steven Law; its political director is

veteran GOP operative Carl Forti. The chairman is Mike Duncan, former RNC

chairman; the treasurer is Jo Ann Davidson, former RNC co-chairwoman; and

the secretary is Jim Dyke, former RNC communications director.

To try to avoid undercutting RNC Chairman Michael Steele, who has alienated

some givers, Duncan tells prospective donors that the party structure is “an

important part of winning” and that he is looking for people who “want to go

above and beyond.”

*American Action Network

American Action Network, modeled on the Center for American Progress, will

conduct polling in key races, and plans to put up TV advertising since it is

allowed to engage in explicit political activity as a group organized under

Section 501c(4) of the tax code. Former Sen. Norm Coleman of Minnesota is

the CEO; Fred Malek, a longtime top GOP financier, is chairman; and Rob

Collins, a former top aide to House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, is president.

Board members include former U.S. Sens. George Allen and Mel Martinez and

former House Reps. Tom Reynolds, Jim Nussle and Vin Weber.

*American Action Forum

American Action Forum, a policy institute linked to the American Action

Network, also will mirror CAP. Coleman is also chairman of this group, which

as a 501c(3) organization, is prohibited from directly endorsing or opposing

candidates. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a former Congressional Budget Office

director and campaign adviser to Sen. John McCain, is the president. Board

members include former Govs. Jeb Bush of Florida and Tom Ridge of

Pennsylvania.

*Resurgent Republic

Resurgent Republic co-founded a year ago by Gillespie and Republican

pollster Whit Ayres, says in its official description that it is “modeled on

Democracy Corps, which has made important contributions to the public debate

from the left and has proven to be a valuable resource for labor unions,

environmentalists and liberal congressional leaders.” The group has released

a series of polls and offers itself as a message-testing laboratory to help

GOP lawmakers develop policies.

*The Republican State Leadership Committee

The Republican State Leadership Committee, which focuses on down-ballot

races for statewide and legislative offices, raised $22 million in the last

campaign cycle. Gillespie took over as chairman earlier this year. Its goal

is to raise at least $50 million to $70 million to influence congressional

elections this fall and to road-test an agenda for a future Republican House

and, ultimately, a Republican president.

Coleman recalled in an interview that he admired the left’s financial

prowess so much that until recently, he gave potential donors copies of “The

Argument,” a book by Matt Bai that chronicles progressives’ rising financial

power.

“This is what the left does — we need to do it on the right,” Coleman said

he told people.

Democrats say the new GOP network has the potential to tip Republicans back

into the House majority, since the formal party structures will burn through

money as they struggle to compete in a record number of House seats.

Maryland Rep. Chris Van Hollen, chairman of the Democratic Congressional

Campaign Committee, said he is worried about the groups as a potential

“conduit for a lot of special-interest money to flow into campaigns.”

The Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

opened possibilities for groups like American Crossroads, American Action

Network and others backed by corporations, unions or huge donors to be more

aggressive in supporting or opposing candidates. Democrats in Congress are

pushing legislation that would curtail its effects, but right now the

decision is emboldening donors - particularly on the right - who had grown

reluctant to open their wallets to outside groups, said Charlie Spies, a GOP

campaign finance attorney on Resurgent Republic’s legal advisory board.

“It sent out a message to donors that it’s OK to engage again,” said Spies.

Organizers say another reason the GOP’s “donor community” and “political

investors” are ready to step up their giving: Republicans had opposed the

McCain-Feingold campaign-finance law and therefore were slow to adapt their

structures to what it permitted. But Democrats weren’t shy and got a huge

head start.

“It’s time for us to accept and embrace it and stop getting outspent,”

Gillespie said. “It’s the law of the land, and it’s not going away.”

Because the groups are registered only with the Internal Revenue Service and

not the Federal Election Commission, they can accept so-called soft money —

that is, contributions not subject to FEC donation limits or source

restrictions forbidding cash from corporations or unions.

“There are a lot of people who were very active in the Bush years who are

going to get active with these groups, just because of the leadership of the

groups,” said one major GOP fundraiser, or “bundler.”

According to its first report to the IRS, American Crossroads’ first gift

was a check for $250,000 from B. Wayne Hughes of Lexington, Ky., the

chairman of Public Storage. The American Action groups and Resurgent

Republic are not required to disclose individual donors.

Tom Matzzie, a Democratic operative specializing in independent group

activity, said MoveOn, which he effectively ran during the 2006 Democratic

takeover of Congress, has been successful because big contributions and

high-priced consultants have taken a backseat to small donors and grassroots

activists.

By contrast, conservatives’ repeated attempts to copy MoveOn have been “huge

donor-driven TV ad operations run by consultants,” Matzzie said, asserting

Republicans “tend to keep the creativity all isolated to a few elites

whereas the MoveOn model allowed a good idea to come from anywhere including

the membership.”

The idea for a federally focused “527” started over breakfast at the

Mayflower Hotel last year. Gillespie was looking to stay involved in

politics after his White House years. Law, then the U.S. Chamber’s chief

legal officer, mused as he complained about Republicans’ inability to match

the spending of Democratic-friendly political groups: “I really think we’ve

got to do something to offset this.”

Law said that he had studied MoveOn and America Coming Together, which

relied on a combination of union funding and huge contributions from Soros

and other activists.

“Democrats have had tremendous success in building enduring and fairly large

and sophisticated third-party organizations that have a major impact on

politics,” Law said. “On the Republican side, it’s mostly been small, ad hoc

efforts that tend to pop up and then disappear from cycle to cycle.”

Democratic strategist James Carville said the GOP’s extra-party machine is

emerging now largely for the same reason the Democrats’ did.

“There’s nothing that makes people hungry like being out of power and out of

government,” Carville said. “When you’re in government, all of the big

operatives have good jobs or they’re working for some lobbying firm and

making $3 million a year, while the other guys don’t have anything to d

Podesta didn’t return an email seeking comment about conservative efforts to

mimic his group, but Malek said that after American Action Network formed,

“Podesta being the class act that he is, called Norm Coleman and

congratulated him and welcomed him to the battle.”

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<div><a href="https://www.alternet.org/citizens-united-just-15-groups-account-75-percent-dark-money-spent-us-elections">https://www.alternet.org/citizens-united-just-15-groups-account-75-percent-dark-money-spent-us-elections</a></div>

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Just 15 groups were responsible for more than 75 percent of dark money political spending from 2010 to 2016, and together poured more than $600 million—out of a total of $800+ million—into campaigns in the wake of the landmark Citizens United case, <a href="https://www.issueone.org/dark-money/" style=" text-decoration-line: none;">according to</a> a new analysis from Issue One, a nonpartisan nonprofit that advocates for stricter campaign finance rules.

"Dark money groups hold enormous sway over what issues are, and are not, debated in Congress and on the campaign trail," the report explains. "But the donors behind these groups rarely discuss their motivations for bankrolling these efforts, leaving the public in the dark about who funds these increasingly prominent and potent organizations."

In addition the new <a href="https://www.issueone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Dark-Money-Illuminated-Report.pdf" style=" text-decoration-line: none;">Dark Money Illuminated</a> (pdf) report, which identifies about 400 donors and organizations bankrolling these 15 secretive groups, the researchers also developed profiles for each dark money group and an "<a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vpImNT1tSNoBWpSIg7Hx_gqG85hcM70CJ_5DtPcIYBI/edit#gid=0" style=" text-decoration-line: none;">extensive, first-of-its-kind database</a> containing nearly 1,200 transactions, each supported by primary source documents."

"Right now, the dark money groups and anonymous donors behind them that endlessly bombard Americans with television ads spouting half-truths and outright lies do a disservice to voters," <a href="https://www.issueone.org/dark-money-press-release/#1536712140663-b2e26565-5d93" style=" text-decoration-line: none;">said</a> Issue One CEO Nick Penniman. "In the internet age, every American should be able to know where the money is being spent and who is giving it in near real-time."

Of course, overall political spending since 2010 is in the many billions of dollars, but the Issue One report specifically focuses on groups that have been allowed to conceal their donor lists.

While the groups examined by Issue One have supported both Democrat and Republican candidates at various levels of politics, the only ones to break $100 million primarily back the GOP. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce—which <a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/U.S._Chamber_of_Commerce" style=" text-decoration-line: none;">gets substantial funding</a> from big banks, pharmaceutical companies, and polluting industries—spent $130 million, and Crossroads GPS, co-founded by former White House strategist Karl Rove, spent $110 million. The third highest spender was the right-wing billionaire <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/tag/koch-brothers" style=" text-decoration-line: none;">Koch Brothers</a>' Americans for Prosperity.

Check out the full list:

"Whether you're a conservative Republican or a progressive Democrat, policy ideas and candidates' positions should be promoted by organizations who are proud to be engaged in our public arena, not secretive front groups designed to deceive voters, hide donors, and deploy deceptive tactics," declared Tim Roemer, a former congressman and U.S. ambassador who co-chairs <a href="https://www.issueone.org/reformers/" style=" text-decoration-line: none;">Issue One's ReFormers Caucus</a>, a coalition of former politicians.

Emphasizing that "transparency and disclosure are the building blocks necessary to empower citizens with information to fully and accurately assess the source and credibility of the groups trying to influence their votes," the report includes five recommendations for doing so:

<ol>

<li>Increase donor disclosure, such as including the names of a dark money group's top donors on television, radio, print, or digital advertisements;</li>

<li>Pass the Honest Ads Act, legislation before Congress that would create new disclosure standards for paid online political advertising modeled on the nationwide requirements for paid ads that appear on television or radio;</li>

<li>Develop new, national reporting rules to prevent donors from hiding their identities while bankrolling election-related advertisements;</li>

<li>Encourage or even require groups to great CREATE? special accounts that are exclusively for political expenses; and</li>

<li>Restructure and strenthen "the feckless, and deadlocked-by-design," Federal Elections Commission (FEC) "to ensure there is an effective cop on the beat to stop groups from breaking the rules that already exist.</li>

</ol>

Other critics of political spending by wealthy Americans and corporations have argued for far more radical reforms, including the <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/06/10/elizabeth-warren-democrats-will-keep-losing-until-entire-party-willing-take" style=" text-decoration-line: none;">reversal</a> of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United ruling and a transition to <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/08/03/topple-us-oligarchy-sanders-calls-publicly-financed-elections" style=" text-decoration-line: none;">publicly-funded elections</a>.

On Tuesday, a federal appeals court ruled that a pair of dark money groups, including the Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity, must disclose top donors to California's attorney general—though, as the Los Angeles Times <a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-koch-donors-9th-circuit-20180911-story.html" style=" text-decoration-line: none;">noted</a>, state officials "are required to keep the information confidential unless ordered by a court."

Last month, in a case that ethics watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) brought against Crossroads GPS, a federal judge issued a ruling that invalidated an FEC regulation enabling dark money donors to avoid disclosure. As Common Dreams <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/08/05/major-victory-federal-judge-issues-game-changing-ruling-dark-money" style=" text-decoration-line: none;">reported</a>, Center for Responsive Politics' Robert Maguire said that if the ruling stands, it "could fundamentally change the role dark money plays in elections (if it has a role at all)."

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==

12/16

coverage of dark money, breaking, for instance, the story that the <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="http://opensecrets.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=aa7cf182bf7041258bb250f9d&id=a8a932fa5a&e=44dfb36771" style=" -webkit-padding-start: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background: transparent; outline: none; word-wrap: break-word; font-weight: normal;">IRS </a><a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="http://opensecrets.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=aa7cf182bf7041258bb250f9d&id=0187b14298&e=44dfb36771" style=" -webkit-padding-start: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background: transparent; outline: none; word-wrap: break-word; font-weight: normal;">granted </a><a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="http://opensecrets.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=aa7cf182bf7041258bb250f9d&id=4826e1ce3e&e=44dfb36771" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482947956498_28211" style=" -webkit-padding-start: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background: transparent; outline: none; word-wrap: break-word; font-weight: normal;">nonprofit status</a> to Karl Rove’s group after five years of back-and-forth. <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="http://opensecrets.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=aa7cf182bf7041258bb250f9d&id=93ffd328b3&e=44dfb36771" style=" -webkit-padding-start: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background: rgb(255, 255, 255); outline: none; word-wrap: break-word;">Read about how it happened</a>. (Our story caused the New York Times to lash out <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="http://opensecrets.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=aa7cf182bf7041258bb250f9d&id=184c0ad64a&e=44dfb36771" style=" -webkit-padding-start: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background: rgb(255, 255, 255); outline: none; word-wrap: break-word;">with an editorial</a> titled “Karl Rove Bamboozles the I.R.S.”) The shadowy giant Crossroads GPS reported $114 million in political spending in its first four years, and dodged reporting millions more. Conversely, GPS’s new incarnation, One Nation, went from reporting no revenue to <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="http://opensecrets.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=aa7cf182bf7041258bb250f9d&id=66d8b4ee26&e=44dfb36771" style=" -webkit-padding-start: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background: rgb(255, 255, 255); outline: none; word-wrap: break-word;">bringing in more than $10 million</a> in 2015.

==

Did gps fund 2010 TP takeover? w/ kochs, split on tax rise /debt ceiling?

===

sued by public citizen 3/16

<div><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2015/11/pro-tillis-dark-money-group-funded-entirely-by-crossroads-gps/">http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2015/11/pro-tillis-dark-money-group-funded-entirely-by-crossroads-gps/</a></div>

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e of the largest and most prolific politically active nonprofits in the country was virtually the sole backer of Carolina Rising, the group that spent $4.7 million on ads supporting now-Sen. Thom Tillis’ successful run to unseat incumbent Democrat Kay Hagan in 2014. That was nearly 100 percent of Carolina Rising’s spending, as<a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2015/10/political-nonprofit-spent-nearly-100-percent-of-funds-to-elect-tillis-in-14/" style=" text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">OpenSecrets Blog</a> wrote last month.

Crossroads GPS not only provided 98.7 percent of Carolina Rising’s funds, but it also spent tens of millions of its own money in North Carolina and elsewhere in the midterms, according to <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2515044-crossroads-gps-2014.html" style=" text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">tax documents</a> obtained by the <a href="http://opensecrets.org/" style=" text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Center for Responsive Politics</a>.

GPS, started by veteran Republican strategists Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie, received 86 percent of its funding from a dozen anonymous donors giving more $1 million or more — 65 percent came just four donors that gave at least $5 million each, according to its tax form 990. One of those anonymous donors shelled out more than $20 million. At least one of those donors was casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2014/09/sheldon-adelson-republican-fundraising-111088" style=" text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">according to Politico</a>.

GPS reported nearly $26 million in political spending to the IRS, which tracks closely with the group’s reports to the Federal Election Commission. According to its FEC reports, Crossroads GPS was most active in the <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/recips.php?cmte=C90011719&cycle=2014" style=" text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">most contentious Senate races of the 2014 midterms</a>. However, those totals do not reflect the full spectrum of GPS’ efforts in those races.

As OpenSecrets Blog <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2014/11/as-fec-window-opened-subjects-of-dark-money-issue-ads-became-targets-for-defeat/" style=" text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">reported in November 2014</a>, GPS was one of three groups to spend heavily on “educational” ads in the months running up to the elections, only a fraction of which were ever reported to the FEC...

While Carolina Rising is perhaps the most constructive example of how GPS evades limits on political activity through grants, it is not alone. GPS gave large multimillion dollar grants to the <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cmte=American+Future+Fund&cycle=2014" style=" text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">American Future Fund</a> and <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/recips.php?cmte=C90013145&cycle=2014" style=" text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">the US Chamber of Commerce</a>, as well as a $390,000 grant to a second single-candidate 501(c)(4), the Kentucky Opportunity Coalition, which was the <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/races/indexp.php?cycle=2014&id=KYS1" style=" text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">largest outside spending organization</a> in the race that saw Senator Mitch McConnell re-elected to Senate in 2014. Each of those groups was active in races where GPS spent heavily....

GPS is worth highlighting for two reasons. First, because of the magnitude of its spending: Crossroads GPS has spent more in the last three election, just in terms of FEC reported spending, than all liberal nondisclosing groups combined have spent in every election since 2000. Second, unlike nearly every other group that has pushed the limits of nonprofit political activity, GPS has yet to receive recognition from the IRS as a social welfare organization. It has now been waiting well over five years for an official determination from the IRS, so the question remains whether it will ultimately get away with its activities thus far or have its application denied by the IRS.

No matter how that pans out, the folks at GPS have already found a way around the IRS application process by taking over a defunct nonprofit called Alliance for America’s Future. It <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2015/05/roves-new-group-isnt-new-and-that-could-be-the-point/" style=" text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">has been rechristened One Nation</a>, and it has already begun<a href="http://www.onenationamerica.org/one-nation-launches-1-4-million-grassroots-issue-ad-effort-in-new-hampshire/" style=" text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">spending</a> <a href="http://www.onenationamerica.org/one-nation-launches-1-12-million-grassroots-advocacy-push-in-ohio/" style=" text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">millions</a> <a href="http://www.onenationamerica.org/one-nation-launches-792k-grassroots-advocacy-effort-in-nevada/" style=" text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">in the 2016 elections</a>, none of which it has reported to the FEC.

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<a href="http://www.propublica.org/article/what-newly-released-docs-tell-us-about-the-irs-and-how-it-handles-dark-mone">http://www.propublica.org/article/what-newly-released-docs-tell-us-about-the-irs-and-how-it-handles-dark-mone</a>  gps  irs

==

<h3 class="byline" style=" font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; margin: 5px 0px 0px; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">by MATT TAIBBI</h3>

<div class="date" style=" font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; letter-spacing: 0.1em; margin-bottom: 25px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">DECEMBER 30, 2013</div>

The holidays are a great time in politics. Every year it's the same: the minute the last bits of wrapping paper have been cleared away, and Grandpa has passed his last puff of holiday gas, you can always retreat to the inside pages of the news section and find some embarrassing/despicable PR fiasco that some politician somewhere has just tried to sneak past vacationing America.

This year was no different. In a fitting homage to past holiday-season embarrassments like the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/1224.html" style=" text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;">Iran-Contra pardons</a> or Bill Clinton's signing of the <a href="https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/106/hr4541/text" style=" text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;">Commodity Futures Modernization Act</a>, the Republican Party last week quietly declared war on itself, in the process essentially confessing to a generation of failed governance and dumbed-down politics.

The news came in <a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304753504579280084264850074" style=" text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;">the Wall Street Journal</a>, where the Chamber of Commerce disclosed that it will be teaming up with Republican establishment leaders to spend $50 million in an effort to stem the tide of “fools” who have overwhelmed Republican ballots in recent seasons. Check out the language Chamber strategist Scott Reed used in announcing the new campaign:

Our No. 1 focus is to make sure, when it comes to the Senate, that we have no loser candidates… That will be our mantra: No fools on our ticket.

</blockquote>

The blunt choice of words is no accident. All year long, as they’ve crept closer and closer to having to face the reality of a Ted Cruz presidential candidacy in 2016 (with Cruz maybe picking<a href="http://www.bizpacreview.com/2013/12/28/ae-says-phil-robertson-can-return-to-duck-dynasty-gladd-responds-90722" style=" text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;">recently-redeemed Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson</a> as his more moderate running mate?), the Beltway’s Republican kingmakers have drifted into ever more alarmist language about the need to change course.

It’s been a transparent effort to reassure industry donors that the party's future isn't a bottomless pit of brainless Bachmanns and Cruzes and Santorums, all convinced our Harvard-educated president is a sleeper-cell Arab and that Satan is a literal being intent on conquering Nebraska with U.N. troops.

Earlier this month, for instance, former House Majority Leader and <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/12/04/dick-armey-leaves-as-head-tea-party-tied-freedomworks/" style=" text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;">cause-betraying</a> Tea Party progenitor Dick Armey complained that Republicans have been getting whipped at the polls because "<a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/dick-armey-tea-party-candidates-lost-because-they-did-dumb-things/" style=" text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;">we had a lot of candidates quite frankly that did dumb things out there</a>." And way back in March of last year, Karl Rove himself, speaking on behalf of his Crossroads SuperPAC, told Fox News Sunday that "<a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/03/13/174148350/republicans-face-off-over-strategy-for-picking-candidates" style=" text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;">our goal is to avoid having stupid candidates."</a> Rove’s group is reportedly also involved in this new $50 million effort.

The Chamber's announcement was met with howls of outrage from Tea Party-friendly voices, who naturally took immediate offense to the prospect of boycotting "fools" from the political process.

"Misguided," said Chris Chocola, president of the Club for Growth. "Insane," sneered conservative activist Cleta Mitchell.

Tom Borelli, senior fellow for Armey’s old FreedomWorks group, quite correctly complained that the Chamber and their Republican allies were trying to defy the conservative base by hijacking the party and keeping it in the pocket of big-money interests. "The tea party is about lowering costs," Borelli <a href="http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/tea-party-business-economy-republicans/2013/12/27/id/544141#ixzz2oxvQ7NFD" style=" color: rgb(0, 66, 119); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;">explained to Newsmax</a>. "[The Chamber will] want regulations to favor big business."

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==

<div class="asset-body" style=" margin-bottom: 1em;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cmte=C90011719&cycle=2012" style=" color: rgb(62, 114, 181); text-decoration: none;">Crossroads GPS</a>, the dark money political organization linked to Republican operative Karl Rove, apparently gave $2 million last year to Americans for Job Security, a group that was involved in a scheme in California to funnel $11 million into efforts aimed at two state ballot initiatives.

A state investigation into the movement of money found that AJS, also a dark money nonprofit, sent the $11 million through three other organizations in an attempt to hide the identities of its donors. California election authorities called it "the largest contribution ever disclosed as campaign money-laundering in California history" and demanded disclosure of the donors.

In a settlement today, after a grand jury investigation, the <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/nonprof_contrib.php?id=264683543" style=" color: rgb(62, 114, 181); text-decoration: none;">Center to Protect Patient Rights</a>and <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cmte=C90012931" style=" color: rgb(62, 114, 181); text-decoration: none;">Americans for Responsible Leadership</a> -- two of the groups through which money was channeled -- agreed to pay a fine of $500,000 each, which together amounts to the largest campaign-reporting fine ever levied by the watchdog agency. CPPR has been a major clearinghouse of contributions to other conservative dark money groups. Both CPPR and ARL have strong ties to the billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch, major donors to conservative political causes. CPPR <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2013/09/a-story-on-politicos-website.html" style=" color: rgb(62, 114, 181); text-decoration: none;">received $115 million</a> from the Koch-spearheaded group Freedom Partners last year.

In addition, the agency released a <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/810042-americans-for-job-security-fppc-list-public.html" target="_blank" style=" color: rgb(62, 114, 181); text-decoration: none;">list of AJS donors</a> the state obtained in its investigation. The document, much of which is redacted, contains enough information to identify some of the large donors.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/10/24/3709096_p2/calif-pacs-reach-1m-campaign-finance.html#storylink=cpy</div>

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<div id="more" class="asset-more">Crossroads GPS spent more than $70 million on independent expenditures in the 2012 elections, but apparently had enough to give to other dark money groups as well.

Some other major Republican donors are on the list, such as <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/summ.php?cycle=2012&disp=D&type=V" style=" color: rgb(62, 114, 181); text-decoration: none;">Miriam and Sheldon Adelson</a>, who gave $250,000 each. The Adelsons were major donors to Republican super PACs in 2012, giving nearly $100 million to such groups as <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cmte=C00487363&cycle=2012" style=" color: rgb(62, 114, 181); text-decoration: none;">American Crossroads</a> (the super PAC affiliate of Crossroads GPS) and the pro-Mitt Romney super PAC <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cmte=Restore+Our+Future&cycle=2012" style=" color: rgb(62, 114, 181); text-decoration: none;">Restore Our Future</a>.

Other donors included:

<li style=" margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside;">Jesse Rogers of Altman Capital, $450,000</li>

<li style=" margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside;">Greg Penner of Wal Mart, $500,000</li>

<li style=" margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside;">Margaret Bloomfield of Baron Real Estate Fund, $500,000</li>

<li style=" margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside;">Glen Stearns and Stearns Lending, $250,000</li>

<li style=" margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside;">The Tulley and Elise Friedman Fund, $100,000</li>

<li style=" margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside;">The American Council of Engineering Companies of California, $500,000</li>

<li style=" margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside;">Wayne Hughes, $450,000</li>

<li style=" margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside;">Hitchcock Automotive, $100,000

</li>

</ul>

The <a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-secret-donors-california-initiatives-20131024,0,6457967.story#axzz2igMRZT1T" target="_blank" style=" color: rgb(62, 114, 181); text-decoration: none;">Los Angeles Times</a> identified other donors: The Fisher family, for instance, which owns the Gap clothing empire, gave more than $9 million, according to the Times.

According to the <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/10/24/3709096_p2/calif-pacs-reach-1m-campaign-finance.html" target="_blank" style=" color: rgb(62, 114, 181); text-decoration: none;">Associated Press</a>, CPPR said that the settlement included a recognition by the state that the group didn't intend to conceal information but made a mistake "largely because it had never previously made any contributions" in California. "The Commission today recognized that CPPR acted in 'good faith' and that there was absolutely no intent to violate campaign reporting rules," attorney Malcolm Segal said in a statement.

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<div>The money flowed like this: AJS raised $29 million. It gave nearly $25 million of it to CPPR, which in turn gave $18 million to Americans for Responsible Leadership. ARL gave $11 million to the Small Business Action Committee, which put it toward fighting one state ballot initiative that would have meant higher taxes and supporting another that would have reduced the political power of labor unions. The Small Business committee was ordered Thursday to pay $11 million to the state. </div>

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</div>

<div>CPPR also gave $7 million to the <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cycle=2012&cmte=American+Future+Fund" style=" color: rgb(62, 114, 181); text-decoration: none;">American Future Fund</a>, which sent $4 million on to the California Future Fund for Free Markets. The California group, which supported the anti-union ballot measure, was ordered by the state watchdog agency to pay a penalty equivalent to the sum it received. None of those organizations disclose their donors, though they are all engage in extensive political activity. The American Future Fund spent more than $25 million at the federal level in the 2012 elections.

A call and email to Crossroads GPS were not returned at the time of this post.

Political Nonprofits Investigator Robert Maguire and Money-in-Politics Reporter Russ Choma contributed to this post.

Image: Sean Noble, head of the Center to Protect Patient Rights, via his Twitter account.

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<li class="entry-tag" style=" margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; display: inline;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/MT/mt-search.cgi?blog_id=8&tag=adelson&limit=20&IncludeBlogs=8" rel="tag" style=" color: rgb(62, 114, 181); text-decoration: none;">adelson</a>,</li>

<li class="entry-tag" style=" margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; display: inline;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/MT/mt-search.cgi?blog_id=8&tag=american%20crossroads&limit=20&IncludeBlogs=8" rel="tag" style=" color: rgb(62, 114, 181); text-decoration: none;">american crossroads</a>,</li>

<li class="entry-tag" style=" margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; display: inline;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/MT/mt-search.cgi?blog_id=8&tag=california%20fair%20political%20practices%20commission&limit=20&IncludeBlogs=8" rel="tag" style=" color: rgb(62, 114, 181); text-decoration: none;">california fair political practices commission</a>,</li>

<li class="entry-tag" style=" margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; display: inline;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/MT/mt-search.cgi?blog_id=8&tag=center%20to%20protect%20patient%20rights&limit=20&IncludeBlogs=8" rel="tag" style=" color: rgb(62, 114, 181); text-decoration: none;">center to protect patient rights</a>,</li>

<li class="entry-tag" style=" margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; display: inline;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/MT/mt-search.cgi?blog_id=8&tag=crossroads%20gps&limit=20&IncludeBlogs=8" rel="tag" style=" color: rgb(62, 114, 181); text-decoration: none;">crossroads gps</a>,</li>

<li class="entry-tag" style=" margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; display: inline;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/MT/mt-search.cgi?blog_id=8&tag=dark%20money&limit=20&IncludeBlogs=8" rel="tag" style=" color: rgb(62, 114, 181); text-decoration: none;">dark money</a>,</li>

<li class="entry-tag" style=" margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; display: inline;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/MT/mt-search.cgi?blog_id=8&tag=shadow%20money%20trail&limit=20&IncludeBlogs=8" rel="tag" style=" color: rgb(62, 114, 181); text-decoration: none;">shadow money trail</a>,</li>

<li class="entry-tag" style=" margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; display: inline;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/MT/mt-search.cgi?blog_id=8&tag=viveca%20novak&limit=20&IncludeBlogs=8" rel="tag" style=" color: rgb(62, 114, 181); text-decoration: none;">viveca novak</a></li>

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==

<div>Americans for Tax Reform, the politically active nonprofit headed by longtime antitax activitst Grover Norquist, raised and spent nearly $31 million in 2012, according to <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/835887-americans-for-tax-reform-2012.html" target="_blank" style=" color: rgb(62, 114, 181); text-decoration: none;">its tax filing for the year</a> -- a new record for the group.

Because <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cmte=Americans+for+Tax+Reform&cycle=2012" style=" color: rgb(62, 114, 181); text-decoration: none;">ATR separately had reported</a> to the Federal Election Commission that <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cmte=C90011289&cycle=2012" style=" color: rgb(62, 114, 181); text-decoration: none;">it spent nearly $15.8 million on independent expenditures</a> in the last election cycle -- ads that explicitly ask the public to vote for or against a candidate -- the 501(c)(4) social welfare organization appears to be testing the IRS guideline that such a group's political spending can't amount to a majority of its activity. In this case, the amount reported to the FEC comes to more than 51 percent of ATR's total spending.</div>

<div>

ATR told the IRS that it spent just <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/835887-americans-for-tax-reform-2012.html#document/p13/a132546" target="_blank" style=" color: rgb(62, 114, 181); text-decoration: none;">$9.8 million</a> on politics for the year, seeming to contradict what it reported to the FEC. The tax agency has no cut-and-dried test for what it counts as "political" spending, as OpenSecrets Blog has noted in the past. However, it has always been clear that expenditures directly advocating the election or defeat of a candidate, as reported to the FEC, fit what the IRS considers to be political activity.

"I cannot think of a definition where express advocacy would not be considered political intervention" under IRS rules, said Donald Tobin, a law professor at Ohio State University's Moritz School of Law.

Frances Hill, an expert on nonprofits at the University of Miami's law school, agreed. She said the only way the figure ATR reported to the IRS could be correct was if the group overreported its spending to the election agency, due to error or out of a desire to show it was spending more than it did. 

Repeated efforts today to get comment from ATR were unsuccessful by the time of this post.

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<div id="more" class="asset-more" style=" line-height: 24px;">In addition, the vast majority of ATR's funds -- $26.4 million, or 85 percent -- came from <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/nonprof_contrib.php?id=272753378" style=" color: rgb(62, 114, 181); text-decoration: none;">Crossroads GPS</a>, the 800-pound-gorilla among conservative dark money nonprofits that are highly politically active and don't disclose their donors. That means that ATR used at least a sizable portion of the Crossroads grant to fund its political ads, even given the fact that it is difficult to trace how any single donated dollar is spent.

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</div>

Crossroads, which was cofounded by GOP strategist Karl Rove, made $35.1 million in grants to other nonprofits last year, including the large grant to ATR, according to its own tax forms, also filed on Friday but not available until today. Rove's group counts its grants to other 501(c)(4) groups toward its social welfare spending, which must be a majority of what it does, the IRS says.

On <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/836224-crossroads-gps-2012.html" target="_blank" style=" color: rgb(62, 114, 181); text-decoration: none;">the tax form</a>, Crossroads says, "Grants are accompanied by a letter of transmittal, stating that the funds are to be used only for 501(c)(4) [tax] exempt purposes, and not for political expenditures, consistent with the organization's tax-exempt mission" (emphasis ours)....<a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2013/11/atrs-tax-forms-raise-questions-about-use-of-crossroads-grant-social-welfare-purpose.html">http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2013/11/atrs-tax-forms-raise-questions-about-use-of-crossroads-grant-social-welfare-purpose.html</a></div>

==

The dark money giant Crossroads GPS, launched by Republican strategist Karl Rove, told the IRS it raised almost <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/835964-990-2012-crossroads-gps.html#document/p3/a132447" style=" margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(34, 98, 204); text-decoration: none;">$180 million</a> in 2012, including one donation of <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/835964-990-2012-crossroads-gps.html#document/p64/a132455" style=" margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(34, 98, 204); text-decoration: none;">$22.5 million</a>, another of <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/835964-990-2012-crossroads-gps.html#document/p35/a132487" style=" margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(34, 98, 204); text-decoration: none;">$18 million</a> and another of <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/835964-990-2012-crossroads-gps.html#document/p22/a132502" style=" margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(34, 98, 204);">$10 million</a>. Fifty donations were for $1 million or more.  Because the group is a social welfare nonprofit, none of the donors have to be made public.

The details come from the group’s 2012 tax return, which Crossroads made available today at their Washington office. We picked up a copy and you <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/835964-990-2012-crossroads-gps.html#document/p3/a132446" style=" margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(34, 98, 204); text-decoration: none;">can see it here</a>.

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Crossroads raised more than twice as much in 2012 as it collected in <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/339122-crossroads-gps-990-2010.html#document/p1/a52971" style=" margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(34, 98, 204); text-decoration: none;">2010</a> and <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/339124-crossroads-gps-990-2011.html#document/p1/a52990" style=" margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(34, 98, 204); text-decoration: none;">2011</a>combined.

The group also reported spending almost <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/835964-990-2012-crossroads-gps.html#document/p67/a132454" style=" margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(34, 98, 204); text-decoration: none;">$75 million</a> on direct and indirect campaign activities.

Crossroads GPS, also known as Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies, is the largest social nonprofit active in elections. The group was created after the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United ruling opened the door to unlimited corporate and union spending on elections, to super PACs and to hundreds of millions of dollars in anonymous money.

In Crossroads’ <a href="http://www.propublica.org/documents/item/537045-crossroads-gps-application-to-irs#document/p4/a84315" style=" margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(34, 98, 204); text-decoration: none;">application</a> for nonprofit status in 2010, the group <a href="http://www.propublica.org/documents/item/537045-crossroads-gps-application-to-irs" style=" margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(34, 98, 204); text-decoration: none;">told the IRS</a> that while it planned to spend money on elections, “any such activity will be limited in amount, and will not constitute the organization’s primary purpose.”

In the 2012 cycle, Crossroads told the Federal Election Commission it spent almost twice as much on political ads as the next most active social welfare nonprofit, Americans for Prosperity, backed by conservative billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch.

Crossroads is in the crosshairs of campaign finance watchdogs, who have criticized social welfare nonprofits for exploiting loopholes in tax and election rules to be able to pour millions from undisclosed donors into campaigns. Democrats have also targeted Crossroads for special attention. In 2012, the lawyer for President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/19/obama-crossroads-gps-complaint-_n_1610206.html" style=" margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(34, 98, 204); text-decoration: none;">asked</a> the FEC to force Crossroads to register as a political committee and disclose its donors. (So far, that hasn’t happened.)

“There is no way in the world that $20 million-plus contributions, $10 million-plus contributions, that are funding campaign ads should be kept secret from the American people,” said Fred Wertheimer, the president of Democracy 21, who has worked to rein in outside spending in politics for decades.

Social welfare nonprofits are allowed to spend money on elections, but they are also supposed to be able to prove that social welfare is their primary purpose. ProPublica has focused extensively on how many of these groups have <a href="http://www.propublica.org/article/how-nonprofits-spend-millions-on-elections-and-call-it-public-welfare" style=" margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(34, 98, 204); text-decoration: none;">poured much of their resources into political races</a>.

Tax returns are one of the few places in which groups are required to detail both their revenues and expenditures and justify their social welfare mission. But the returns are often filed more than a year after an election.

About 150 of these nonprofits reported spending more than $254 million in 2012 on ads, phone calls and mailings. Most of that money — more than 85 percent — was spent by conservative groups.

Crossroads GPS and its sister super PAC, American Crossroads, provide a blueprint of how these outside-spending groups work. The Rove juggernaut gives potential donors the option of giving to a super PAC, which has to report its donors, or to a social welfare nonprofit, which doesn’t.

Some people and corporations prefer the anonymous option. American Crossroads, for instance, raised about $117.5 million in the 2012 cycle, according to the FEC, as opposed to the $180 million Crossroads GPS collected.

Both super PACs and social welfare nonprofits can accept unlimited contributions, unlike candidates and regular political action committees.

The Wall Street Journal <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2013/11/14/karl-rove-backed-groups-raised-325-million-in-2012-cycle/?dsk=y" style=" margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(34, 98, 204); text-decoration: none;">first reported</a> an early look at Crossroads GPS’s tax return last Thursday. (ProPublica initially asked for a copy of the group’s tax return on Thursday morning, but Jonathan Collegio, the group’s spokesman, said, “It’s not available yet.” He also said it wasn’t available on Friday, the deadline for filing the return. On Monday, Collegio said the return was available for pickup.)

In a cover <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/835964-990-2012-crossroads-gps.html#document/p1/a132445" style=" margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(34, 98, 204); text-decoration: none;">letter</a> accompanying the tax filing, Collegio positioned the group as a balance to unions and other liberal groups. “Crossroads GPS serves as a counterweight to well-funded labor unions and other far-left advocacy groups that promote more government, more regulation and higher taxes,” Collegio wrote.

He also pointed out that the group didn’t just get big contributions. It also had 1,254 small donors, who gave less than $5,000 each. (That works out to $348,361, or .2 percent of Crossroads total revenue.)

On its tax return, Crossroads justified its social welfare mission in part by saying it spent<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/835964-990-2012-crossroads-gps.html#document/p4/a132522" style=" margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(34, 98, 204); text-decoration: none;">more than</a> $74 million on public communication and building “grassroots to influence policymaking outcomes through grassroots mobilization and advocacy.” It also said it spent more than $3.2 million on research and handed out more than <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/835964-990-2012-crossroads-gps.html#document/p78/a132449" style=" margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(34, 98, 204); text-decoration: none;">$35 million</a> in grants, mainly to similarly aligned social welfare nonprofits active in politics.

Of those grants, Crossroads gave $26.4 million to <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/835964-990-2012-crossroads-gps.html#document/p78/a132451" style=" margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(34, 98, 204); text-decoration: none;">Americans for Tax Reform</a>, and $2.15 million to the Center for Individual Freedom. It told the IRS that these grants were not supposed to be spent on <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/835964-990-2012-crossroads-gps.html#document/p80/a132452" style=" margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(34, 98, 204); text-decoration: none;">elections</a>.

In the group’s statement, Collegio said the group had a ratio of 60.2 percent of social welfare spending to 38.8 percent of political spending in 2012. (It is not clear where the missing 1 percent went.)

Among the things Crossroads appears to have counted as part of its spending on social welfare are <a href="http://www.propublica.org/article/two-dark-money-groups-outspending-all-super-pacs-combined" style=" margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(34, 98, 204); text-decoration: none;">tens of millions</a> on ads criticizing <a href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/05/crossroads-matches-obama-million-buy-airs-tough-new-123608.html" style=" margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(34, 98, 204); text-decoration: none;">Obama</a> in swing states in 2012.

Most of those ads stopped short of telling people how to vote and didn’t need to be reported to the FEC.

The IRS says it considers an ad to be political simply if it seems aimed at influencing an election, not just because of when it runs. But so far, despite promises to crack down on social welfare nonprofits engaged in too much political activity, the IRS has taken a hands-off approach to the groups. Its most significant enforcement action so far has been to deny the recognition of <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/21/business/advocacy-groups-denied-tax-exempt-status-are-named.html" style=" margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(34, 98, 204); text-decoration: none;">one small Democratic group</a> and its affiliates in 2011.

In May, <a href="http://www.propublica.org/article/six-facts-lost-in-irs-scandal" style=" margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(34, 98, 204); text-decoration: none;">a scandal erupted</a> over the IRS targeting the applications of conservative Tea Party groups for extra review, and since then, it’s not clear how — or if — the agency is going to tackle the highly charged issue. The battle will soon move to the courts. In August, Democracy 21, Public Citizen, the Campaign Legal Center and Rep. Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, filed a <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/21/senior-house-democrat-sues-i-r-s-over-tax-exemptions/" style=" margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(34, 98, 204); text-decoration: none;">federal lawsuit</a> aiming to force the IRS to block social welfare groups from engaging in overt campaign spending.

There is another potential hurdle for Crossroads GPS. As of this month, according to the IRS website, the agency hasn’t yet recognized the tax-exempt status of Crossroads, which applied for recognition in September 2010. That’s a longer wait than faced by any of the major politically active social welfare nonprofits applying since the Citizens United decision.

<a href="http://www.propublica.org/article/crossroads-tax-return-shows-big-donors-but-doesnt-name-them">http://www.propublica.org/article/crossroads-tax-return-shows-big-donors-but-doesnt-name-them</a>  kim barker

</div>

==

bit lost

filing accidently released to pro publica <a href="http://www.propublica.org/documents/item/537045-crossroads-gps-application-to-irs">http://www.propublica.org/documents/item/537045-crossroads-gps-application-to-irs</a>

==

16M$ in "express advocacy" 2010 thus TP?

===

2012: Consider the Source

The 2012 election was the most expensive and least transparent presidential campaign of the modern era. This project seeks to ‘out’ shadowy political organizations that have flourished in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling. As the nation prepares for major state-level elections in 2013 and critical midterms in 2014, we provide the narrative behind the flow of money and how professional politicking is influencing a flood of new spending.

Read our primer on Citizens United and our Primary Source blog.

Select a PAC to read its full profile:

Select a donor to read a full profile:

Select a nonprofit group to read its full profile:

Select an expenditure profile:

If Karl Rove was an NFL coach and not a political strategist, he would probably be looking for a new job about now.

Organizations co-founded by the GOP’s most effective fundraiser spent more than $175 million only to see President Barack Obama win a second term and Democrats actually gain seats in the U.S. Senate.

According to a Center for Public Integrity review of spending records, Rove’s super PAC, American Crossroads, went 3-10 during the 2012 election cycle, while Crossroads GPS, its nonprofit counterpart, went 7-17. The two groups, which were both active in a handful of contests, had a combined 9-21 record.

When asked by Fox News host Chris Wallace on Election Night if his groups’ spending was “worth it,” Rove was unapologetic: "Look, if groups like Crossroads were not active, this race would have been over a long time ago.”

Meanwhile, Jonathan Collegio, the spokesman for the two Crossroads organizations, has maintained that “sub-optimal candidate quality” contributed to Republican losses in the Senate and that his groups will be a “permanent entity on the center-right.”

“By leveling the financial playing field, conservative super PACs kept this race close and winnable all the way until the end,” Collegio told the Center for Public Integrity. “Our contributors are of course disappointed with the results, but satisfied with the impact we had.”

Democratic super PACs fared far better, especially Majority PAC, launched by former aides to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. The organization had a 14-3 record.

House Majority PAC, a group focused on aiding House Democrats, also appears to have backed more winners than losers. Thirty-five of its preferred candidates won while 31 lost. Democrats are leading in four of five undecided contests where the group also invested money.

“If you look back to 2010, there were lots of races where Democrats were overwhelmed by outside money at the last minute,” said House Majority PAC spokesman Andy Stone. “We aimed to reduce the disparity in outside GOP money to outside Democratic money, and we cut it in half from 2010 to 2012.”

Zach Gorin, the spokesman of Majority PAC, stressed that it was important for Democrats to compete in the fundraising arms race against groups like American Crossroads and Americans for Prosperity, which has ties to conservative billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch.

"At the beginning of the cycle, the conventional wisdom was that Democrats would surely lose their majority in the Senate,” Gorin said. “But our growing financial momentum in the lead-up to November ensured that we would not only be able to compete with Karl Rove and the Koch brothers on the air in Democratic seats, but also bring the fight to them in red states, as well."

The Democratic super PACs may have played a role, but they had an easier task than their Republican counterparts. Democratic candidates for Senate, for example, collectively outraised their Republican counterparts by more than $35 million in the seven most hotly contested races. A similar dynamic held true in the presidential contest, where Obama’s campaign outraised his Republican rival Mitt Romney by more than $240 million.

In addition, Republican Senate seats in Missouri and Indiana, which were expected to be Republican pickups, appear to have suffered from “sub-optimal” candidates, in Collegio’s words.

Rep. Todd Akin, the GOP Senate candidate in Missouri, saw his standing in the polls drop after he said women who were victims of “legitimate rape” rarely get pregnant.

Comments about rape also contributed to the defeat of Indiana Republican Richard Mourdock, who, during a late October debate, said that pregnancies resulting from rape shouldn’t be aborted because they were “something that God intended to happen.”

In addition to Indiana, Majority PAC’s 14 “wins” included victories in Montana and North Dakota, states where Obama lost the popular vote to Romney.

Super PACs and nonprofits, which proliferated after the controversial 2010 Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling, are allowed to accept contributions of unlimited size from individuals, corporations and unions. This money can be used on advertisements, officially called “independent expenditures,” but spending cannot be coordinated with campaigns.

The scorecards of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee mirrored those of their aligned super PAC and nonprofit allies, even though they face limits on fundraising.

Party committees can only accept limited contributions from individuals and PACs, and while some of their spending can be coordinated, they also operate arms devoted strictly to independent expenditures.

The NRSC’s independent spending supported nine GOP Senate candidates, seven of whom lost on Election Night. Eleven of 13 candidates the DSCC made independent expenditures on behalf of won.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and National Republican Congressional Committee had more mixed results.

The GOP managed to retain control of the U.S. House of Representatives though its advantage appears to have dropped by a handful of seats. As of press time, the Associated Press had still not called nine races.

“The money was not decisive in a lot of races,” said Kyle Kondik, an analyst at the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. “Candidates matter too.”

Despite the Crossroads organizations not having “a very good record to point to,” Kondik says that Rove “still does have a lot of cachet on the right.”

Conservative attorney Dan Backer, too, predicts Rove is here to stay.

“Karl Rove is not retiring anytime soon,” Backer said.

Andrea Fuller contributed to this report.

</div>

===

<a href="http://www.propublica.org/article/what-karl-roves-dark-money-nonprofit-told-the-irs">http://www.propublica.org/article/what-karl-roves-dark-money-nonprofit-told-the-irs</a>

In a <a href="http://www.propublica.org/documents/item/537045-crossroads-gps-application-to-irs">confidential 2010 filing</a>, Crossroads GPS — the dark money group that spent more than $70 million from anonymous donors on the 2012 election — told the Internal Revenue Service that its efforts would focus on public education, research and shaping legislation and policy.

The group's application for recognition as a social welfare nonprofit <a href="http://www.propublica.org/documents/item/537045-crossroads-gps-application-to-irs#document/p4/a84315">acknowledged</a> that it would spend money to influence elections, but said "any such activity will be limited in amount, and will not constitute the organization's primary purpose."

Political insiders and campaign-finance watchdogs have long <a href="http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/21/disclosure-would-be-great-then-what/">questioned</a> how Crossroads, the brainchild of GOP strategist Karl Rove, had characterized its intentions to the IRS.

Now, for the first time, ProPublica has obtained the group's application for recognition of tax-exempt status, filed in September 2010. The IRS has not yet recognized Crossroads GPS as exempt, causing some tax experts to speculate that the agency is giving the application extra scrutiny. If Crossroads GPS is ultimately not recognized, it could be forced to reveal the identities of its donors.

The tax code allows groups like Crossroads to spend money on political campaigns — and to keep their donors private — as long as their primary purpose is enhancing social welfare.

Crossroads' breakdown of planned activities <a href="http://www.propublica.org/documents/item/537045-crossroads-gps-application-to-irs#document/p2/a84313">said</a> it would focus half its efforts on "public education," 30 percent on "activity to influence legislation and policymaking" and 20 percent on "research," including sponsoring "in-depth policy research on significant issues."

This seems at odds with much of what the group has done since filing the application, experts said. Within two months of filing its application, Crossroads spent about $15.5 million on ads telling people to vote against Democrats or for Republicans in the 2010 midterm elections.

"That statement of proposed activities does not seem to align with what they actually did, which was to raise and spend hundreds of millions to influence candidate elections," said Paul S. Ryan, senior counsel for the Campaign Legal Center, who reviewed the group's application at ProPublica's request.

Officials with Crossroads GPS would not answer specific questions about the material in the application or whether the IRS had sent a response to it.

"As far as we know, the Crossroads application is still pending, in which case it seems that either you obtained whatever document you have illegally, or that it has been approved," Jonathan Collegio, the group's spokesman, said in an email.

The IRS sent Crossroads' application to ProPublica in response to a public-records request. The document sent to ProPublica didn't include an official IRS recognition letter, which is typically attached to applications of nonprofits that have been recognized. The IRS is only required to give out applications of groups recognized as tax-exempt.

In an email Thursday, an IRS spokeswoman said the agency had no record of an approved application for Crossroads GPS, meaning that the group's application was still in limbo.

"It has come to our attention that you are in receipt of application materials of organizations that have not been recognized by the IRS as tax-exempt," wrote the spokeswoman, Michelle Eldridge. She cited a law saying that publishing unauthorized returns or return information was a felony punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 and imprisonment of up to five years, or both. The IRS would not comment further on the Crossroads application.

"ProPublica believes that the information we are publishing is not barred by the statute cited by the IRS, and it is clear to us that there is a strong First Amendment interest in its publication," said Richard Tofel, ProPublica's general manager.

ProPublica has redacted parts of the application to omit Crossroads' financial information.

With its sister group, the super PAC American Crossroads, Crossroads GPS has helped remake how modern political campaigns are financed.

American Crossroads, which does identify its donors, spent almost $105 million on election ads in the 2012 cycle. For its part, Crossroads GPS poured more than <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cmte=C90011719&cycle=2012">$70 million</a> into ads and phone calls urging voters to pick Republicans — outlays that were reported to the Federal Election Commission. It also announced spending an additional <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/16/presidential-ad-wars-kick-into-full-swing/">$50</a> <a href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/07/crossroads-gps-unleashes-new-million-blitz-128163.html">million</a> on ads critical of President Barack Obama that ran outside the FEC's reporting window.

Based on the extent of Crossroads GPS' campaign activities, Obama's <a href="http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/ObamaCampaignComplaintCrossroadsGPS.pdf">re-election campaign</a> <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/02/us-usa-tax-irswatchdog-idUSBRE8611FB20120702">asked the FEC</a> in June to force it to register as a political action committee and disclose its donors. The FEC has yet to rule on the request.

Politically active social welfare nonprofits like Crossroads have proliferated since the Supreme Court's <a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/citizens-united-v-federal-election-commission/">Citizens United decision</a> in January 2010 opened the door to unlimited political spending by corporations and unions.

Earlier this year, a ProPublica report showed that many of these groups exploit gaps in regulation between the IRS and the FEC, using their social welfare status as a way to <a href="http://www.propublica.org/article/how-nonprofits-spend-millions-on-elections-and-call-it-public-welfare">shield donors' identities</a> while spending millions on political campaigns. The IRS' definition of political activity is broader than the FEC's, yet our investigation showed many social welfare groups underreported political spending on their tax returns.

It's impossible to know precisely how Crossroads has directed its efforts, but the breakdown of expenses on its tax returns from <a href="http://www.propublica.org/documents/item/339122-crossroads-gps-990-2010">June 2010</a> to <a href="http://www.propublica.org/documents/item/339124-crossroads-gps-990-2011">December 2011</a> gives some indications.

During those 19 months, Crossroads spent a total of $64.7 million, of which $1.4 million — or just 2 percent — was identified as being spent on research. That compares with the 20 percent of effort Crossroads said it would devote to research in its application.

A tax return covering this year isn't due until November 2013.

The IRS rarely pursues criminal charges against nonprofits based on statements in their applications. It's more common for the agency to deny recognition or revoke a group's tax-exempt status.

In a letter to Congress in September, the IRS said it was engaged in "<a href="http://www.insidepoliticallaw.com/2012/09/20/irs-to-senator-levin-irs-conducting-over-70-audits-of-501c4-organizations/">more than 70 ongoing examinations</a>" of social welfare nonprofits. Earlier, in its <a href="http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-tege/fy2012_eo_work_plan_2011_annrpt.pdf">work plan</a> for the 2012 fiscal year, the agency said it was taking a hard look at social welfare nonprofits with "serious allegations of impermissible political intervention."

Campaign finance watchdog Fred Wertheimer, who runs Democracy 21 and has filed several complaints to the IRS about Crossroads, said the group's application for recognition showed why more aggressive enforcement is needed.

"When you read what they say on their application, there are a lot of words there. But I find them to be disingenuous and to have little to do with why Karl Rove founded this organization," Wertheimer said. "If you believe this is a social welfare organization, I have a rocket that can get you to the moon very quickly and at very little cost."

kim barker

</div>

==

In a <a href="http://www.propublica.org/documents/item/537045-crossroads-gps-application-to-irs" style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">confidential 2010 filing</a>, Crossroads GPS — the dark money group that spent more than $70 million from anonymous donors on the 2012 election — told the Internal Revenue Service that its efforts would focus on public education, research and shaping legislation and policy.

The group's application for recognition as a social welfare nonprofit <a href="http://www.propublica.org/documents/item/537045-crossroads-gps-application-to-irs#document/p4/a84315">acknowledged</a> that it would spend money to influence elections, but said "any such activity will be limited in amount, and will not constitute the organization's primary purpose."

</div>

Political insiders and campaign-finance watchdogs have long <a href="http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/21/disclosure-would-be-great-then-what/">questioned</a> how Crossroads, the brainchild of GOP strategist Karl Rove, had characterized its intentions to the IRS.

Now, for the first time, ProPublica has obtained the group's application for recognition of tax-exempt status, filed in September 2010. The IRS has not yet recognized Crossroads GPS as exempt, causing some tax experts to speculate that the agency is giving the application extra scrutiny. If Crossroads GPS is ultimately not recognized, it could be forced to reveal the identities of its donors.

With its sister group, the super PAC American Crossroads, Crossroads GPS has helped remake how modern political campaigns are financed.

American Crossroads, which does identify its donors, spent almost $105 million on election ads in the 2012 cycle. For its part, Crossroads GPS poured more than <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cmte=C90011719&cycle=2012" style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">$70 million</a> into ads and phone calls urging voters to pick Republicans — outlays that were reported to the Federal Election Commission. It also announced spending an additional <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/16/presidential-ad-wars-kick-into-full-swing/" style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">$50</a> <a href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/07/crossroads-gps-unleashes-new-million-blitz-128163.html" style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">million</a> on ads critical of President Barack Obama that ran outside the FEC's reporting window.

Based on the extent of Crossroads GPS' campaign activities, Obama's <a href="http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/ObamaCampaignComplaintCrossroadsGPS.pdf">re-election campaign</a> <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/02/us-usa-tax-irswatchdog-idUSBRE8611FB20120702">asked the FEC</a> in June to force it to register as a political action committee and disclose its donors. The FEC has yet to rule on the request.

Politically active social welfare nonprofits like Crossroads have proliferated since the Supreme Court's <a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/citizens-united-v-federal-election-commission/">Citizens United decision</a> in January 2010 opened the door to unlimited political spending by corporations and unions.

Earlier this year, a ProPublica report showed that many of these groups exploit gaps in regulation between the IRS and the FEC, using their social welfare status as a way to <a href="http://www.propublica.org/article/how-nonprofits-spend-millions-on-elections-and-call-it-public-welfare">shield donors' identities</a> while spending millions on political campaigns. The IRS' definition of political activity is broader than the FEC's, yet our investigation showed many social welfare groups underreported political spending on their tax returns.

<a href="http://www.propublica.org/article/what-karl-roves-dark-money-nonprofit-told-the-irs">http://www.propublica.org/article/what-karl-roves-dark-money-nonprofit-told-the-irs</a>

===

<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies">http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies</a>

Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies, also known as Crossroads GPS, is a right-wing political group created in June 2010 by GOP political operatives and "advised" by <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Karl_Rove" title="Karl Rove" style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Karl Rove</a> and former <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Republican_National_Committee" title="Republican National Committee" style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Republican National Committee</a> chairman <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Ed_Gillespie" title="Ed Gillespie" style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Ed Gillespie</a> to support Republican political candidates. It is often described as a "dark money" group because it is organized as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit and does not disclose its donors, despite spending millions to influence political campaigns. As of September 2012, it has spent $50 million on ads influencing the 2012 elections. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-0">[1]</a> It is the nonprofit wing of <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Crossroads" title="American Crossroads" style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">American Crossroads</a>, a Super PAC that can accept unlimited contributions but must disclose its donors. Both groups share the same leadership.

According to their website, Crossroads GPS is "dedicated to the belief that most Americans don’t support the big-government agenda being forced upon them by Washington." <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-1">[2]</a>

<h2>Contents</h2>

[<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#" class="internal" id="togglelink">hide</a>] </div>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#Secret.2C_Unlimited_Fundraising">1 Secret, Unlimited Fundraising</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#Influencing_the_2012_Presidential_Election">2 Influencing the 2012 Presidential Election</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#Influencing_2012_Senate_Elections">3 Influencing 2012 Senate Elections</a>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#Missouri_Senate_Race">3.1 Missouri Senate Race</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#Massachusetts_Senate_Race">3.2 Massachusetts Senate Race</a>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-6"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#Commentary_on_the_Warren_Opposition">3.2.1 Commentary on the Warren Opposition</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-7"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#North_Dakota_Senate_Race">3.3 North Dakota Senate Race</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-8"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#Ohio_Senate_Race">3.4 Ohio Senate Race</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-9"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#Virginia_Senate_Race">3.5 Virginia Senate Race</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-10"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#Wisconsin_Senate_Race">3.6 Wisconsin Senate Race</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-11"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#Iowa_and_Nebraska_Campaign">3.7 Iowa and Nebraska Campaign</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-12"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#2010_Midterm_Election_Activity">4 2010 Midterm Election Activity</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-13"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#Investigation_Attempts">5 Investigation Attempts</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-14"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#Ties_to_Other_Groups">6 Ties to Other Groups</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-15"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#Sourcewatch_resources">7 Sourcewatch resources</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-16"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#External_resources">8 External resources</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-17"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#Contact">9 Contact</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-18"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#References">10 References</a></li>

</ul>

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<h2 style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Secret, Unlimited Fundraising</h2>

Crossroads GPS and American Crossroads raised a combined $71 million in 2010, and a combined $51 million dollars in 2011. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-2">[3]</a> Like all 501(c)(4) organizations, Crossroads GPS is not required to disclose donor information. Virtually all funding for <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Crossroads" title="American Crossroads">American Crossroads</a>, their sister organization, comes from a small number of billionaires including <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Trevor_Reese-Jones&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Trevor Reese-Jones (page does not exist)">Trevor Reese-Jones</a> and <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Bradley_Wayne_Hughes&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Bradley Wayne Hughes (page does not exist)">Bradley Wayne Hughes</a>. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-3">[4]</a>

Due to the U.S. Supreme Court's January 2010 <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Citizens_United" title="Citizens United">Citizens United</a> decision, groups like <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Crossroads" title="American Crossroads">American Crossroads</a> and Crossroads GPS can legally advocate for or against political candidates without restrictions on the amount of money they can raise from individuals and corporations. Due to the Court's 2007 FEC v. Wisconsin Right to Life decision, "independent" groups organized under 501(c) of the tax code (like Crossroads GPS) can run "issue-oriented" political ads without disclosing their donors.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-4">[5]</a> Coupling these two decisions together, "shadow Republican groups formed by longtime party officials and party operatives are raising and spending hundreds of millions of dollars in [the 2010 election]]. . . most of which is going to come in the form of secret undisclosed contributions," says Fred Wertheimer of Democracy 21, a nonpartisan campaign-finance-reform group.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-TIME_article-5">[6]</a>

As a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization, Crossroads GPS is not required by the IRS to disclose its donors, as such organizations are intended to "promote social welfare." According to the New York Times, "[t]he rule of thumb . . . is that more than 50 percent of a 501(c)(4)’s activities cannot be political."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-NY_Times-6">[7]</a> however, a 501(c)(4) is permitted to "intervene in political campaigns as long as its primary purpose is the promotion of social welfare."

The idea that American Crossroads only invests in campaign advertisements to promote social welfare "is a complete joke," Democracy 21's Wertheimer told TIME magazine in September 2010. "Karl Rove and Gillespie did not create this organization to influence issues in America. The organization was created to elect Republicans and defeat Democrats."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-TIME_article-5">[6]</a>

<h2 style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Influencing the 2012 Presidential Election</h2>

As of August 13th, 2012, Crossroads GPS has spent $68 million influencing the 2012 electiona, making them one of the biggest single spenders in that election cycle. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-Propublica-7">[8]</a> Crossroads GPS has spent considerable money influencing the Presidential Race, $13.6 Million of Crossroads funding has went towards attacking Obama, and $6.3 Million of which has been in support of Mitt Romney. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-8">[9]</a>

In late 2011, Crossroads GPS began a national ad campaign targeting Obama's spending record and involvement with solar company <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Solyndra" title="Solyndra">Solyndra</a>. A national cable ad aired in on December 21th, followed by a second ad in early 2012 which specifically targeted Missouri, Minnesota, Michigan, and Arizona. Crossroads paid $500,000 to air the ad in all four states. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-9">[10]</a>

Crossroads has run ads throughout 2012 accusing President Obama of not doing enough to cut spending, decrease the deficit and the debt, and create jobs. Almost every GPS attack ad invokes this theme. As a 501(c)4, most of Crossroads' attack ads are ostensibly "issue ads" and do not directly advocate for the election or defeat of a candidate, but rather, instruct the viewer to do something (IE: Tell Obama ""). Some examples of GPS presidential attack ads are:

<li>Deflect: Compares the price of gasoline in 2009 to the price of gasoline in 2012, and attacks Obama for failing to address rising gas prices. The ad attacks Obama for restricting "oil production in the gulf" and limiting "the production of American oil shale". The ads claims are questionable at best: US gas prices are not necessarily linked to domestic oil production, and 2009 gas prices were abnormally low to begin with. The group paid $650,000 to air nationwide.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-10">[11</a></li>

<li>

</li>

<li>Basketball: A May 22nd, 2012 ad which features a dismayed ex-Obama voter who laments the fact that Health Care Reform "made health insurance even more expensive". The ad instructs viewers to "Tell Obama to cut the job-killing debt" despite that fact that there is no clear reason why a high national debt would lead to fewer jobs. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-11">[12]</a> This ad aired in almost every major media market in the 2012 election, Crossroads paid $9.7 million to produce and air the ad. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-12">[13</a></li>

<li>

<dl>

<dd>Excuses: Part of the same ad buy as Basketball, this ad began airing on July 6th of 2012. It Highlights various "excuses" Obama has supposedly invoked to explain the rising debt and the need for higher txes. This ad buy was part of a $25 million dollar campaign by Crossroads GPS that continued through most of the summer. The ad began airing on July 6th, and ran in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio and Virginia. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-13">[14</a></dd>

</dl>

</li>

<li>News:Began airing on July 31st, 2012, Features an excerpt from a CBS nightly news on July 17th, with Anchor Scott Pelly saying that "this is the worst economic recovery America has ever had." The ad links high unemployment and a lack of full-time jobs as the "result of President Obama's failed stimulus", though the ad makes no attempt to connect the stimulus with unemployment. This is one of crossroads GPS's largest ad buys, $11 million in total. The ad aired in Florida, Iowa, Colorado, North Carolina, Michigan, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio and Virginia. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-14">[15]</a></li>

</ul>

<h2 style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Influencing 2012 Senate Elections</h2>

Much of Crossroads GPS's spending in 2012 has been focused on close Senate races. In 2012, they began an active "New Majority Agenda" campaign to create a Republican-Controlled senate <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-15">[16]</a> Crossroads GPS ads generally instruct the viewer to tell their Senator to support this "New Majority Agenda", and attack the target for supporting the Affordable Care act or the 2009 stimulus. Their favorite targets appear to be Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill, Montana Senator Jim Testor, and North Dakota Democratic Nominee for Senate Heidi Heitkamp. Following the 2012 senate primary in Wisconsin, Crossroads GPS began running ads against Democratic Senate Nominee Tammy Baldwin. Because Crossroads GPS does not have to report how it spends its money, and its press releases often discuss several ads buys at once, it is difficult to know how much Crossroads GPS has spend influencing each election. Together with their sister SuperPAC <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Crossroads" title="American Crossroads">American Crossroads</a>, the group plans to spend at least $70 million influencing 2012 senate races. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-16">[17]</a> As of July 19th 2012, Crossroads GPS has spent an estimated 83.3 million dollars on ads against Obama and Congressional democrats. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-17">[18]</a>

The sections below detail Crossroads GPS's involvement in key senate races in the 2012 election, along with examples of ads they have aired against candidates in those races.

<h3 style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Missouri Senate Race</h3>

On August 20th, Crossroads GPS stopped airing ads against Senator Claire McCaskill in the Missouri Senate Race in response to comments made by McCaskill's opponent, Todd Akin. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-18">[19]</a>. Akin had, several days previous, questioned whether a women could get pregnant from “legitimate rape," which lead to speculation that he might withdraw from the race. Though he did not withdraw, Crossroads GPS did not resume ad buys in Missouri.

Lemmings and Liberals: A radio ad from February 2012 that attacks Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill for supporting the Affordable Care Act. "only two creatures follow their leader off of a cliff", the ad says, "Lemmings and Washington Liberals." The ad claims McCaskill's support allowed Obama to force "charities and religious hospitals to provide services that violate their beliefs," an oblique reference to the law's <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://atr.rollcall.com/missouri-crossroads-gps-hits-mccaskill-in-new-radio-ad/">Compromise Policy on Birth Control</a>.

<h3 style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Massachusetts Senate Race</h3>

In November 2011, Crossroads GPS ran an <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNxez4ddpa0&feature=youtube_gdata_player%3Ehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNxez4ddpa0&feature=youtube_gdata_player">ad</a> in Massachusetts criticizing Senate candidate <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Elizabeth_Warren" title="Elizabeth Warren">Elizabeth Warren</a> for supporting <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Occupy_Wall_Street" title="Occupy Wall Street">Occupy Wall Street</a>, and claiming the Occupy protesters “attack police, do drugs and trash public parks. They support radical redistribution of wealth and violence.”

The source for the ad's "radical redistribution of wealth" claim comes from an <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204479504576637082965745362.html">article</a> critical of the protests in the Wall Street Journal by pollster Douglas Schoen. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-19">[20]</a> Schoen wrote in the article that the protesters supported "radical redistribution," but his own numbers actually showed only 4% of those polled supported the concept. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-TP_Schoen-20">[21]</a> In contrast, 35% of those polled said they'd like to influence the Democratic party (and 5% said they wanted a flat tax, a policy typically supported by conservatives). <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-TP_Schoen-20">[21]</a>

The ad quotes the Schoen article over the image of a sign that says "fight for socialism, abolish capitalism," apparently implying that the Occupy protesters were socialists and Warren was one of them. However, a section of the Schoen poll not superimposed over the "socialist" image showed an even number of protesters identified with the socialist and libertarian parties. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-21">[22]</a>

The ad also uses a quote from Warren where she says “I created much of the intellectual foundation for what they do” to imply she was responsible for any violence that happens at the Occupy protests. What she actually said in an interview with The Daily Beast was this:

<dd>EW: Look, everybody has to follow the law. That’s the starting point. I’ve been fighting this fight for years and years now. As I see it, this is about two central points: one, this is about the lack of accountability. That Wall Street has not been held accountable for how they broke the economy. The second is a values question, a fundamental fairness around the way that markets have been distorted and families have been hurt. I’m still fighting that fight. I’m just fighting it from this angle…I want to fight it from the floor of the United States Senate. I think that is a place to make this difference.</dd>

</dl>

<dd>TDB: Is showing solidarity with them going to get in the way of that?</dd>

</dl>

<dd>EW: It’s not a question of solidarity. I just don’t think that’s the right way to say it. I support what they do. I want to say this in a way that doesn’t sound puffy. I created much of the intellectual foundation for what they do. That’s the right thing. There has to be multiple ways for people to get involved and take back our country. The fight that I’m fighting now is one that is directed towards the United State Senate. That’s just how I see it. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-22">[23]</a></dd>

</dl>

<h4 style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Commentary on the Warren Opposition</h4>

NBC's Michael Isikoff reported in 2010 that "a substantial portion of Crossroads GPS’ money came from a small circle of extremely wealthy Wall Street hedge fund and private equity moguls, according to GOP fundraising sources who spoke with NBC News on condition of anonymity." <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-23">[24]</a>

In light of this, the director of the watchdog group Campaign Money Watch David Donnelly said of the group's anti-Occupy, anti-Elizabeth Warren ad:

“This is an ad by the one percent, for the one percent."

Ari Berman writes in The Nation why Rove and Republicans have set their sights on Warren so early in the race:

"Number one: she’s running even with Brown in a race that may very decide control of the Senate.

Number two: her reformist background and brand of progressive populism is deeply resonant right now. Unlike so many in Washington, she’s taken on the banks and their allies, is not beholden to them, and is not afraid of them. That makes her dangerous to the political establishment in both parties. No wonder Tim Geithner didn’t want her running the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Karl Rove doesn’t want her in the Senate.

Republicans are particularly afraid of her—she’s the best spokesperson the Democratic Party has on economic policy and has the potential to become one of the most popular politicians in America precisely because of her tenacity in confronting the very corporate interests who caused the economic crisis. That’s why Republicans have tried so hard to demonize her—both when she was setting up the CFPB and now that she’s running for Senate." <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-24">[25]</a>

<h3 style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">North Dakota Senate Race</h3>

Opensecrets estimates that Crossroads GPS has spent at least $387,395 influencing the North Dakota senate race, spending all their money to oppose Democratic senator Heidi Heitkamp. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-25">[26</a>

<li>Pay Raise: this August 15th, 2012 ad claims Heidi Heitkamp, the Democratic candidate running against Republican Rep. Rick Berg for North Dakota's senate seat, purchased private planes using taxpayer dollars during her tenure as the state's Attorney General. In reality, the plane mentioned in the ad was provided by the defense department for free, and used for anti-drug enforcement <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-26">[27]</a> Crossroads paid $191,000 to air the ad in North Dakota, and was briefly taken down, but re-aired several days later with only minor changes. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-27">[2</a></li>

<li>Your Vote: this September 18th, 2012 ad claims that Heitkamp provides a "rubber stamp for Obama's liberal agenda," and attacks Heitkamp for supporting the affordable care act, which the ad claims cut $700 billion from Medicare. The ad also attacks her for calling Barack Obama "amazing".</li>

</ul>

<h3 style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Ohio Senate Race</h3>

Opensecrets estimates that Crossroads GPS has spent over $2 million influencing the 2012 Ohio Senate election, with all their money helping to oppose the re-election of Democrat Sherrod Brown. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-28">[29]</a> Crossroads GPS was one of the independent groups that spent early to support Brown's opponent, Josh Mandel, turning an initially safe race into a very close one <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-29">[30]</a>, The total spending by outside groups involved in the Ohio race has been estimated to be as high as $15 million. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-30">[31]</a>. GPS's Ohio ads have targeted Brown for his support of the affordable care act and his alleged "anti-coal" stance.

<h3 style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Virginia Senate race</h3>

<li>Cost: In an unusual shift from their austerity agenda, this August 15th, 2012 ad attacks Virginia Senator Time Kaine for supporting a budget plan that "puts defense spending at risk", and claims that Kaine cost Virginia hundreds of thousands of jobs. This ad was part of a larger $1.5 million dollar buy to influence the Virginia senate race. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-31">[32]</a></li>

</ul>

<h3 style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Wisconsin Senate Race</h3>

In August and September of 2012, Crossroads GPS spent $2.1 Million on two ad buys attacking Democratic Senate Candidate Tammy Baldwin, including one single d buy totaling $1.1 million dollars. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-32">[33]</a> Crossroads GPS's ads targeted Baldwin for overspending and her support for the 2009 Recovery and Reinvestment act and the Affordable Care Act, both of which Crossroads GPS does not support. The group's September buys also attacked Baldwin for being too "extreme" for Wisconsin, making heavy use of a clip of Baldwin's speech during the 2011 Madison protests, where she says "You're damn right we're making a difference".

Examples of Crossroads GPS's Anti-Baldwin ads are included below:

<li>With a T: An ad aired on August 15th, 2012, immediately after the 2012 Wisconsin senate Primary attacking Democratic Nominee for Senate Tammy Baldwin. The ad attacks Baldwin for supporting the "failed stimulus". The ad blames the massive national debt increases over the last decade on Tammy Baldwin and the Obama Stimulus, though the debt increase can be largely attributed to other factors, including the 2008 financial collapse. Crossroads GPS has made misleading statements to this effect before. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-33">[34]</a> Crossroads paid $250,000 to air the ad in the first week after the Wisconsin Senate Primaries. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-34">[]</a></li>

<li>Dang Right: An ad aired on september 17th, 2012, the ad calls Baldwin "out of touch with Wisconsin" and claims Baldwin supports "bigger government" and "extreme politics" and lists, as examples, Baldwin's support for the Affordable Care act and her alleged support for higher taxes on middle class families.</li>

</ul>

</div>

<ul>

<li>Stamp: blames Baldwin for supporting "Wall Street bailouts," "pork barrel spending", and "a new health-care tax on middle-class families." Like the ad above, this one describes Baldwin as "extreme". Crossroads GPS spent $1 million dollars airing this ad, making it the largest single buy in the Wisconsin Senate Race, as well as one of their largest ad buys on a 2012 senate race. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-35">[36]</a></li>

</ul>

<h3>Iowa and Nebraska Campaign</h3>

In the fall of 2011, Crossroads GPS conducted an ad campaign in Iowa and Nebraska in advance of the 2011 Republican Straw Poll, they ran two ads, for a total buy of $400,000 dollars. Both ads targeted House Iowa Congressman Leonard Boswell, comparing him to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-36">[37]</a>

<h2>2010 Midterm Election Activity</h2>

According to the Sunlight Foundation, Crossroads GPS spent $17 million in the 2010 midterm elections without disclosing their donors. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-37">[38]</a> NBC reported in 2010 that "a substantial portion of Crossroads GPS’ money came from a small circle of extremely wealthy Wall Street hedge fund and private equity moguls, according to GOP fundraising sources who spoke with NBC News on condition of anonymity. These donors have been bitterly opposed to a proposal by congressional Democrats — and endorsed by the Obama administration — to increase the tax rates on compensation that hedge funds pay their partners, the sources said." <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-38">[39]</a>

Crossroads GPS reportedly spent $17 million in the 2010 elections supporting Republican candidates (most often by running ads attacking their opponents). Here is a list of the targeted candidates, noting whether the expendites were opposing or supporting that candidate, and whether the candidate won or lost the election.

<ul>

<li>Giannoulias, Alexander (D) IL Senate $4,479,605 (against) Lost</li>

<li>Murray, Patty (D) WA Senate $3,597,316 (against) Winner</li>

<li>Reid, Harry (D) NV Senate $2,253,258 (against) Winner</li>

<li>Conway, Jack (D) KY Senate $1,145,296 (against) Lost</li>

<li>Sestak, Joseph A Jr (D) PA Senate $809,196 (against) Lost</li>

<li>Carnahan, Robin (D) MO Senate $714,234 (against) Lost</li>

<li>Boccieri, John A (D) OH House $447,125 (against) Lost</li>

<li>Carnahan, Robin (D) MO Senate $405,118 (against) Lost</li>

<li>Crist, Charlie (I) FL Senate $354,016 (against) Lost</li>

<li>Rubio, Marco (R) FL Senate $353,605 (support) Winner</li>

<li>Costa, Jim (D) CA House $337,825 (against) Winner</li>

<li>Conway, Jack (D) KY Senate $337,270 (against) Lost</li>

<li>Reid, Harry (D) NV Senate $332,473 (against) Winner</li>

<li>Rodriguez, Ciro (D) TX House $331,600 (against) Lost</li>

<li>Davis, Lincoln (D) TN House $272,100 (against) Lost</li>

<li>Carnahan, Russ (D) MO House $250,225 (against) Winner</li>

<li>Donnelly, Joe (D) IN House $250,003 (against) Winner</li>

<li>Pomeroy, Earl (D) ND House $247,700 (against) Lost</li>

<li>Bennet, Michael (D) CO Senate $213,477 (against) Winner</li>

<li>Angle, Sharron (R) NV Senate $126,014 (support) Lost</li>

<li>Oberstar, James (D) MN House $48,546 (against) Lost</li>

</ul>

<h2>Investigation Attempts</h2>

In late September 2010, Montana Senator Max Baucus called on the IRS to investigate political activity by groups like Crossroads GPS, in violation of the Internal Revenue Code. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-40">[41]</a> The Campaign Legal Center and Democracy 2010 joined the call in early October.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-41">[42]</a>

"With hundreds of millions of dollars being spent in election contests by tax-exempt entities,” he wrote, “it is time to take a fresh look at current practices and how they comport with the internal revenue code’s rules for nonprofits.” In his letter, Mr. Baucus asked the I.R.S. for a report of its findings, highlighting any possible violations of tax laws. Based on the agency’s review, he said, he plans to ask the committee to open its own investigation. “Groups who abuse the tax code claiming to be non-profits while pushing an overtly political agenda should not be able to trample justice, or fair, honest and open elections,” the senator said.

On October 6, 2010, conservative CNBC host and <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/National_Review" title="National Review">National Review</a> columnist <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Larry_Kudlow" title="Larry Kudlow" class="mw-redirect">Larry Kudlow</a> called for American Crossroads to make their donors public.

“Why not have the media posting of the contribution information on the Internet? That's all. And let everybody decide… Who, what, when, how, where, who got it? Put it up on the net and let free speech and free politics take its work… American Crossroads and Karl Rove and all them should post also.”

<h2>Ties to Other Groups</h2>

American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS share office space with the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Action_Network" title="American Action Network">American Action Network</a> a group which promotes "Center Right Policies". <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-42">[43]</a> They also share office space with <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Americans_for_Job_Security" title="Americans for Job Security">Americans for Job Security</a>, Crossroads Media occasionally contracts with Americans for Job Security, in the last election cycle, AJS gave Crossroads media $2.95 million for media services. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_note-43">[44]</a>

<h2>Sourcewatch resources</h2>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Crossroads" title="American Crossroads">American Crossroads</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Edward_W._Gillespie" title="Edward W. Gillespie">Edward W. Gillespie</a></li>

</ul>

<h2>External resources</h2>

<h2>Contact</h2>

Crossroads GPS

1401 New York Avenue, NW Suite 1200

Washington, DC 20005

Phone: (202) 559-6424

info@crossroadsgps.org

<h2>References</h2>

<li id="cite_note-0"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-0">↑</a> S.V. Date: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2012/09/12/161029173/roves-crossroads-gps-gets-explicit-in-anti-obama-air-war">Crossroads GPS Gets Explicit in Anti-Obama Air War</a>, NPR.Org, September 12, 2012</li>

<li id="cite_note-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-1">↑</a> Crossroads GPS: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.crossroadsgps.org/about/">about</a> Accessed February 23rd, 2012</li>

<li id="cite_note-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-2">↑</a> Peter H. Stone: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-center-for-public-integrity/crossroads-groups-raise-w_b_1245575.html">Crossroads groups raise 51 million in 2011</a> iWatch news, Accessed February 24th, 2012</li>

<li id="cite_note-3"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-3">↑</a> Justin Elliot: <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.salon.com/2010/09/20/rove_group_more_millionaire_donations/">[1]</a> Billionaires give 91% of funds for Rove-tied group] Slate, Accessed February 24th, 2012</li>

<li id="cite_note-4"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-4">↑</a> Public Citizen report, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/37489464/Fading-Disclosure-Increasing-Number-of-Electioneering-Groups-Keep-Donors-Identities-Secret">Fading Disclosure: Increasing Number of Electioneering Groups Keep Donors Identities Secret</a>, September 15, 2010.</li>

<li id="cite_note-TIME_article-5">↑ <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-TIME_article_5-0">6.0</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-TIME_article_5-1">6.1</a> Michael Crowley,<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,2019509,00.html">The New GOP Money Stampede</a>, TIME Magazine,Sept. 16, 2010, accessed September 19, 2010.</li>

<li id="cite_note-NY_Times-6"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-NY_Times_6-0">↑</a> Michael Luo and Stephanie Strom, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/21/us/politics/21money.html?_r=2&hp=&pagewanted=all">Anonymous Donors Play Big Role in Midterms</a>, New York Times, Sept. 20, 2010.</li>

<li id="cite_note-Propublica-7"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-Propublica_7-0">↑</a> Kim Barker, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.propublica.org/article/two-dark-money-groups-outspending-all-super-pacs-combined">Two Dark Money Groups Outspending All SuperPACs Combined</a>, ProPublica, August 13th, 2012.</li>

<li id="cite_note-8"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-8">↑</a> OpenSecrets.org <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/indexpend.php?cycle=2012&cmte=C90011719">Crossroads GPS Expenditures</a> Accessed 11/2/2012.</li>

<li id="cite_note-9"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-9">↑</a> The Sunlight Foundation: <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://reporting.sunlightfoundation.com/2012/let-electioneering-begin/">http://reporting.sunlightfoundation.com/2012/let-electioneering-begin/</a> Let Electioneering Begin accessed February 24th, 2012</li>

<li id="cite_note-10"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-10">↑</a> Josh Israel, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/03/23/450772/crossroads-gps-launches-false-ad-gas-prices/?mobile=nc">Crossroads GPS Launches False ad</a>, ThinkProgress, March 23rd, 2012.</li>

<li id="cite_note-11"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-11">↑</a> Bob Cesca: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://thedailybanter.com/2012/05/the-truth-about-the-president-and-the-deficit-part-three/">the Truth about the President and the Deficit, part 3</a>, The Daily Banter, May 29th, 2012.</li>

<li id="cite_note-12"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-12">↑</a> Crossroads GPS press release: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.crossroadsgps.org/2012/05/crossroads-gps-launches-9-7-million-tv-issue-ad-basketball-to-frame-debate-on-economy-taxes-and-debt/">Crossroads GPS launches $9.7 million TV issue ad to Frame Debate on Taxes, Economy, and Debt</a>, May 22nd, 2012.</li>

<li id="cite_note-13"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-13">↑</a> Sushannah Walshe: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/07/rove-backed-super-pac-25m-ad-buy-attacks-obama/">Rove-Backed SuperPAC's 25 Million Dollar Ad Buy attacks Obama</a>, ABC News, July 6th, 2012</li>

<li id="cite_note-14"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-14">↑</a> Crossroads GPS press release: [<a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.crossroadsgps.org/2012/07/crossroads-gps-launches-new-tv-issue-ad-focused-on-worst-economic-recover-america-has-ever-had/">http://www.crossroadsgps.org/2012/07/crossroads-gps-launches-new-tv-issue-ad-focused-on-worst-economic-recover-america-has-ever-had/</a> Crossroads GPS launches new TV issue ad focused on the worst economic recovery America has ever had, July 31st, 2012.</li>

<li id="cite_note-15"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-15">↑</a> Ashley Killough: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/08/15/crossroads-releases-new-wave-of-ads-against-democratic-senate-candidates/">Crossroads Releases New Wave of Ads Against Democratic Senate Candidates</a>, CNN Political Tracker, August 15th, 2012.</li>

<li id="cite_note-16"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-16">↑</a> David Drucker: [<a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.rollcall.com/issues/58_3/American-Crossroads-70-Million-Blitz-Senate-GOP-216027-1.html">http://www.rollcall.com/issues/58_3/American-Crossroads-70-Million-Blitz-Senate-GOP-216027-1.html</a> American Crossroads' $70 million dollar blitz, Roll Call, July 11th, 2012.</li>

<li id="cite_note-17"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-17">↑</a> Matea Gold: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-american-crossroads-comes-to-romneys-rescue-with-new-obama-attack-20120719,0,7787980.story">American Crossroads Comes to Romney's Rescue</a>. LA Times. Published July 19th, 2012. Accessed July 20th, 2012.</li>

<li id="cite_note-18"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-18">↑</a> Alexander Burns: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/08/crossroads-pulls-out-of-missouri-after-akin-comments-132572.html">Crossroads Pulls out of Missouri after Akin Comments</a>, Politico, August 20th, 2012</li>

<li id="cite_note-19"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-19">↑</a> Douglas Schoen, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204479504576637082965745362.html">Polling the Occupy Wall Street Crowd</a>, Wall Street Journal, Oct. 18, 2011.</li>

<li id="cite_note-TP_Schoen-20">↑ <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-TP_Schoen_20-0">21.0</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-TP_Schoen_20-1">21.1</a> Judd Legum, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/10/18/347165/breaking-doug-schoen-grossly-misrepresents-his-own-poll-results-to-smear-occupy-wall-street/">BREAKING: Doug Schoen Grossly Misrepresents His Own Poll Results To Smear Occupy Wall Street</a>, Think Progress, Oct 18, 2011 (accessed Nov. 10, 2011).</li>

<li id="cite_note-21"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-21">↑</a> AZI PAYBARAH, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/culture/2011/10/3790409/survey-many-occupy-wall-street-protesters-are-unhappy-democrats-who-">Many Occupy Protesters Are Unhappy Democrats Who Want More Influence,</a> CapitalNewYork.com, Oct 18, 2011 (accessed Nov 10, 2011).</li>

<li id="cite_note-22"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-22">↑</a> Samuel P. Jacobs, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/10/26/elizabeth-warren-more-comments-about-occupy-wall-street.html">Elizabeth Warren Talks Occupy Wall Street</a>, The Daily Beast, Oct. 26, 2011 (accessed Nov. 10, 2011).</li>

<li id="cite_note-23"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-23">↑</a> Michael Isikoff and Rich Gardella, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39995283/ns/politics-decision_2010/#.TrxXYoBW4yM">Spending blitz by outside groups helped secure big GOP wins,</a> NBC Today news, Nov. 4, 2010 (accessed Nov 10, 2011).</li>

<li id="cite_note-24"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-24">↑</a> Ari Berman, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.thenation.com/blog/164517/karl-rove-vs-elizabeth-warren">Karl Rove v Elizabeth Warren</a>, The Nation, Nov. 10, 2011.</li>

<li id="cite_note-25"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-25">↑</a> Opensecrets.org: Outside spending report for the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/races/indexp.php?cycle=2012&id=NDS2">North Dakota Senate race</a>, Accessed September 27th, 2012</li>

<li id="cite_note-26"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-26">↑</a> AP: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.newsdakota.com/2012/08/09/group-pulls-political-ad-after-heitkamp-calls-it-false/">Group Pulls Political Ad after Heitkamp calls it false</a>, Published in Newsdakota, August 9th, 2012.</li>

<li id="cite_note-27"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-27">↑</a> William Dooling: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.prwatch.org/news/2012/08/11711/crossroads-gps-spins-lies-north-dakota-senate-race">Crossroads GPS Spins Lies in North Dakota Senate Race</a>, PRWatch, August 16th, 2012.</li>

<li id="cite_note-28"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-28">↑</a> Opensecrets: Outside Spending Report for the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/races/indexp.php?cycle=2012&id=OHS1">Ohio Senate Race</a>, Accessed September 28th, 2012</li>

<li id="cite_note-29"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-29">↑</a> Daily Kos: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/09/23/1135525/-OH-Sen-Sherrod-Brown-vs-Josh-Mandel-Why-is-this-even-a-contest">OH Sen: Sherrod Brown vs. Josh Mandel: Why is this even a contest?</a>, September 23rd, 2012</li>

<li id="cite_note-30"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-30">↑</a> John Seewer: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.theintelligencer.net/page/content.detail/id/573333/Brown--Mandel-Race-Is-Most-Expensive-in-Nation.html?nav=5208">Brown/Mandel Race is the Most Expensive in the Nation</a>, The Intelligencer, August 23rd, 2012</li>

<li id="cite_note-31"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-31">↑</a> Cameron Joseph: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/senate-races/243753-crossroads-launches-six-state-47m-senate-ad-buy">Crossroads launches Six State, $4.7M Senate ad Buy</a>, The Hill, August 15th, 2012</li>

<li id="cite_note-32"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-32">↑</a> Opensecrets.org: Outside Spending Report for the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/races/indexp.php?cycle=2012&id=WIS1">Wisconsin Senate Race</a></li>

<li id="cite_note-33"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-33">↑</a> Glenn Kessler: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/obama-and-the-national-debt-the-latest-crossroads-gps-ad/2012/06/06/gJQAAmjOJV_blog.html">Crossroads GPS and the national debt</a>, Washington Post, June 7th, 2012.</li>

<li id="cite_note-34"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-34">↑</a> Wispolitics: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://elections.wispolitics.com/2012/08/crossroads-gps-targets-baldwin-in-new.html">Crossroads GPS targets Baldwin in New Ad</a>, August 15th, 2012.</li>

<li id="cite_note-35"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-35">↑</a> FEC Filings: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/dcdev/forms/C90011719/811790/f57">Crossroads GPS</a>, Filed September 26th, 2012</li>

<li id="cite_note-36"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-36">↑</a> Crossroads GPS <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.crossroadsgps.org/2011/12/crossroads-gps-launches-new-tv-ad-in-iowa-targeting-leonard-boswell%E2%80%99s-support-of-obamacare/">Crossroads GPS launches new TV ad in Iowa</a> Accessed February 24th, 2012</li>

<li id="cite_note-37"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-37">↑</a> Sunlight Foundation Reporting Group, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://reporting.sunlightfoundation.com/independent-">expenditures/committee/crossroads-grassroots-policy-strategies Crossroads GPS 2010 Election Spending</a> (last visited March 6, 2011).</li>

<li id="cite_note-38"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-38">↑</a> Michael Isikoff and Rich Gardella, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39995283/ns/politics-decision_2010/">Spending blitz by outside groups helped secure big GOP wins</a>, NBC News, Nov. 4, 2010 (accessed March 16, 2011).</li>

<li id="cite_note-39"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-39">↑</a> Center for Responsive Politics/Open Secrets <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/recips.php?cmte=Crossroads+Grassroots+Policy+Strategies&cycle=2010">Crossroads GPS Recipients, 2010</a> (based on data released by the FEC, Feb 2010.</li>

<li id="cite_note-40"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-40">↑</a> Ken Vogel, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/42882.html">Baucus Seeks Probe of GOP Groups</a>, POLITICO (Sept. 29, 2010).</li>

<li id="cite_note-41"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-41">↑</a> Center for Competitive Politics, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.campaignfreedom.org/newsroom/detail/memo-on-campaign-finance-allegations-against-crossroads-gps-and-the-us-chamber">Memo on Campaign Finance Allegations Against Crossroads GPS and the US Chamber</a> (Oct 6, 2010).</li>

<li id="cite_note-42"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-42">↑</a> Kennith P. Vogel: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/42433.html">American Crossroads now Targets House Races</a> Posted 9/20/10. Accessed July 20th, 2012.</li>

<li id="cite_note-43"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_Grassroots_Policy_Strategies#cite_ref-43">↑</a> Paul Blumenthal: Sunlight Foundation profile: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://sunlightfoundation.com/blog/taxonomy/term/americans-for-job-security/">Americans for Job Security</a>. Accessed August 16th, 2012.</li>

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===

Alexi Giannoulias “can’t be trusted,” the 2010 election ad said. His family’s bank loaned money to mobsters, he accepted an illegal tax break and he even squandered money that families were saving for college.

If the charges were true, the U.S. Senate candidate from Illinois must have been a real creep. But they were bogus. Giannoulias, the Democratic candidate, lost anyway.

His accuser was not his opponent. It was an anonymously funded, pro-Republican nonprofit called <a href="http://www.iwatchnews.org/2012/06/21/9168/nonprofit-profile-crossroads-gps">Crossroads GPS</a>, a “social welfare” organization that, thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, can accept unlimited donations from corporations, wealthy individuals and unions, and run attack ads.

In short, it functions just like the better-known super PACs but with a major distinction — it is not required to disclose its donors, despite the high court’s consistent support for disclosure rules

===

targetted online ads:

But these same dark money groups are also quietly expanding their online advertising efforts, using sophisticated targeting tactics to send their ads to specific kinds of people.

Who they’re targeting, and what data they’re using, is secret.

Online advertising companies have amassed vast quantities of information on what individual people read, watch, and do on the Internet. They collect this data using small files called cookies, which allows them to track Internet users as they move from site to site.

These anonymous profiles of information are used to customize advertisements—like sending casino ads to someone who just bought a plane ticket to Vegas.

But these profiles are also increasingly used by political groups, which can decide which people to target with a message—and which people to avoid—based on the kinds of articles they read and the kinds of sites they visit.

Many Internet users who see these ads may not be aware they’re being targeted.

As <a href="http://www.propublica.org/article/how-mitt-romney-followed-me-around-the-internet">we’ve detailed</a>, both the <a href="http://www.propublica.org/article/how-mitt-romney-followed-me-around-the-internet">Romney</a> and <a href="http://www.propublica.org/article/how-microsoft-and-yahoo-are-selling-politicians-access-to-you">Obama</a> campaigns are using advanced tracking and targeting tactics. Working with our readers, we found two examples of dark money groups using this kind of targeting, as well: one ad from Crossroads GPS and one ad from Americans for Prosperity, a nonprofit linked to the politically influential Koch brothers.

How many of these ads are dark money groups sending out? It’s hard to say, because it’s not easy to track exactly how much Crossroads, Americans for Prosperity, and similar groups are spending on different kinds of advertising.

But these politically influential organizations are moving more of their efforts online.

While Crossroads spokesman Jonathan Collegio said he couldn’t get into the specifics of their budget, “Crossroads will certainly spend more in the online space in 2012 than it did in 2010,” he said.

Americans for Prosperity did not return multiple requests for comment.

Even when Internet users are sophisticated enough to spot a targeted ad, as Lauren Berns did, it is almost impossible for them to find out why a certain organization is targeting them—or what data about them is being used.... <a href="http://www.propublica.org/article/dark-money-political-groups-target-voters-based-on-their-internet-habits">http://www.propublica.org/article/dark-money-political-groups-target-voters-based-on-their-internet-habits</a>

===

neg ads/lies:

An ad by Karl Rove-backed Crossroads GPS was yanked from rotation on a Montana cable show because it made claims that the <a href="http://bit.ly/s6Yo1T" target="_hplink">network deemed false</a>.

Recently a number of ads by the well-funded conservative outfit have been declared misleading and false, but the spot targeting Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) is apparently the first pulled from the air. The Associated Press reported that other outlets are still running the ad.

In it, Tester is accused of supporting an Environmental Protection Agency rule -- a rule that was <a href="http://bit.ly/v3In5o" target="hplink">never in fact proposed</a> -- to regulate farm dust. But the <a href="http://1.usa.gov/swF8yu" target="hplink">vote that the ad cites</a> actually had nothing to do with dust or the EPA; it was a procedural vote on a measure aimed at cracking down on China for manipulating currency.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) had hoped to bring up the anti-EPA amendment -- which targeted regulation of soot, not farm dust -- but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) never even <a href="http://huff.to/uuRznJ" target="_hplink">let it get to the floor</a>.

Because of that, Cablevision's Optimum cable service dropped the ad, the AP reported.

Crossroads GPS, which is affiliated with American Crossroads, has also been heavily criticized for ads in several other states, including spots attacking Democratic Senate contenders <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/09/elizabeth-warren-karl-rove_n_1085180.html" target="hplink">Elizabeth Warren in Massachusetts</a> and <a href="http://bit.ly/sKf59f" target="hplink">Tim Kaine in Virginia</a>.

Greg Sargent of the Washington Post highlighted Friday how the Warren spot <a href="http://wapo.st/rBM4R8" target="hplink">"falsely insinuates"</a> that Warren supports violence by Occupy Wall Street protesters. And PolitiFact rated as <a href="http://bit.ly/sWeB6N" target="hplink">"mostly false"</a> claims made against Kaine. The Kaine spot also accused him of running a deficit as governor of Virginia, but Virginia state law prohibits deficits.

A spokesman for Crossroads GPS could not immediately be reached for comment.

UPDATE: Friday 7:17 p.m. and 8:50 p.m. -- Nate Hodson of Crossroads said in defense of the pulled ad, "It was a very small cable system. The four largest broadcast stations in Montana reviewed the facts supporting the ad and will continue airing it."

He said later, "We are communicating with the cable system and expect that the ad will be back up and running on cable soon." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/11/crossroads-ad-karl-rove-false-jon-tester_n_1089182.html?ref=homepage

===

...The IRS doesn't comment on individual groups but is expected to give <a href="http://www.politicsandlawblog.com/2012/03/26/501c4-social-welfare-organizations-facing-increased-scrutiny/">more scrutiny</a> to politicking social-welfare nonprofits this year, considering the major role the groups are expected to play in the election. Together with its affiliated super PAC, American Crossroads, Crossroads GPS hopes to raise $300 million, primarily to help defeat President Barack Obama and to elect Republicans to Congress.

Crossroads GPS reported <a href="https://www.propublica.org/documents/item/339122-crossroads-gps-990-2010#document/p14">64 donors</a> in its first year, between June 2010 and May 2011, including four who gave $10.1 million, $5 million, $4.5 million and $4 million. There were <a href="https://www.propublica.org/documents/item/339124-crossroads-gps-990-2011#document/p14">32 donors</a> in the last seven months of 2011, including two who gave $10 million and $4.3 million. It's unknown whether any of them were repeat donors.

Between June 2010 and May 2011, Crossroads GPS spent about <a href="https://www.propublica.org/documents/item/339122-crossroads-gps-990-2010#document/p1/a53032">$42.3 million</a>, including about <a href="https://www.propublica.org/documents/item/339122-crossroads-gps-990-2010#document/p27/a52981">$15.9 million directly for political ads</a> and another <a href="https://www.propublica.org/documents/item/339122-crossroads-gps-990-2010#document/p38/a52982">$15.9 million on grants</a> to 12 like-minded nonprofits and trade groups.

The $15.9 million that Crossroads GPS gave in grants coincided with the midterm 2010 elections. The money included $500,000 to the <a href="https://www.propublica.org/documents/item/339122-crossroads-gps-990-2010#document/p38/a53036">American Action Network</a>, the conservative nonprofit that once shared an office with Crossroads GPS and American Crossroads, and $4 million to <a href="https://www.propublica.org/documents/item/339122-crossroads-gps-990-2010#document/p38/a53035">Americans for Tax Reform</a>, formed by anti-tax activist and GOP heavy hitter Grover Norquist.

Federal Election Commission records show that these groups, as well as five other grant recipients of <a href="https://www.propublica.org/documents/item/339122-crossroads-gps-990-2010#document/p38/a52982">Crossroads GPS</a>, spent money on political ads, directly or <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/527s/electioneering.php">indirectly</a>, in the 2010 election cycle. The grant money that groups received from Crossroads was <a href="https://www.propublica.org/documents/item/339122-crossroads-gps-990-2010#document/p40/a53071">earmarked for non-political activities</a>.

In its 2011 filing, which covers the last seven months of the year, Crossroads GPS reported spending almost <a href="https://www.propublica.org/documents/item/339124-crossroads-gps-990-2011#document/p1/a53037">$22.4 million</a>, including <a href="https://www.propublica.org/documents/item/339124-crossroads-gps-990-2011#document/p22/a52984">$1.7 million</a> on political ads, including <a href="http://www.crossroadsgps.org/2011/12/crossroads-gps-launches-new-tv-ad-detailing-obama%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%9Ccrony-keynesianism%E2%80%9D-with-solyndra-debacle/">this anti-Obama ad</a>. It gave only one grant, of <a href="https://www.propublica.org/documents/item/339124-crossroads-gps-990-2011#document/p33/a52980">$50,000</a>, to a charity called the Ethics and Public Policy Center. The organization <a href="http://www.eppc.org/about/">describes itself</a> as "D.C.'s premier institute dedicated to applying the Judeo-Christian moral tradition to critical issues of public policy."

<a href="http://www.propublica.org/article/read-the-tax-returns-from-karl-roves-dark-money-group-donors-still-a-myster">http://www.propublica.org/article/read-the-tax-returns-from-karl-roves-dark-money-group-donors-still-a-myster</a>

<a href="http://twitter.com/Kim_Barker" class="twitter-follow-button">Follow @Kim_Barker</a>

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AMERICAN CROSSROADS

Staffed by former officials from the Republican National Committee and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and associated with Karl Rove. Many consider it more important than the RNC itself. Certainly American Crossroads and Fox News control the GOP’s message in a way the Republican National Committee does not and cannot. It is not unfair to say that during a presidential election year, the Republican Party is more an adjunct to American Crossroads, than vice versa.

The funders:

<li><img brain="false" alt="Jerry Perenchio" src="http://images.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2011/09/28/2012_gop_money/perenchio_thumb_w.jpg" height="176" width="125" style=" float: right;" />Jerry Perenchio, the former CEO of Univision, has already given a whopping $2 million to the group. Perenchio has been <a target="_blank" href="http://michellemalkin.com/2008/01/28/open-borders-campaign-finance-hypocrisy-eco-radicalism-mccains-billionaire-national-finance-co-chair-jerry-perenchio/">attacked</a> by some right-wing commentators for his moderate stances on immigration issues. Befitting his more moderate politics, Perenchio in August signed on to the Jon Huntsman campaign as a member of the “California finance team” to help with fundraising. That move came four months after his contribution to Crossroads. Given Huntsman’s failure to pick up any steam, it’s not clear at this point what role Perenchio will play in the 2012 race. </li>

<li>

</li>

<li>Bob Perry: A Texan who made a fortune in the construction business, he has given $500,000 to Crossroads. A longtime friend of Rove, he’s been a huge donor to GOP causes for years. In 2010, he <a target="blank" href="http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/10/20/bob-perry-gives-7-million-to-american-crossroads/">gave</a> a staggering $7 million to Crossroads in a six-week period before Election Day. As for what issues he cares about, a spokesman once <a target="blank" href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5844156/ns/politics/t/swift-boat-backer-major-political-financier/">described</a> his philosophy this way: “People call him and pitch him, and if he likes what he hears, he’ll write a check.” That includes unsavory efforts like the 2004 Swift Boat Veterans for Truth attack campaign against John Kerry, which Perry bankrolled.</li>

<li>Robert Rowling: Another familiar name in the world of GOP fundraising, the Dallas billionaire has given $1 million to Crossroads — on top of the $2 million he gave the group during the 2010 campaign. He inherited a family oil fortune and has since become a successful investor in the hotel business, among others. The fact that Rowling’s company, TRT Holdings, owns Gold’s Gym generated a <a href="http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/10/25/san_francisco_gold_s_american_crossroads">backlash</a> in October 2010 when gay activists pointed out that Rowling’s contributions were funding “some of the most vehemently anti-gay politicians in the country.” Several San Francisco Gold’s franchises subsequently left the company. Interviewed on Fox at the time, Rowling <a href="http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/10/26/robert_rowling_golds_gym" class="storyLink">suggested</a> his support of Crossroads was all about “fiscal sanity” not “social issues.”</li>

</ul>

What you’ll hear: “Corrupt liberal elites squandered your hard-earned dollars on the socialist in the White House who appeases Muslims.”

Look for Crossroads to focus relentlessly on economic issues. Recent <a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fB93kEjnjUI&feature=player_embedded">Web</a> ads by the group hitting Obama for the stimulus package, for proposing new taxes on the wealthy, and imposing too many regulations on business offer a taste of what’s to come.

Crossroads’ favored form is the attack ad. The group has already bought <a target="blank" href="http://americancrossroads.org/news/new-american-crossroads-billboard-and-radio-ad-slam-sen-claire-mccaskill-over-misuse-private-je">billboards</a> and radio airtime targeting Sen. Claire McCaskill, who is seen as a vulnerable Dem in 2012, for a <a target="blank" href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/51675.html">scandal</a> involving unpaid taxes on her private plane.

What you won’t hear: “Let’s ban abortion.” “George W. Bush was a good president.”  “Time to reinstate ‘don’t ask, don’t tell.’”

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<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/11/solyndra-loan-crossroads-gps-ads_n_1142468.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/11/solyndra-loan-crossroads-gps-ads_n_1142468.html</a>  GPS

WASHINGTON — A Republican-leaning group will begin airing a major advertisement this week critical of the Obama administration's investment into a now-defunct solar-energy company, The Associated Press has learned.

Crossroads GPS will spend $500,000 on three cable network ads that hit President Barack Obama for "crony" government spending in his administration's half-billion-dollar loan guarantee to Solyndra.

The Fremont, Calif.-based solar-panel maker filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September and was the first renewable-energy company to receive a loan under a stimulus-law program to encourage green energy.

The "nationwide ad by Crossroads GPS is aimed at exposing this ugly underbelly of Obama's vision," according to a memo from Crossroads president Steven Law. It calls the Solyndra case "a powerful cautionary tale about big-government hubris and the cronyism it invariably invites."

The Crossroads ad, reviewed by the AP Sunday, is among the group's first sharply pointed ads aimed at President Barack Obama's record and in part highlights support for a company backed by a major Obama supporter. An AP review of government records this fall found the administration restructured the Solyndra loan so that private investors would be repaid before taxpayers in case of a default.

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update on attack ads on ew:<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/09/elizabeth-warren-karl-rove-ad-crossroads_n_1138789.html?view=print&comm_ref=false"> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/09/elizabeth-warren-karl-rove-ad-crossroads_n_1138789.html?view=print&comm_ref=false</a>  attempt to link her to OWS

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<h1 class="title" style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Rove's Crossroads GPS Attacks Occupy Movement, Elizabeth Warren</h1>

<div class="meta">Submitted by <a href="http://www.prwatch.org/users/35275/brendan-fischer" title="View user profile.">Brendan Fischer</a> on November 11, 2011 - 8:59am</div>

<li class="taxonomy_term_726"><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/topics/banking" rel="tag" title="">banking</a></li>

<li class="taxonomy_term_59"><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/topics/corporations" rel="tag" title="">corporations</a></li>

<li class="taxonomy_term_60"><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/topics/democracy" rel="tag" title="">democracy</a></li>

<li class="taxonomy_term_721"><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/topics/economy" rel="tag" title="">economy</a></li>

<li class="taxonomy_term_724 last"><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/taxonomy/term/724" rel="tag" title="">BanksterUSA</a></li>

</ul>

</div>

</div>

Karl Rove's Crossroads GPS is running an <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNxez4ddpa0&feature=youtube_gdata_player" title="reference on ad" target="blank">ad</a> in Massachusetts attacking the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Occupy_Wall_Street" title="reference on Occupy Wall Street" target="self">Occupy Wall Street</a> movement and U.S. Senate candidate <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Elizabeth_Warren" title="reference on Elizabeth Warren" target="_self">Elizabeth Warren</a> with some questionable assertions.

Warren, a Harvard law professor and longtime critic of financial gambling who oversaw the development of the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Consumer_Financial_Protection_Bureau" title="reference on Consumer Financial Protection Bureau" target="self">Consumer Financial Protection Bureau</a>, is running even with incumbent Scott Brown in a high-stakes race for the U.S. Senate. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_GPS" title="reference on Crossroads GPS" target="self">Crossroads GPS</a> is a secretly-funded 501(c)(4) group affiliated with Rove's <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=American_Crossroads" title="reference on American Crossroads" target="self">American Crossroads</a>. A heavy hitter in the campaign spending arena, the group spent $17 million in the 2010 elections, and is <a href="http://www.iwatchnews.org/2011/11/08/7333/haley-barbour-cranking-his-crossroads-fundraising-while-winding-down-governorship" title="reference on expected to spend $150 million" target="blank">expected to spend $150 million</a> in 2012.

The group is led by Stephen Law, former general counsel for the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=U.S.Chamber_of_Commerce" title="reference on U.S. Chamber of Commerce" target="self">U.S. Chamber of Commerce</a>, and Crossroads GPS <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2010/10/07/122863/chamber-commerce-crossroads/" title="reference on worked closely" target="_blank">worked closely</a> with the Chamber in 2010 to fight the Wall Street reforms that Warren supported.

<h3>Redistribution and Violence</h3>

Crossroads GPS is spending <a href="http://www.bostonherald.com/news/us_politics/view/2011_1110gop_ad_zeros_in_on_elizabeth_warrens_occupy_stance/" title="reference on nearly $600,000" target="blank">nearly $600,000</a> on the Warren <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNxez4ddpa0&feature=player_embedded" title="reference on ad" target="blank">ad</a>, which says "Elizabeth Warren sides with extreme left protesters" and that "at Occupy Wall Street, protesters attack police, do drugs and trash public parks. They support radical redistribution of wealth and violence.”

The ad flashes the words "radical redistribution of wealth" and <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204479504576637082965745362.html" title="reference on cites" target="blank">cites</a> to an article by pollster Douglas Schoen in the Wall Street Journal. Schoen wrote that the protesters supported "radical redistribution," but <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/10/18/347165/breaking-doug-schoen-grossly-misrepresents-his-own-poll-results-to-smear-occupy-wall-street/" title="reference on his own numbers" target="blank">his own numbers</a> (which were not included in the story) actually showed only 4% of those polled supported the concept. In fact, a greater number (5%) told Schoen they wanted a flat tax, a policy typically supported by conservatives. 35% of those polled offered a much more moderate goal -- they hoped to influence the Democratic party.

</div>

==

hightower 10/11  How big of a load? Just one of these money monsters, Karl Rove's "American Crossroads" raised a whopping $28 million from corporate interests to elect Republicans in last year's elections. But that's a mere trickle compared to the tsunami now headed our way --Rove's Crossroads PAC is presently amassing a democracy-shattering $240 million for 2012.

duncan ex rnc head

hightower:

3) CROSSROADS GPS--$17,122,446. This shadowy monster is the devilish spawn of right-wing guru Karl Rove. NBC News reports that the biggest part of <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Crossroads_gps" target="_blank">GPS</a>'s black-ops money comes from "a small circle of extremely wealthy Wall Street hedge fund and private equity moguls."

GPS works in tandem with <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=American_Crossroads" target="_blank">American Crossroads</a>, a twin sister also spawned by Rove. The latter outfit is a "527 super-PAC"--which allows rich individuals to donate unlimited personal funds (i.e., not from the corporate coffers) to independent campaigns. American Crossroads amalgamated $21,553,000 in such donations last year. While GPS cloaks the identities of its donors, super-PACs must report the source of their funds to the IRS. Since it's likely that many of AC's individual givers also tap their corporate treasuries to funnel undisclosed money to GPS, clearly the AC list provides some hint as to who's putting cash into the secret fund.

One prominent example is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Rowling" target="_blank">Rob Rowling</a>, a billionaire CEO who heads TRT Holdings, a Texas-based conglomerate that owns such highly visible brands as Gold's Gym and Omni Hotels. He got his tail in a crack last year when his $2.5 million personal donation to American Crossroads was reported. The Rove super-PAC had deeply offended the LGBT community across the country by funding some of the flaming anti-gay candidates of the Republican/Tea Party, leading to a consumer backlash against TRT's gyms and hotels. Rowling squealed that this was unfair, claiming that the money he gave to the gay bashers was his, not the corporation's. But--oops--it leaked out that Rob had also moved $2.5 million from TRT to the GPS stealth stash.

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<a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130845545">http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130845545</a>

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/28/american-crossroads-karl_n_627528.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/28/american-crossroads-karl_n_627528.html</a>

apr 10

Four affiliated political groups, some of them several years old, are working closely with American Crossroads. They don't hesitate to admit they are trying to catch up with Democratic rivals.

A Gillespie-founded group called Resurgent Republic "seeks to replicate on the right the success Democracy Corps has enjoyed on the left," it says on its Web site. The group focuses on political research and messaging.

The other affiliated organizations are:

_American Action Network, which will conduct polls, place TV ads and provide other services for conservative candidates. Its officers include former Nixon White House aide Fred Malek and former GOP Sens. George Allen of Virginia and Norm Coleman of Minnesota.

_American Action Forum, a related "policy institute."

_Republican State Leadership Committee, a 527 group that helps Republicans in state elections.

The blue chip pedigrees of the groups' leaders may seem somewhat at odds with the anti-establishment energy coursing through conservative communities. Led by the tea party movement, the fervor already has cost a Republican senator and two House members their seats in party primaries.

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crossroads media buys air?

Forti

Blackrock

Steven Law

<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads</a>

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According to a “<a target="_blank" href="http://www.politico.com/static/PPM169_crossroadsgpsconceptpaper.html">concept paper</a>” that was distributed last month to wealthy Republicans donors, American Crossroads GPS intends to build a “micro-team(s) of researchers and polling professionals” and “list development professionals and direct contact (mail/phones) consultants” to develop and disseminate “hard-hitting issue advocacy” attack Democrats by “exposing ObamaCare” as well as “the great ‘stimulus’ rip-off” and “the new federal bureaucrat elite – paid for by struggling private sector families.” ...

But a veteran GOP operative familiar with the group’s fundraising activities said the spin-off was formed largely because donors were reluctant to see their names publicly associated with giving to a 527 group, least of all one associated with Rove, who Democrats still revile for his role in running former President George W. Bush’s political operation.

GPS’s concept paper says that if it meets its fundraising goals, it will spend $18 million on “issue advocacy,” $15 million on “targeted grassroots advocacy,” $3 million on “issue research,” $2 million on polling and $5 million buying, renting and enhancing lists.

The paper says the GPS group will conduct “in-depth research on congressional expense account Abuses,” to blame Democrats for “failed border controls” and to frame the BP oil spill as “Obama’s Katrina.” But, Collegio insisted, “Crossroads GPS does not invest in opposition research.”

According to the paper, the group promises to “build the highest-quality national list of center-right advocates” by early August and to “deploy advertising and other issue information in August/September in key markets.” “We’re on track with both of those efforts,” Collegio said.

Law said GPS has hired an issues director – Steven Duffield, who has worked as a policy aide to the Republican National Committee and the Senate Republican Conference. And Collegio added that American Crossroads political director - National Republican Congressional Committee veteran Carl Forti, whose consulting firm has been paid more than $15,000 by the 527 - is overseeing a “Crossroads GPS micro-targeting effort.”

That effort is focused on seven states - Colorado, Florida, Missouri, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio and Washington - according to a new website unveiled Tuesday.

Neither Collegio nor Law was willing to discuss much about the new group. “We’re not inclined to get into much detail about the 501(c)4 on the financial side given its different reporting status,” Law explained in an email.

CLARIFICATION: This story was updated to include this quotation from American Crosswords GPS spokesman Jonathan Collegio: “Crossroads GPS does not invest in opposition research.”

<a href="http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=F270355A-18FE-70B2-A8218F1828357F70">http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=F270355A-18FE-70B2-A8218F1828357F70</a>

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<h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading" style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">American Crossroads</h1>

<div id="siteSub" style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</div>

Jump to: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#mw-head">navigation</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#p-search">search</a>

</div>

American Crossroads is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/527_organization" title="527 organization">527 organization</a> that has promised to spend $50 million to help members of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party%28United_States%29" title="Republican Party (United States)">Republican Party</a> win elections. Its president is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_J.Law" title="Steven J. Law">Steven J. Law</a>, a former <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Deputy_Secretary_of_Labor" title="United States Deputy Secretary of Labor">United States Deputy Secretary of Labor</a> for President <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W._Bush" title="George W. Bush">George W. Bush</a>. Advisers to the group include Senior Advisor and former <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House_Deputy_Chief_of_Staff" title="White House Deputy Chief of Staff">White House Deputy Chief of Staff</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Rove" title="Karl Rove">Karl Rove</a> and former <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_National_Convention" title="Republican National Convention">Republican National Convention</a> (RNC) chairman <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Gillespie" title="Ed Gillespie">Ed Gillespie</a>. The group has over $30 million committed to it. Nearly all of the group's funding has come from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billionaire" title="Billionaire">billionaires</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_note-0">[1]</a> Although is it widely believed that the group was formed in response to the controversy surrounding the RNC during <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Steele" title="Michael Steele">Michael Steele</a>'s tenure as chairman since 2009, the group was in fact incubating since 2009.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_note-wsj-1">[2]</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_note-washingtonpost-2">[3]</a>

<h2>Contents</h2>

</div>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#Leadership">1 Leadership</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#Crossroads_GPS">2 Crossroads GPS</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#Related_organizations">3 Related organizations</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-4"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#Funding">4 Funding</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-5"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#Negative_advertising">5 Negative advertising</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-6"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#Debate_over_political_activity_by_501.28c.29.284.29_groups">6 Debate over political activity by 501(c)(4) groups</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-7"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#References">7 References</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-8"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#External_links">8 External links</a></li>

</ul>

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<h2 style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=American_Crossroads&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Leadership">edit</a>] Leadership</h2>

<ul>

<li style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Duncan" title="Mike Duncan">Mike Duncan</a>, Chairman of the board

</li>

<li style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_J._Law" title="Steven J. Law">Steven J. Law</a>, President and CEO

</li>

<li style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo_Ann_Davidson" title="Jo Ann Davidson">Jo Ann Davidson</a>, Director

</li>

<li style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Jim Dyke, Secretary

</li>

<li>Carl Forti, Political Director

</li>

<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Rove" title="Karl Rove">Karl Rove</a>, Adviser

</li>

<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Gillespie" title="Ed Gillespie">Ed Gillespie</a>, Adviser

</li>

<li style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Jonathan Collegio, Communications Director

</li>

</ul>

<h2 style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=American_Crossroads&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Crossroads GPS">edit</a>] Crossroads GPS</h2>

Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies (Crossroads GPS) is an affiliate of American Crossroads. Crossroads GPS is 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation, which means that its primary purpose must be the advancement of social welfare. In October 2010, two left-leaning nonprofit 501(c)(4) groups <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_21" title="Democracy 21">Democracy 21</a> and the Campaign Legal Center that advocate for campaign finance reform, wrote the Internal Revenue Service and asked for it to investigate whether Crossroads GPS was violating federal tax laws by its role in the 2010 midterm elections.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_note-5">[6]</a> However, the letter was unable to provide any evidence of wrongdoing, and one of the co-signers, Gerald Hebert, is a democratic party official in <a href="http://www.alexdems.org/" class="external text" rel="nofollow">Virginia</a>, leading some to believe the letter was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=//www.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/us/politics/07irs.html&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="//www.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/us/politics/07irs.html (page does not exist)">politically-motivated</a>.

As a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, Crossroads GPS is required to report what it spends, but it is not required to publicly disclose any donor information. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_note-6">[7]</a> Crossroads GPS's law firm responded by letter with an analysis of the relevant election and campaign finance law.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_note-7">[8]</a>

<h2 style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=American_Crossroads&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Related organizations">edit</a>] Related organizations</h2>

American Crossroads shares office space with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Action_Network" title="American Action Network">American Action Network</a>, a group that promotes “center-right policies.” <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_note-8">[9]</a>

Crossroads Media is a media services company that serves American Crossroads. Crossroads Media is run by Michael Dubke and David Carney, and Dubke also runs the Black Rock Group political consulting firm with Carl Forti, who is political director of American Crossroads. Dubke and Carney also founded <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americans_for_Job_Security" title="Americans for Job Security">Americans for Job Security</a>, which shares office space with Crossroads Media and at least three other political consulting firms, including the Black Rock Group.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_note-9">[10]</a>

<h2 style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=American_Crossroads&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Funding">edit</a>] Funding</h2>

According to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Election_Commission" title="Federal Election Commission" style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Federal Election Commission</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IRS" title="IRS" class="mw-redirect" style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">IRS</a> reports, analysis by the independent <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_for_Responsive_Politics" title="Center for Responsive Politics" style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Center for Responsive Politics</a> and other sources, American Crossroads' major contributors have included:

<ul>

<li style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_J._Perry" title="Bob J. Perry">Bob J. Perry</a>, President of Perry Homes, Houston, Texas ($7 million)</li>

<li style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._Wayne_Hughes" title="B. Wayne Hughes">B. Wayne Hughes</a>, founder of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Storage" title="Public Storage">Public Storage</a> Inc ($2.3 million)</li>

<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevor_Rees-Jones" title="Trevor Rees-Jones" style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Trevor Rees-Jones</a>, President and CEO of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Oil_and_Gas" title="Chief Oil and Gas">Chief Oil and Gas</a>, ($2 million)</li>

<li style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Rowling" title="Robert Rowling">Robert Rowling</a>, CEO of TRT Holdings, ($1 million)</li>

<li style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Dixie Rice Agricultural Corporation ($1 million)</li>

<li style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Southwest Louisiana Land ($1 million)</li>

<li style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Jerry Perenchio Living Trust ($1 million)</li>

<li style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Financial_Group" title="American Financial Group">American Financial Group</a>, ($400,000)</li>

</ul>

In early 2010, it raised in excess of $9 million for its political activities.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_note-17">[18]</a> In September 2010, the group announced that it had raised an additional $14 million within a 30-day period.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_note-18">[19]</a> Nearly all of the group's funding has come from American <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billionaire" title="Billionaire">billionaires</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_note-19">[20]</a>

<h2 style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=American_Crossroads&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Negative advertising">edit</a>] Negative advertising</h2>

Over recent months, liberal-leaning watchdog groups have charged that some American Crossroads’s political advertisements present statements that are inaccurate or present distortions. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_note-20">[21]</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_note-21">[22]</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_note-22">[23]</a>

<h2 style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=American_Crossroads&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Debate over political activity by 501(c)(4) groups">edit</a>] Debate over political activity by 501(c)(4) groups</h2>

In October 2010, Senator <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Durbin" title="Dick Durbin">Richard Durbin</a> wrote the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IRS" title="IRS" class="mw-redirect">IRS</a> asking for it to investigate whether Crossroads GPS had violated its tax status. He wrote, “I write to urge the Internal Revenue Service to examine the purpose and primary activities of several 501 (c)(4) organizations that appear to be in violation of the law,” wrote Durbin. “(Crossroads GPS) has spent nearly $20 million on television advertising specific to Senate campaigns this year. If this political activity is indeed the primary activity of the organization, it raises serious questions about the organization's compliance with the Internal Revenue Code.” This letter followed similar recent requests to the IRS to investigate Crossroads GPS made by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watchdog_group" title="Watchdog group" class="mw-redirect">watchdog groups</a> and other <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legislator" title="Legislator">legislators</a>. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_note-23">[24]</a>

While Durbin's letter only targeted center-right groups, the Baucus letter targeted all non-profit groups, including 501(c)(5) unions, which also do not publicly disclose their donors or members.

Republican senators had previously written to the IRS stating that an investigation into only center-right groups, as Durbin would later request, would amount to a politically motivated tactic that would “chill the legitimate exercise of First Amendment rights.”<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_note-24">[25]</a>

<h2 style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=American_Crossroads&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: References">edit</a>] References</h2>

<li id="cite_note-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_ref-0">^</a> Salon, Sept 20 2010, Billionaires give 91 percent of funds for Rove-tied group, <a href="http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/09/20/rove_group_more_millionaire_donations/index.html" class="external free" rel="nofollow">http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/09/20/rove_group_more_millionaire_donations/index.html</a></li>

<li id="cite_note-wsj-1">^ <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_ref-wsj_1-0">a</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_ref-wsj_1-1">b</a> Strassel, Kimberley (2010-04-09). <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304198004575172340397415172.html?mod=rss_Today%27s_Most_Popular" class="external text" rel="nofollow">"The Right Ramps Up"</a>. Wall Street Journal (News Corporation). <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304198004575172340397415172.html?mod=rss_Today%27s_Most_Popular" class="external free" rel="nofollow">http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304198004575172340397415172.html?mod=rss_Today%27s_Most_Popular</a>. Retrieved 2010-04-10.<span class="Z3988" title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=The+Right+Ramps+Up&rft.jtitle=Wall+Street+Journal&rft.aulast=Strassel%2C+Kimberley&rft.au=Strassel%2C+Kimberley&rft.date=2010-04-09&rft.pub=News+Corporation&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702304198004575172340397415172.html%3Fmod%3Drss_Today%2527s_Most_Popular&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:American_Crossroads"> </li>

<li id="cite_note-washingtonpost-2">^ <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_ref-washingtonpost_2-0">a</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_ref-washingtonpost_2-1">b</a> Eggen, Dan (2010-04-08). <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/07/AR2010040704707.html" class="external text" rel="nofollow">"Mining interests are heavily invested in Capitol Hill"</a>. The Washington Post (Washington Post Company). <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/07/AR2010040704707.html" class="external free" rel="nofollow">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/07/AR2010040704707.html</a>. Retrieved 2010-04-10.<span class="Z3988" title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Mining+interests+are+heavily+invested+in+Capitol+Hill&rft.jtitle=The+Washington+Post&rft.aulast=Eggen%2C+Dan&rft.au=Eggen%2C+Dan&rft.date=2010-04-08&rft.pub=Washington+Post+Company&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Fwp-dyn%2Fcontent%2Farticle%2F2010%2F04%2F07%2FAR2010040704707.html&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:American_Crossroads"> </li>

<li id="cite_note-3"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_ref-3">^</a> American Crossroads website, accessed Sept 28 2010, <a href="http://americancrossroads.org/about-us" class="external free" rel="nofollow">http://americancrossroads.org/about-us</a></li>

<li id="cite_note-4"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_ref-4">^</a> American Crossroads press release, accessed Sept 28 2010, <a href="http://americancrossroads.org/news/american-crossroads-launches-new-spots-nevada-and-new-hampshire" class="external free" rel="nofollow">http://americancrossroads.org/news/american-crossroads-launches-new-spots-nevada-and-new-hampshire</a></li>

<li id="cite_note-5"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_ref-5">^</a> The New York Times, Oct 5 2010, <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/crossroads-gp/" class="external free" rel="nofollow">http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/crossroads-gp/</a></li>

<li id="cite_note-6"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_ref-6">^</a> <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/10/07/1862578/is-the-us-chamber-spending-foreign.html" class="external free" rel="nofollow">http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/10/07/1862578/is-the-us-chamber-spending-foreign.html</a></li>

<li id="cite_note-7"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_ref-7">^</a> Daily Caller, <a href="http://dailycaller.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Memorandum-Democrat-Challenges.pdf" class="external free" rel="nofollow">http://dailycaller.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Memorandum-Democrat-Challenges.pdf</a></li>

<li id="cite_note-8"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_ref-8">^</a> Politico, American Crossroads Now Targets House Races, Sept 10 2010, <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/42433.html" class="external free" rel="nofollow">http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/42433.html</a></li>

<li id="cite_note-9"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_ref-9">^</a> NY Times, Under Tax-Exempt Cloak, Dollars Flow to Political Causes, Sept 23 2010, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/24/us/politics/24donate.html?sq=crossroads%20media&st=cse&scp=1&pagewanted=all" class="external free" rel="nofollow">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/24/us/politics/24donate.html?sq=crossroads%20media&st=cse&scp=1&pagewanted=all</a></li>

<li id="cite_note-10"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_ref-10">^</a> Center for Responsive Politics, American Crossroads, Top 2010 Contributors, accessed Sept 24 2010, <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/527s/527cmtedetail_contribs.php?ein=272141277&cycle=2010" class="external free" rel="nofollow">http://www.opensecrets.org/527s/527cmtedetail_contribs.php?ein=272141277&cycle=2010</a></li>

<li id="cite_note-11"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_ref-11">^</a> Center for Responsive Politics, ‘Shadow RNC’ American Crossroads Raises Millions, Sept 20 2010, <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2010/09/american-crossroads-shadow-rnc.html" class="external free" rel="nofollow">http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2010/09/american-crossroads-shadow-rnc.html</a></li>

<li id="cite_note-12"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_ref-12">^</a> Politico, American Crossroads Now Targets House Races, Sept 10 2010, <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/42433.html" class="external free" rel="nofollow">http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/42433.html</a></li>

<li id="cite_note-13"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_ref-13">^</a> Salon, Sept 20 2010, Billionaires give 91 percent of funds for Rove-tied group, <a href="http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/09/20/rove_group_more_millionaire_donations/index.html" class="external free" rel="nofollow">http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/09/20/rove_group_more_millionaire_donations/index.html</a></li>

<li id="cite_note-14"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_ref-14">^</a> Politico, American Crossroads Now Targets House Races, Sept 10 2010, <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/42433.html" class="external free" rel="nofollow">http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/42433.html</a></li>

<li id="cite_note-15"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_ref-15">^</a> Bob Perry Gives $7 Million to American Crossroads, Oct 20 2010, <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/10/20/bob-perry-gives-7-million-to-american-crossroads/" class="external free" rel="nofollow">http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/10/20/bob-perry-gives-7-million-to-american-crossroads/</a></li>

<li id="cite_note-16"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_ref-16">^</a> Washington Post,Despite Tea Party Energy..., Oct 22 2010, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/22/AR2010102203567.html" class="external free" rel="nofollow">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/22/AR2010102203567.html</a></li>

<li id="cite_note-17"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_ref-17">^</a> Center for Responsive Politics, ‘Shadow RNC’ American Crossroads Raises Millions, Sept 20 2010, <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2010/09/american-crossroads-shadow-rnc.html" class="external free" rel="nofollow">http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2010/09/american-crossroads-shadow-rnc.html</a></li>

<li id="cite_note-18"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_ref-18">^</a> Politico, American Crossroads Now Targets House Races, Sept 10 2010, <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/42433.html" class="external free" rel="nofollow">http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/42433.html</a></li>

<li id="cite_note-19"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_ref-19">^</a> Salon, Sept 20 2010, Billionaires give 91 percent of funds for Rove-tied group, <a href="http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/09/20/rove_group_more_millionaire_donations/index.html" class="external free" rel="nofollow">http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/09/20/rove_group_more_millionaire_donations/index.html</a></li>

<li id="cite_note-20"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_ref-20">^</a> Media Matters, American Crossroads ignores the facts, Sept 24 2010, <a href="http://politicalcorrection.org/adcheck/201009240010" class="external free" rel="nofollow">http://politicalcorrection.org/adcheck/201009240010</a></li>

<li id="cite_note-21"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_ref-21">^</a> Media Matters, American Crossroads’ New Ad is Full of Bad Facts, Aug 31 2010, <a href="http://politicalcorrection.org/adcheck/201008310006" class="external free" rel="nofollow">http://politicalcorrection.org/adcheck/201008310006</a></li>

<li id="cite_note-22"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_ref-22">^</a> Politfact, American Crossroads ad attacking Reid, July 18 2010, <a href="http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/jul/23/american-crossroads/american-crossroads-ad-attacking-reid-stimulus-use/" class="external free" rel="nofollow">http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/jul/23/american-crossroads/american-crossroads-ad-attacking-reid-stimulus-use/</a></li>

<li id="cite_note-23"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_ref-23">^</a> Senator Richard Durbin, press release, Durbin Urges IRS to Investigate Spending by Crossroads GPS, Oct 12 2010, <a href="http://www.durbin.senate.gov/showRelease.cfm?releaseId=328235" class="external free" rel="nofollow">http://www.durbin.senate.gov/showRelease.cfm?releaseId=328235</a></li>

<li id="cite_note-24"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crossroads#cite_ref-24">^</a> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/us/politics/07irs.html" class="external free" rel="nofollow">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/us/politics/07irs.html</a></li>

</ol>

</div>

<h2 style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=American_Crossroads&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: External links">edit</a>] External links</h2>

<li><a href="http://www.americancrossroads.org/" class="external text" rel="nofollow">Official website</a></li>

<li><a href="http://herndon1.sdrdc.com/cgi-bin/can_detail/C00487363" class="external text" rel="nofollow">Campaign finance reports and data</a> at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Election_Commission" title="Federal Election Commission">FEC</a>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/cancomsrs/?_10+C00487363" class="external text" rel="nofollow">2009-2010 Cycle Reports</a> and <a href="http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?C00487363" class="external text" rel="nofollow">Reports Image Index</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/indexpend.php?cmte=C00487363" class="external text" rel="nofollow">Independent Expenditures</a>, <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cmte=C00487363" class="external text" rel="nofollow">Outside Spending</a> and <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/ads.php?id=American+Crossroads&type=O" class="external text" rel="nofollow">Ads (videos)</a> at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenSecrets.org" title="OpenSecrets.org" class="mw-redirect">OpenSecrets.org</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.factcheck.org/2010/08/american-crossroads/" class="external text" rel="nofollow">Profile</a> at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FactCheck.org" title="FactCheck.org" class="mw-redirect">FactCheck.org</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=American_Crossroads" class="external text" rel="nofollow">Profile</a> at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sourcewatch" title="Sourcewatch" class="mw-redirect">Sourcewatch</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/03/opinion/03cunningham.html" class="external text" rel="nofollow">American Crossroads Backed Almost Entirely by Billionaires</a>, Jesse Zwick, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Independent" title="Washington Independent" class="mw-redirect">Washington Independent</a>, September 28, 2010</li>

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<div id="col1" class="grid_6 alpha clearfix"> Monday, Sep 20, 2010 18:30 ET

<h1 class="headline">Billionaires give 91 percent of funds for Rove-tied group</h1>

<h2 class="deck">The latest fundraising numbers from the conservative American Crossroads show the super-rich continue to pony up</h2>

By <a href="http://www.salon.com/author/justin_elliott/index.html">Justin Elliott</a>

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New FEC <a target="blank" href="http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/dcdev/forms/C00487363/494472/sa/11AI">filings</a> show that American Crossroads, the Karl Rove-backed group that is pouring money into <a target="blank" href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/42433.html">attack ads</a> targeting Democrats around the country, continues to be funded virtually entirely by billionaires.

In August, American Crossroads raised $2,639,052. Fully $2.4 million of that -- or 91 percent --  came in the form of gifts from just three billionaires.

We've previously <a href="http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/07/23/rove_group_billionaire_donors/index.html">reported</a> that the group is getting a staggering amount of support from billionaires, several of whom made their fortune in the energy industry and live in Texas. Last month Trevor Rees-Jones, president of Dallas-based Chief Oil and Gas, contributed another $1 million to American Crossroads, on top of the $1 million he <a href="http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/07/23/rove_group_billionaire_donors/index.html">gave</a> earlier this year. Fellow billionaire Robert Rowling, CEO of the company TRT Holdings, also gave Crossroads his <a href="http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/07/23/rove_group_billionaire_donors/index.html">second</a> $1 million donation in August.

The only new name on the list is American Financial Group, a Cincinnati-based firm owned by nonagenerian Carl Linder. Forbes <a target="_blank" href="http://www.forbes.com/lists/2010/10/billionaires-2010_Carl-Lindner-Jr-family_S22J.html">put</a> Linder's net worth at $1.7 billion this year, a fortune built up through the growth of United Dairy Farmers. He previously owned Chiquita and currently owns a stake in the Cincinnati Reds. American Financial Group gave American Crossroads $400,000 last month.

Another new billionaire to add to the list of Crossroads backers is Jerry Perenchio of Bel Air. He is worth $2.1 billion, the bulk of which was made off the sale of Spanish language TV station Univision, <a target="blank" href="http://www.forbes.com/lists/2010/10/billionaires-2010_A-Jerrold-Perenchio_DR9J.html">according to</a> Forbes. He is a major Republican donor who was <a target="blank" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/10/AR2007021001510.html">co-chair</a> of John McCain's national finance committee. Perenchio gave American Crossroads $1 million in July.

One key thing to note here is that American Crossroads has a partner group, American Crossroads GPS, that is organized under a section of the tax code that does not require disclosure of donors (though it also imposes some spending restrictions). American Crossroads GPS is raising millions of dollars, the group <a target="_blank" href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/42433.html">told</a> Politico, but we'll probably never know from whom.

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<li class="shortBio">Justin Elliott is a Salon reporter. Reach him by email at jelliott@salon.com and follow him on Twitter <a target="_blank" href="http://www.twitter.com/elliottjustin">@ElliottJustin</a> <a href="http://www.salon.com/author/justin_elliott/index.html">More Justin Elliott</a></li>

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With the Republican National Committee (RNC) in shambles and the campaign committees hampered by contribution limits and disclosure rules, these outside groups have emerged as a replacement for the traditional party structure and they are largely being funded by a shadow establishment that operates in the dark without disclosure rules that have been ostensibly waived by the Supreme Court. There is no similar equivalent on the Democratic side.

The largest and highest spending of these groups is the two-headed organization comprised of American Crossroads, organized as a 527 and a Super PAC, and Crossroads GPS, organized as a 501(c)4 non-profit. These two organizations–both share the same PO Box number–are made up of the Republican Party in exile.

While Crossroads GPS, The 60-Plus Association and Americans for Job Security do not disclose their donors, American Crossroads is a so-called section 527 organization–named after the part of the tax code under which it’s organized–and has to disclose its donors to the Internal Revenue Service. It also reports some of these contributions to the Federal Election Commission.

The reports are filed monthly and after yesterday’s released disclosure American Crossroads is showing contributions exceeding $22 million. So far, the group has spent more than $16 million on independent expenditures in 24 different races.

The majority of this money has come from three donors and two corporations. Texas homebuilder Bob Perry has provided $7 million to American Crossroads. In 2004, Perry was a major funder of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a 527 group that ran ads assailing the Vietnam record of presidential candidate John Kerry. Perry also contributed millions to the Economic Freedom Fund, another 527 group that operated during the 2006 election cycle.

The other donors include Robert Rowling, a Bush Pioneer, and his company TRT Holding, which have contributed a combined amount exceeding $2 million. Alliance Resource Group, a company with large coal holdings, has contributed $2 million. The owner of Public Storage, Wayne Hughes, contributed $1 million.

Former White House Political Director Karl Rove and former Republican National Committee chairman Ed Gillespie are both affiliated with the Crossroads groups and are known to help raise money and provide strategy. Rove and Gillespie are perhaps the most well-known high-level Republican operatives involved in the Crossroads family, but they are not the only ones.

President Steven Law previously worked as deputy secretary of Labor in the George W. Bush administration and was the executive director of the NRSC in 2000. Former Republican National Committee chairman Mike Duncan is the chairman of the board of American Crossroads. Jo Ann Davidson, director of American Crossroads, was previously the co-chair of the Republican National Committee. Jim Dyke worked at the Department of Commerce under George W. Bush and is now secretary at American Crossroads.

The political director of American Crossroads is Carl Forti, a veteran operative specializing in running independent expenditure campaigns. Forti ran an $80 million operation at the NRCC in 2006. The Crossroads family that Forti runs has spent $26 million on independent expenditures so far this cycle.

Forti also runs the communications strategy firm Black Rock Group with Michael Dubke. Dubke also operates the organization Crossroads Media, which is not directly associated with the Crossroads family. Crossroads Media, however, is the media company for the Crossroads family and has received $20.89 million from American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS for media and advertising services.

Dubke is also connected to another big independent expenditure operator on the Republican side, Americans for Job Security. Dubke helped found Americans for Job Security and served as executive director and then president from 1997 to 2007.

Americans for Job Security operates out of the same office as Crossroads Media and the Black Rock Group and is currently run by Stephen DeMaura, the 25-year old former executive director of the New Hampshire Republican Party. DeMaura is the only employee of the group. Crossroads Media has received $2.95 million from Americans for Job Security for media services in the 2010 midterms. This group has spent $4.39 million on independent expenditures so far this election.

Forti, the political director for the Crossroads family, also handles the PR and media profile of The 60-Plus Association. The 60-Plus Association was founded in 1992 as a conservative counter to a perceived liberal bias in the group senior citizen advocacy group AARP. So far, The 60-Plus Association has spent more than $5 million on independent expenditures.

<a href="http://blog.sunlightfoundation.com/2010/10/21/hydra-of-independent-groups-fuels-republican-side/">http://blog.sunlightfoundation.com/2010/10/21/hydra-of-independent-groups-fuels-republican-side/</a>

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<h1 style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">AC Targets</h1>

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<h2 style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Write, Call, Fax And Email Your Candidate-Tell Them To Reject Rove’s Dirty Politics</h2>

California- supporting Carly Fiorina,  (877) 664-6676 915 L Street, Suite C-378 Sacramento, CA 95814 <a href="mailto:contact@carlyforca.com">contact@carlyforca.com</a>, opposing Barbara Boxer for Senate;

supporting Damon Dunn,  (323) 314-3342, <a href="mailto:hbarajas@bellorhq.com">hbarajas@bellorhq.com</a>, opposing Debra Bowen for Secretary of State

Ohio- supporting Rob Portman,  P.O. Box 39 Terrace Park, Ohio 45174 <a href="mailto:Contact@RobPortman.com">Contact@RobPortman.com</a>,opposing Lee Fisher for Senate

Missouri- supporting Roy Blunt,  (314) 966-0100 10825 Watson Road Suite 120 Saint Louis, MO 63127, opposing Robin Carnahan for Senate

New Hampshire-supporting Kelly Ayotte, (603) 232-1162 101 Charles St. Manchester, NH 03101, opposing Paul Hodes for Senate

Pennsylvania-supporting Pat Toomey,  (484) 809-7994   3440 Hamilton Blvd, Allentown, PA 18103 <a href="mailto:info@toomeyforsenate.com">info@toomeyforsenate.com</a>, opposing Joe Sestak for Senate

Nevada-supporting Sharon Angle, (775) 787-6017 Fax: (775) 682-4470 1280 E. Plumb Lane, Suite C Reno, NV 89502, opposing Harry Reid for Senate

Arkansas-supporting John Boozeman,  John Boozeman- (501) 227-0062 11300 Financial Centre Parkway Suite 1200 Little Rock, AR 72211  <a href="mailto:info@boozman.com">info@boozman.com</a>, opposing Blanche Lincoln for Senate

Colorado-supporting Ken Buck,  P.O. Box 101465, Denver, CO 80250 <a href="mailto:Ken@BuckForColorado.com">Ken@BuckForColorado.com</a>, opposing Michael Bennet for Senate

Kentucky-supporting Rand Paul, (270) 904-4860 1019 State Street Bowling Green, KY 42101, opposing Jack Conway for Senate

Florida-supporting Marc Rubio, (786) 953-6711 2030 South Douglas Road Suite 105 Coral Gables, FL 33134, opposing Kendrick Meek for Senate

Illinois-supporting Mark Kirk,  (847) 498-0300 - Fax: (847) 559-2940 <a href="mailto:info@kirkforsenate.com">info@kirkforsenate.com</a>, opposing Alexi Giannoulias for Senate

Washington-supporting Dino Rossi,  (425) 451-2010 Fax: (425) 451-8160 PO Box 50713 Bellevue, WA 98015 <a href="mailto:info@dinorossi.com">info@dinorossi.com</a>, opposing Patty Murray for Senate

newcomplex

Karl Rove’s American Crossroads and other top Republican-leaning groups that spent $167 million on the U.S. midterm elections came out on the winning side of almost twice as many races as they lost.

Rove’s American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS backed the victor in 23 of the 36 House and Senate races where a winner was declared. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce supported the winning candidate in 38 of 59 contests. American Action Network, which shared space with the Crossroads groups, won 14 races and lost 10. The groups also spent money in races that have yet to be undecided. ...

In the 10 races that the Republican groups spent the most money on, they entererd the winner’s circle six times, with the U.S. Senate race in Washington still too close to call. Among the winners, all Republicans: Senate candidates Pat Toomey in Pennsylvania and Mark Kirk in Illinois, and former Nevada state Senator Joe Heck in a Las Vegas-area congressional district.

Public Citizen, a Washington-based advocacy group that supports stronger campaign finance laws, found that 58 of 74 winners benefited from more outside spending than their opponents. ..

The Chamber of Commerce, the nation’s largest business lobby, spent almost $30 million, including $2 million in support of Democratic incumbents. The chamber, which doesn’t disclose its donors, fought efforts in Congress to require outside groups funding political ads to identify the sources of their money; Senate Republicans blocked the legislation in September.

Chamber President Tom Donohue attributed the election results to voters “who clearly stated that a strong and vibrant private sector is critical to reviving our economy, creating jobs and putting us on a path to long-term growth.”

Craig Holman, who handles campaign finance issues for Public Citizen, said that the 2010 spending was just a taste of what to expect two years from now, when the U.S. elects a president.

“The 2010 election provided a preview of the outside spending expected during the 2012 presidential race,” Holman said. “Sadly, 2010 was just a practice run for these guys.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-03/karl-rove-republican-leaning-groups-amass-winning-record-in-2010-midterms.html

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Am Crossroads GPS

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