New Democratic 527 Tools Up
by Josh Gerstein
Sun, 21 Sep 2008 at 8:54 PM
With just weeks to go before the November election, a former aide to John Edwards is starting a so-called 527 political organization that may seek to boost Democrats' chances at the polls. Citizens for Safety & Security was formally registered with the Internal Revenue Service last week by the chief financial officer of Mr. Edwards's unsuccessful bid this year for the Democratic presidential nomination, Lora Haggard.
The new organization has strong parallels to a 527 group started in advance of the 2004 election, Citizens for a Strong Senate. That organization, founded by Ms. Haggard and two former political advisers to Mr. Edwards, Jonathan Prince and Nicholas Baldick, raised nearly $11 million for hard-hitting television ads targeting Republican Senate candidates four years ago. More than $8 million of that money came from a single California couple who made their fortune in the mortgage industry, Herbert and Marion Sandler.
Mr. Prince, who was deputy campaign manger for Mr. Edwards in 2004 and 2008, was recently tapped to oversee the Democratic National Committee's independent expenditure effort for Mr. Obama this fall. That unit, which is prohibited by law from coordinating with Mr. Obama's campaign, plans to run more than $118 million on ads in the presidential race, the Associated Press reported.
Ms. Haggard and Mr. Baldick did not respond to phone and e-mail messages Sunday seeking comment for this article. Mr. Prince told The Sun that he is not involved in the new organization.
So-called 527 groups are known by the section of the tax code under which they are organized. Unlike political parties and campaigns, 527 groups can take multi-million-dollar donations. However, such groups not permitted to engage in "express advocacy," the legal term for direct appeals for or against a candidate.
In the September 16 IRS filing, Ms. Haggard described herself as treasurer of Citizens for Safety & Security and said it was established that same day. The report does not identify any other officials of the new group.
Related Topics: General Election
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