Recently, I posted this blog regarding Media Matters for America employee, Angelo Carusone. Carusone, in conflict with Internal Revenue Service regulations concerning non-profits, tweets about Presidential candidates on his @StopBeck account. Internal Revenue Service regulations are very clear. Specifically, 501(c)3 organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office.
This comment was posted shortly after publication:
You are a fool. Angelo is an individual without a tax status. The IRS tax rules for non profits don’t apply to their employees person [sic] Twitter accounts even if they Tweet about work. [emphasis added] Has it occurred to any of you wingers that there are groups on the right doing exactly what Media Matters does but from the opposite perspective? You are all wasting your time. Then again, that’s probably a good thing. Keep it going!
The commenter who identified himself only as You Dolt suggests that Carusone’s Media Matters for America (MMFA) tweets are protected from Internal Revenue Service scrutiny and regulations because Carusone’s @StopBeck profile is personal and therefore not a Media Matters account.
Claiming Carusone’s @StopBeck twitter account is personal and not Media Matters work product is a terrific charade. Clearly this account produces MMFA work product:
- Carusone used this account to persuade Beck advertisers from advertising on Beck’s Fox television show
- He uses this account to contact Beck’s radio advertisers
- He uses this account to tweet about Glenn Beck
- He uses this account to tweet about Fox News
- He uses this account to promote @Drop_Fox, an MMFA product
- He uses this account to promote articles he has written for MMFA and links to other MMFA articles
- He uses this account to communicate with MMFA employees
- He uses this account to tweet about George Soros (an MMFA benefactor)
- He uses this account during work hours at MMFA
- He identifies @StopBeck as his primary account
Perhaps the most damaging/convincing aspect to show that this is an MMFA work account and not a personal account is how he identifies this account (as if the name Stop Beck is not enough):
Is MMFA misleading the IRS by claiming that Carusone’s @StopBeck account is personal and are they doing this with other MMFA employee social media accounts?
Todd
@ideapalooza
ideapalooza.com
Tags: Angelo Carusone, Media Matters
I filed my fourth 13909 Tax Exempt Organization Complaint Form with the Internal Revenue Service regarding Media Matters for America. Media Matters for America is organized as a tax exempt 501(c)3 organization. Under IRS guidelines, they must abide by several rules to maintain this status.
My complaint specifically dealt with a Media Matters employee, Angelo Carusone, known on Twitter among other things as @StopBeck. Carusone manages this politically charged twitter account and has complete disregard for the IRS rules governing campaign restrictions. Specifically, 501(c)3 organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office.
My first complaint form contained twelve such communications and this one contained three:
The Internal Revenue Service has a complaint form 13909 Tax-Exempt Organization Complaint (Referral) Form that is one page in length. The form comes with easy to follow instructions and then can be mailed, faxed, or emailed to the IRS office. I have taken the liberty to complete the initial heading of the form to include Media Matters for America’s mailing address and tax ID number in order to assist any submitter with completing the complaint form. You may download this form here. I do suggest that you familiarize yourself with the IRS guidelines for 501(c)3 organizations here although this is not necessary in order to complete the form.
Todd
ideapalooza.com
@ideapalooza
Tags: Angelo Carusone, Media Matters
Media Matters for America is organized as a tax exempt 501(c)3 organization. Under IRS guidelines, they must abide by several rules to maintain this status. Specifically, 501(c)3 organizations are subject to many restrictions by law.
I recently filed my third IRS Tax-Exempt Organization Complaint Form 13909 against Media Matters for America. My specific complaints were regarding statements made by CEO David Brock and Executive Vice President Ari Rabin-Havt. Does the spirit of the law allow Media Matters tax exempt status to disrupt private organizations ability to conduct commerce or a private citizen the right to produce legitimate income? Clearly Media Matters wants to do both. Here is a summary of the information I sent to the Internal Revenue Service regarding statements made by Media Matter’s executive officers to The Politico on March 26, 2011:
- Rabin-Havt told Politico that Media Matters was compiling “opposition research” files on “mid- and senior-level execs and producers” [at Fox News].
- Rabin-Havt also stated “We made a list of every single person who works for Fox and tried to figure out who might be disgruntled and why, and we went out to try to meet them, somebody in that organization is giving us primary source documents.”
- Brock described in an interview as an all-out campaign of “guerrilla warfare and sabotage” aimed at the Fox News Channel.
- Brock said, is assembling opposition research files not only on Fox’s top executives but on a series of mid level officials. It has hired an activist who has led a successful campaign to press advertisers to avoid Glenn Beck’s show. The group is assembling a legal team to help people who have clashed with Fox to file lawsuits for defamation, invasion of privacy or other causes.
The Internal Revenue Service has a complaint form 13909 Tax-Exempt Organization Complaint (Referral) Form that is one page in length. The form comes with easy to follow instructions and then can be mailed, faxed, or emailed to the IRS office. I have taken the liberty to complete the initial heading of the form to include Media Matters for America’s mailing address and tax ID number in order to assist any submitter with completing the complaint form. You may download this form here. I do suggest that you familiarize yourself with the IRS guidelines for 501(c)3 organizations here although this is not necessary in order to complete the form.
You can watch Juan Williams discussing this very matter (source The Blaze.com):
You can view specifics of my previous complaints in this post.
Todd
@ideapalooza
ideapalooza.com
Tags: Media Matters
Media Matters for America is organized as a tax exempt 501(c)3 organization. Under IRS guidelines, they must abide by several rules to maintain this status. Specifically, 501(c)3 organizations are subject to many restrictions by law and political campaigning is one of those restrictions.
I recently filed my complaint with the IRS against Media Matters and one of it’s employees, Angelo Carusone. Carusone is their Drop Fox Campaign Director. He is known on Twitter as @StopBeck and @Drop_Fox. Here is a synopsis of the attachment that accompanied the complaint form I filed with the IRS:
Angelo Carusone is an employee of Media Matters for America. His title is Campaign Director. Mr. Carusone manages an account on Twitter on behalf of Media Matters for America. His Twitter account is @StopBeck. He has 23,880 followers. He manages this politically charged account. His campaign oriented messages are pro candidate Barack Obama and against presidential candidate contenders. I feel this is in direct violation of 501c3 rules which clearly state organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office.
Here is a brief example of messages Carusone sent to his 23,880 followers on June 21 and 23 of 2011 regarding active presidential candidates:
- Fox News attacks the president for using the word “I.” http://ow.ly/5pbs7 — Circus’ dont even have acrobatics like this.
- For the first time…almost ever…I learned something while watching Glenn Beck: Rick Santorum will not go gay for glenny.
- Santorum chatting about time Glenny said he wanted to “kiss [Santorum] on the mouth.” Levels of yuck here. #GoogleSantorum
- @scottgreenly84 hahaha. oh i’m wellllll aware of what Santorum means. he he he
- @kylejl89 They want to save them from the likes of progressives, Obama and everyone else.
- Just what I needed this fine Thursday. Rick Santorum and Glenn Beck talking about their plan for the Jews.
- Per this Fox News host, Obama is linked to the caliphate b’cuz a web video mentions colonialism and Obama is anti-colonial.
- At least Fox News didn’t go w/the headline ‘Obama’s got 99 problems but white women aint one’ http://ow.ly/5oYzF
- And, here it is. Fox News host asks if there’s “a way to get Obama to act more like Reagan” #WeekendAtBerniesForever
- On Hannity, Huntsman says “regulations” that stop us from doing “what we want” are unAmerican. Yea! We should be able to do whatever we want.
- Huntsman 2012! I’ve got the word “hunt” in my name. That’s gotta count for something, right?
- hehe. RT @jamilsmith: “I respect the President of the United States.” Well, that was a quick campaign. #Huntsman
I filed a second form today requesting that the IRS review this 2 minute video taken by the Huffington Post at a Media Matters for America ‘farewell party for Glenn Beck’. I believe the comments made by the employees of Media Matters should be enough to disqualify them as a non-profit organization and at a minimum their comments should be reviewed and assessed by the Internal Revenue Service. Does this conform with the spirit of the law?
The Internal Revenue Service has a complaint form 13909 Tax-Exempt Organization Complaint (Referral) Form that is one page in length. The form comes with easy to follow instructions and then can be mailed, faxed, or emailed to the IRS office. I have taken the liberty to complete the initial heading of the form to include Media Matters for America’s mailing address and tax ID number in order to assist any submitter with completing the complaint form. You may download this form here. I do suggest that you familiarize yourself with the IRS guidelines for 501(c)3 organizations here although this is not necessary in order to complete the form.
You can read an interesting article on this subject “Is Media Matters Breaking the law in its ‘war’ on Fox News?” The article strongly suggests that Media Matters is violating its exemption as an educational foundation by actively participating in partisan political activities.
Todd
ideapalooza.com
@ideapalooza
Tags: Angelo Carusone, glenn beck, Media Matters
