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Pro Publica, which does a lot of top-notch investigative journalism, has an article out about a secret group of extremely wealthy conservative Christians that is spending $12 million to urge and purge. They want to urge Republican-leaning marginal voters to get to the polls and purge potentially Democratic-leaning voters from the voting rolls.
The donors are united in a group named Ziklag, a little-known 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity. It is named after a city mentioned in the Bible as a place David used as a base for a war he was fighting. Donors include the billionaire Uihleins, who made their fortune in packing materials, the Greens, who own Hobby Lobby, and the Wallers, who own the Jockey clothing company. They give money to Ziklag and it, in turn, gives money to groups like the Alliance Defending Freedom, Turning Point USA, and many other right-wing groups. Alliance Defending Freedom is the Christian legal group whose lawsuit led to the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.
How did ProPublica discover this? Somehow it obtained thousands of Ziklag's newsletters, internal videos, strategy documents, and fundraising pitches. Presumably it had a mole within the organization who spilled the beans. Needless to say, it is not talking about how it obtained all the material.
Ziklag's strategy documents say that its mission is to "redirect the trajectory of American culture toward Christ by bringing back Biblical structure, order and truth to our Nation."
While the strategy document is biblical, the operational documents read like they were written by experienced Republican political operatives. There are three separate activities being funded. First is "Checkmate," which funds so-called "election-integrity groups," better known as voter-suppression groups. Second is "Steeplechase," which focuses on having churches get out the vote (on the assumption that churchgoers, especially in certain areas, tend to vote Republican). Third is "Watchtower," which tries to galvanize parents, especially by opposing transgender rights and healthcare for transgender people.
Funneling money through a registered charity basically allows the donors to get a tax deduction for political donations. It also allows them to keep the identities of the donors secret. What's not to like? Well, it is almost certainly illegal. Groups claiming 501(c)(3) status are supposed to use their money for the public good, not politics. The United Way and the Make-a-Wish Foundation are more typical examples of 501(c)(3) organizations. These groups may not be involved in politics, either directly or indirectly.
ProPublica consulted six legal experts on the legality of this arrangement. Prof. Lloyd Mayer of the Notre Dame Law School said: "I think it's across the line without a question." He also said: "It boils down to tax evasion at the end of the day." Prof. Roger Colinvaux of Catholic University said it "casts serious doubt on this organization's status as a 501(c)(3) organization." The other lawyers said similar things.
The article goes on and on about the history of the group and how the political activities operate. Check out the link above for more. (V)