There have been several diaries describing the Clarion Fund's distribution of the DVD Obsession. What is the Clarion Fund, who runs it and what can be done?
As noted in various past diaries, the Clarion Fund is a 501(c)(3) organization. That designation is a label given by the IRS for certain tax exempt organizations which may receive tax deductible contributions. (Note - so their tax savings, which we subsidize, helps to support the organization. In short - we're helping to pay for this crap.)
Although the Clarion Fund's website fails to list its Board of Directors or other contact information, it has been determined that Raphael Shore is the director of the Clarion Fund.
There have been two complaints filed recently against the Clarion Fund. Richard Silverstein filed a complaint seeking to challenge the tax exempt status of the fund.
According to Israelnews.com, "Richard Silverstein runs Tikun Olam, (Kabbalistic term meaning "repair [or mend] the world") a popular peace blog dedicated to a negotiated resolution of the Israeli-Arab conflict."
http://www.israelenews.com/...
According to Silverstein, in his column (blog) in Israelnews.com, cited above:
"501c3’s are prohibited from engaging in direct partisan political activity. Yet Radical Islam, another Clarion website, featured an endorsement of John McCain’s candidacy. It is Republican bedrock principle to frighten American voters with the bogeyman of Islamic terror. If they do, they figure they win as they have a lock on the national security vote. George Bush, Dick Cheney and now, John McCain have done this since 9/11. Similarly, Raphael Shore, the film’s producer and director of Clarion Fund, bets that any voter he can scare with this film is likely to vote Republican."
Silverstein discusses 501(c)(3) organizations, and concludes that the Clarion Fund is not a true 501(c)(3):
"In short, everything about this film and Clarion Fund is partisan and political. As such, the latter has clearly violated IRS regulations governing the behavior of non-profit organizations.
Further, every non-profit is required to file an IRS form 990 and make it accessible to the public...Clarion Fund acknowledges it has not done so."
Silverstein has managed to pierce the veil surrounding the Clarion fund, providing the name of another supporter:
"Gregory Ross, it’s PR flack claims it’s level of activity was not substantial enough to meet the threshold for filing a 990. I’m no expert on 501c3 regulations (though I AM a former non-profit fundraiser), but this sounds entirely bogus to me. This is another issue that the IRS should investigate as part of my complaint."
We know the DVD produced by the Clarion Fund has made its way into newspapers. Silverstein also notes that the Republican Jewish Coalition has been distributing the video to its mailing lists. And "right wing evangelical groups distributed it at both national conventions."
As noted by Silverstein, CAIR (the Council on American Islamic Relations) has filed an FEC complaint against the Clarion Fund.
http://www.cair.com/...
According to the CAIR website:
"The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is urging the FEC to investigate whether the Clarion Fund, a shadowy non-profit organization that distributed DVDs containing "Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West," is really a front for an Israel-based group seeking to help Sen. John McCain win the U.S. presidential election. (No information about a board of directors, staff or even a physical address is offered on the fund’s website."
CAIR attributes the Clarion Fund's origins to Aish Hatorah. Again, according to the CAIR website:
"According to the website for the Secretary of State for New York, Clarion Fund Inc. is incorporated in New York as a Delaware based foreign not-for-profit corporation. According to the Delaware Department of Corporations, Robert (Rabbi Raphael) Shore, Rabbi Henry Harris and Rebecca Kabat incorporated Clarion Fund. All three of whom are reported to serve as employees of Aish HaTorah International, an organization apparently based in Israel. Also according to the Delaware Department of Corporations, the incorporators of the Clarion Fund used Aish HaTorah’s New York City address (150 West 46th Street, New York) to incorporate Clarion Fund in Delaware..."
Some info from a prior diary on this website:
http://www.dailykos.com/...
And from a blogger not on this site:
http://abdielbc.wordpress.com/...
And here's the link to the CAIR FEC complaint:
http://www.cair.com/...
Ironically, Ohioans registered their fear of hate crimes after the DVD was distributed, foreseeing the events described in another diary posted today:
http://www.wtol.com/...
Plan of action anyone? What about one of those fabulous kossack created ads to respond to, as my grandparents would have described it, this dreck.