NEWS FLASH

Anti-Climate Americans For Prosperity Claims To Not Be Politically Active After Launching Attack Ads | The conservative Americans for Prosperity reported to the IRS that the organization does not engage in political activities even though it reported to the Federal Election Commission that it spent $1.3 million on political radio spots and television ads. During the 2010 midterm elections, the organization unleashed these anti-clean energy ads. According to ClimateWire, AFP’s answer matters because it removes the political expenditure information, which the IRS uses to determine if the group can maintain its tax-exempt status and continue to hide its donors’ identities. An AFP spokeswoman said the ads are not political activity under the FEC’s definition because they don’t tell voters to support or oppose certain candidates. But Lloyd Mayer, associate dean of the Notre Dame Law School, said, “Under the federal tax law … they are clearly political campaign activity.”