ProgressOhio

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Petition points to apparent illegal coordination between conservative group, campaign

(COLUMBUS) – A local teacher’s association is asking the Internal Revenue Service to investigate apparent political coordination between the conservative Buckeye Institute and the Mayoral campaign of Republican Bill Todd.  In a letter to IRS Acting Commissioner Linda E. Stiff, the Columbus Education Association points to alleged coordination and participation in developing and filing Bill Todd’s lawsuit against the Columbus Board of Education, et al. 

“We’ve undertaken this petition because Bill Todd’s coordination with Ken Blackwell’s Buckeye Institute raises serious legal questions,” stated Rhonda Johnson, President of the Columbus Education Association.  “Bill Todd’s reckless lawsuit hasn’t just jeopardized the kids of Columbus; it may have endangered the political process in our Mayoral election.”

The Internal Revenue Code places an absolute prohibition on 501(c)(3) non-profits such as the Buckeye Institute participating or intervening in the political process.  CEA points to the following as evidence of apparently illegal participation and intervention in the political process:

• Political lawsuit coordination. In two Associated Press articles, as well as a Columbus Dispatch article, Bill Todd admits to developing and basing his political lawsuit and campaign positions on research coordinated with the Buckeye Institute.
• Media rollout coordination. The research in question was timed for release the same week Todd filed his lawsuit and was not publically available until after the lawsuit was filed.
• Material coordination. Todd’s lawsuit was provided to and actively promoted by the Buckeye Institute via their website, though copies of the lawsuit were not available to the general public from the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas during the same timeframe.

The petition seeks an injunction on further participation and/or intervention; assessing of excise taxes; and possible revocation of Buckeye Institute’s non-profit status. 

“No one is above the law, especially when it comes to our elections,” continued Johnson.  “Bill Todd has a history of skirting the edge of our election laws and just may have crossed the line this time.”

IRS Letter from CEA:

See Also: Buckeye Institute Coordinated on Political Activities
Buckeye Institute "Disappears" Post