PropertyValue
?:author
?:datePublished
  • 2018-04-23 (xsd:date)
?:headline
  • Did Planned Parenthood Donate $30 Million to Democrats to Influence the Midterm Elections? (en)
?:inLanguage
?:itemReviewed
?:mentions
?:reviewBody
  • On 18 April 2018 Facebook page The Newly Press shared a text-based meme asserting that taxpayer-subsidized Planned Parenthood was spending upwards of $30 million to influence the outcome of the upcoming midterm elections: A later similar meme claimed specifically that all $30 million was going to Democratic candidates: However, a 16 April 2018 Roll Call piece made clear a distinction absent from Internet memes, namely that the $30 million figure represented monies to be provided by a coalition of organizations, of which Planned Parenthood Votes was but one member: Roll Call also noted that the multiple-group initiative included Planned Parenthood Votes, which is the political arm of Planned Parenthood (i.e., a super PAC branch), an entity separate from the main Planned Parenthood Federation of America organization: Memes such as the one referenced above suggest it should be highly illegal for Planned Parenthood to receive taxpayer subsidies yet expend monies on political activities. According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations such as Planned Parenthood are indeed prohibited from funding such endeavors: However, Planned Parenthood is affiliated with two offshoot political entities which are separate from the main organization and thus can be involved with funding midterm elections. Planned Parenthood Action Fund (PPAF) is a 501(c)(4), which the IRS stipulates may further its exempt purposes through lobbying as its primary activity without jeopardizing its exempt status. The second organization, Planned Parenthood Votes, is a Super PAC. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) defines Super PACs such as Planned Parenthood Votes as committees that may receive unlimited contributions from individuals, corporations, labor unions and other political action committees for the purpose of financing independent expenditures and other independent political activity. In short, Planned Parenthood itself is not dishing out $30 million on midterm elections in violation of the law. Rather, a separate political arm of Planned Parenthood (which is donor-funded and may legally engage is such activities) is one part of a coalition of several groups that is expending an aggregate of $30 million on mobilizing infrequent voters for the 2018 midterm elections. (en)
?:reviewRating
rdf:type
?:url