Maybe Michele Bachmann should steer clear of Nashville.
Several weeks ago, U.S. Rep. Bachmann pulled out of the Tea Party Convention, fearing that her appearance there would violate ethics rules.
On Friday, the head of a local nonprofit said she is canceling a planned fundraiser for Bachmann out of concerns the event would violate IRS rules. And even if the event is canceled, Bachmann's visit to Nashville may still land the charity in hot water with the IRS.
On Sunday, Bachmann will speak at a pro-Israel dinner run by Proclaiming Justice to the Nations, a Franklin-based nonprofit. Until Friday, she was also scheduled to appear at a private reception hosted by Laurie Cardoza-Moore, the charity's president.
The price of admission: a $500 donation to Bachmann's campaign.
In most cases, that would be perfectly legal.
As a private citizen, Cardoza-Moore can support any candidate she wants. But as the head of a nonprofit charity, she has to stay clear of politics. That's where the trouble comes in.
The e-mail invitation to the Bachmann fundraiser was addressed to Proclaiming Justice supporters. In the e-mail, supporters were asked to give $500 to Bachmann's re-election campaign.
"You're receiving this e-mail because of your relationship with Proclaiming Justice to the Nations Inc.," the header of the e-mail reads.
Nonprofit experts say the e-mail appears to violate IRS rules banning charities from politics.
"The IRS takes the position that sending a fundraising e-mail for a candidate or a candidate's campaign is considered intervention in a political campaign," said Marc Owens, former director of the exempt organizations division of the IRS.
Owens oversaw charities for 10 years at the IRS. He said he had seen other charities do what Proclaiming Justice has done. If the IRS were to find that Proclaiming Justice violated the law, the charity could be fined or lose its tax-exempt status, he said.
Hopefully the Minnesota media will call Michele Bachmann's office for comment on this one. This isn't the first time Michele Bachmann has had a non-profit send out a fundraising appeal for her campaign using the Non-Profit branding. Screen shots of the Edwatch fundraising appeal for Michele Bachmann are available here.
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