When last we checked in on the Ruth Institute--the (barefoot and pregnant) woman-oriented project of the National Organization for Marriage--they were passing around documents that detailed the exact nature of their plans to roll back women's rights--all in the name of preserving women's rights and family values.
But now, it turns out that the Ruth Institute may also be violating federal election law. see, the Ruth Institute is organized as a non-profit eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions. And as we all know, charitable organizations are not eligible to engage in partisan political activities or explicitly support candidates.
Now, normally, politically-themed "charities" are smart enough to hide their partisan political activities, but the Ruth Institute could not exactly be characterized as smart--which is why it has produced press releases announcing its explicit support for a bus tour in support of Republican Senate candidate Carly Fiorina.
The Courage Campaign and the Human Rights Campaign have issued a press release (via email) calling them out on it:
WASHINGTON - The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, and the Courage Campaign today called on the National Organization for Marriage, or NOM, to explain why its tax-exempt charitable organization, the Ruth Institute - a project of NOM's Marriage Education Fund - is violating federal laws by intervening on behalf of a candidate for elected office.
This past Monday, Ruth Institute President Jennifer Roback Morse spoke on behalf of her organization at a campaign stop of the "Vota Tus Valores" bus tour, a NOM-backed independent expenditure in support of California Republican U.S. Senate candidate Carly Fiorina in San Diego. At the campaign event Morse talked about the role of the Ruth Institute, held up the organization's signage and closed her remarks by saying, "We're very glad to be part of this electoral effort." (Watch the Courage Campaign's video of Morse speaking at event.)
Morse's campaign appearance followed a NOM-issued press release titled "National Organization for Marriage and Ruth Institute Join Bus Tour Supporting Carly Fiorina in California." The release states that "Brian Brown, president of NOM, and Jennifer Roback Morse, president of The Ruth Institute, a project of NOM's Marriage Education Fund, will both be supporting the bus tour as it makes its way around California." In addition to supporting Fiorina, the NOM charitable group has also illegally participated in a campaign to elect California judges.
Pursuant to the federal tax code, a charitable organization - which is permitted to receive tax deductible contributions - may not participate in any campaign activity for or against political candidates. Violation of this prohibition can result in stiff penalties against the organization and its officials as well as potential revocation of its tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. Federal and state election laws also require such organizations to disclose their campaign expenditures.
"One has to wonder if the Ruth Institute is nothing more than a sham charitable organization designed to use tax-deductible contributions to help secretly fund NOM's election activities," said HRC President Joe Solmonese. "As usual, it's win at any cost with NOM, which continues to make up the rules, with no regard - and no respect - for federal or state laws."
"Much as its actions may suggest otherwise, NOM's radical extremism is not above the law," said Courage Campaign Chairman and Founder Rick Jacobs. "Instead of secretly funneling charitable resources into political campaigns that attack families, it's time for NOM to finally come clean---with the public, state elections officials, and the IRS."