Maligned candidate asks IRS to investigate Soros-linked group

Christine O'Donnell

Tea party-backed former Delaware Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell and her political action committee are asking the Internal Revenue Service to investigate Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and revoke its tax-exempt status.

"I am ready to stand up to CREW and work toward ending their practice of using the justice system as a political weapon," O'Donnell said in her announcement today. "It is simply wrong to ask taxpayers to subsidize an organization that acts in blatant opposition to the law."

Her official complaint against the organization with the IRS seeks revocation of the organization's tax-exempt status over its alleged electioneering.

It comes shortly after the U.S. attorney's office in Delaware dismissed a complaint CREW had filed against O'Donnell.

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As a "charitable organization," CREW is supposed to be barred from intervening in political campaigns, but O'Donnell says over a period of multiple election cycles, CREW has "misused its tax-exempt status by acting on behalf of the Democratic Party as well as establishing a pattern of racially discriminatory activities."

"Despite federal laws against political campaign intervention by organizations such as CREW, Melanie Sloan and CREW have involved themselves in political campaigns across the country every election – and in a very partisan and racially discriminatory manner."

She continued, "CREW is just a tool for Democratic billionaires like George Soros to influence the outcome of elections, and we need to end these types of corrupt practices that undermine the political process."

O'Donnell said she also has requested that the Delaware attorney general and U.S. attorney for Delaware investigate Sloan, the executive director of CREW, for allegedly making false statements and testimony she submitted to both of those offices last year in the attack on O'Donnell.

"The U.S. attorney dismissed the CREW complaint against me earlier this month because there was no wrongdoing and that was confirmed through the investigation," said O'Donnell. "My attorneys have provided to the U.S. attorney, the Delaware attorney general and the FEC proof that Melanie Sloan knew or should have known that the complaint she filed against me was based on false testimony. It is Melanie Sloan who should now be investigated for knowingly filing a false federal claim, mail fraud and wire fraud."

The complaint explains CREW "is a self-styled 'reform' organization that operates under the leadership of Executive Director Melanie Sloan. … CREW holds itself out to be a charitable and educational organization exempt from taxation under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. As such, the organization is barred from any direct or indirect participation in any political campaign whatsoever."

However, the complaint states "CREW's ongoing publications, website content, press releases, and myriad statements made by Executive Director Melanie Sloan unambiguously intervene in elections for public office and contravene established law and public policy."

It continues, "CREW's use of its tax exempt status to fund the organization's ongoing electioneering and interventions in multiple political campaigns, its partisan activities, its misuse of charitable status for the private inurement of for-profit entities, Democratic political party organizations and candidates, as well as its pattern of racial discrimination are not permissible purposes for a 501(c)(3) organization."

When WND requested a comment from CREW, the telephone call was disconnected.

The 26-page complaint alleges CREW intervened in O'Donnell's campaign, stating, "The morning after Christine O'Donnell won the Sept. 14, 2010, Republican Senate primary in Delaware, CREW issued a press release titled 'CREW: 11 of America's Most Crooked Candidates Moving on to the General Election,' … In addition to adding Christine O'Donnell … the press release editorialized that 'Ms. O'Donnell has demonstrated a total disregard of ethics and integrity.'

"Crew clearly had developed an extensive plan of attack against Christine O'Donnell, which it launched immediately and aggressively upon her nomination for the Delaware Senate seat. The IRS must consider the editorial content of the press release in opposition of Christine O'Donnell, the aggressive nature of the dissemination by CREW to private news outlets, the timing of the press releases, FEC complaints and letter(s) to law enforcement offices … The evidence clearly demonstrates that CREW had made substantial expenditures to develop its attacks against Christine O'Donnell."

The complaint to the IRS points out that an FEC complaint filed against O'Donnell was by "Leonard S. Togman," the father of Melanie Sloan.

"CREW's complaint and legal attacks against Christine O'Donnell largely rely on un undated affidavit signed by David C. Keegan … However, the veracity of Keegan's testimony and affidavit have been called into serious question. … In fact, the entire CREW complaint and criminal inquiry was based on Keegan's supposed 'inside knowledge' of the finances of the O'Donnell campaign and Ms. O'Donnell.

"In fact, he had neither," it explains.

"The saga of Melanie Sloan's vendetta against Christine O'Donnell, using tax deductible dollars from a tax exempt charitable organization, must be investigated by the IRS and she and CREW must be held accountable for violating the law," says the complaint.

WND columnist Les Kinsolving has reported the "sport of smearing O'Donnell," pointing out CREW's plan to complain to the Federal Elections Commission that she was using campaign funds for personal expenses.