'Pro-Troop' Charity Repeatedly Misled Voters, Funneled Millions To Tea Partiers

Will this story air on Fox or Drudge report?

In February 2013, Move America Forward announced an ambitious fundraising goal. The charity, launched in part by one of the most prominent figures in the Tea Party movement, had adopted the 800 Marines in a battalion fighting in Afghanistan and wanted to send them all care packages.

"For some troops, these care packages are the only mail they will receive all year," the group said in one email solicitation.

The charity later described the fundraising drive as a rousing success: In less than five weeks, all 800 Marines in a 1st Marine Division battalion nicknamed Geronimo were sent care packages and notes in Afghanistan, it claimed.

Huff post
another link
yet another link

Here are a few celebrities that publicly backed this group:
Gene Simmons
Sarah Palin
Rick Perry
Rush Limbaugh
Sean Hannity

This charity claimed to help vets, but they helped themselves and other tea party groups instead.

Move America Forward calls itself the nation’s “largest grassroots pro-troop organization,” and has recruited a bevy of Republican luminaries, including former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush and former Vice President Dick Cheney, to support its efforts.

Yet an examination of its fundraising appeals, tax records and other documents shows that Move America Forward has repeatedly misled donors and inflated its charitable accomplishments, while funneling millions of dollars in revenue to the men behind the group and their political consulting firms.

msnbc

a reply to: LDragonFire

Perhaps the IRS did have good cause to audit these tea party groups?



Troopathon not to give to the troops but for themselves and for other tea party groups

They are lying don't send them a dime:

a reply to: LDragonFire

Good luck. Regardless of all of the evidence to the contrary, a lot of right wingers, even the ones on ATS, are in complete denial about the astroturf Tea Party. You want to know what happens with a real ultra conservative grassroots effort that isn't funded and organized by crap like this and people like the Koch brothers?

Remember Operation American Spring?

On a more general note, one has to be very very cautious about donating to charities, particularly those who might be preying on peoples' desire to help our troops and veterans. There's quite a few reputable organizations that rate charities and before giving money to any of charity, I encourage people to do some due diligence.

Russo is better known for helping to form the Our Country Deserves Better PAC, also known as the Tea Party Express, one of the largest Tea Party groups in the country. Consultants from his Sacramento-based firm, Russo, Marsh and Associates, also set up two other PACs, the Move America Forward Freedom PAC and the Conservative Campaign Committee, to aid conservative causes and candidates.

Russo and his associates have previously drawn attention for lavishing funds raised through the committees on themselves, using this money on an Alaskan cruise and fancy hotels as well as paying themselves huge consulting fees…According to its five most recent tax returns, Move America Forward paid out more than $2.3 million to Russo or Russo, Marsh and Associates for services including “program management and advertising.” That’s about 30 percent of the charity’s overall expenditures over that time.

Charities that accept tax-deductible donations, such as Move America Forward, are prohibited by law from using their donations to fund partisan activities.

Link

Russo who ran this scam also helped form The tea party express, this type of charity are prohibited by law from funding partisan activities.

The 800 soldiers they claimed to help and they showed pictures of them helping them in Afghanistan, were stationed at that time in Japan. Massive fraud and completely warrants a IRS audit.

a reply to: LDragonFire

Perhaps the IRS did have good cause to audit these tea party groups?

I think you may be on to something. Is it a coincidence that some of the most vocal about the audits are also the backers of that group?

Of course I expect them to be like "nothing to see here folks, now move along".

a reply to: LDragonFire

We are up to our eyeballs in fraudulent charities. Exploiting veterans for political causes is extremely loathsome though. Until our lawmakers address this issue it will remain a problem. Buyer beware if you can but it's not always possible.

The 50 worst charities in America devote less than 4 percent of donations raised to direct cash aid. Some charities give even less.

America's 50 worst charities rake in nearly $1 billion

a reply to: theantediluvian

That "Astro Turf" Tea Party is winning seats in the government........

Just saying

That being said.......this is despicable if this is indeed what happened, taking advantage of our men and women to put money elsewhere is a tragedy

*shrugs* You do realize while several elements of the Tea Party are completely corrupt several parts are also truly grass roots drive by the people in the district they represent.

As a conservative I would NEVER group all democrats into the same vein as a Pelosi, or Reid supporter, I ask the respect be returned to me and the other conservatives that don't like the establishment republicans and just want to be left alone to live our life as we see fit and raise our kids in the same manner. (IE big govt stay the Frack out)

I think as a conservative I can find common ground with 95% of the populace and anyone that refuses to look for common ground to meet the other side on so we can work together... well I have little time for you. (by the way that final 5% is probably split between hard core left and right)

Most Americans are not that different from each other, and it truly boggles my mind that we have let the MSM and crooked billionaires turn us against each other.

I dont believe the Left as a whole wants to take my guns away... hey lefties guess what many conservatives are ok with a woman deciding what she wants to do with her body, I also dont think the left wants to shred the constitution and turn us socialist... guess what Lefties... many conservatives want to preserve the environment we just dont want wholesale changes that have the potential to kill many elderly, young and poor, because they cant afford to heat their homes in the winter, or pay for AC during a hot summer.

Lets stop throwing stones at each other because some rich politico wants us to hate each other, find that common ground and figure out how to fix things. I still believe that the majority of Americans are bright, inventive, caring , and hard working... working together there is nothing we cannot built, fix, or over come..

That said I have been drinking, so take all this with a grain of salt... but it does sadden me to see us let our differences divide us rather than use our common ground to overcome the corruption and right this nation to continue into the future.

a reply to: Irishhaf



You know what I call the position you just described???

A common sense conservative. I think that is a great position to have. Honestly if those in government held the same positions on matters as you I would switch from independent to the CSC party (common sense conservative party). Sir there is absolutely nothing wrong with what you described. Cheers I think I will go get a beer.

Old news and already been posted. Two days ago...

Anything else to add in that thread?

a reply to: Grimpachi

I don't get it... when did we lose it... it seemed when I was young that most Americans, Democrat and Republican were thinking on making America better for all. Now it seems like we are only concerned with beating the other group..

Maybe I am just idealistic, but while America has always had its warts the majority of people cared more about what you did rather than who you voted for.

We have become so desensitized to the corruption that they are openly flaunting the corruption and the people are listening to the propaganda of each party rather than their hearts and personal knowledge of whats best for the country.

It boggles my mind, but I think I am going to sign off before my thoughts get anymore scattered.

a reply to: LDragonFire

It's amazing how butthurt people get when the GOP takes a page from the democrat playbook.

a reply to: LDragonFire
Sean hannity did the same thing on one of his tours..."all the profits go to the troops" type thing.Only problem was,the cost of a stadium,his hotel and airfare,expense's,only left a few cents leftover.Hate to say it,but thats why I won't give a dime to any of these fundraisers.

so a company that was run by criminals, who happen to be tea party members stole a bunch of money.
it's not like any registered democrats, republicans,libertarians, or any other political party affiliation person has ever done any thing like that hunh?

I'm appalled and outraged!

This is just shocking!



No, not at the Move America Forward scam

but that Gene Simmons is a conservative.
Time for a KISS bonfire.

originally posted by: Grimpachi
a reply to: Irishhaf

You know what I call the position you just described???

A common sense conservative. I think that is a great position to have.

The problem I have with those who try to invoke "common sense" is, they almost always mean "If you disagree with me, you don't have any."

I have been married to a woman for 10 years that has wildly different opinions from mine, even with that I love her fiercely.

If you cant accept that people think differently your in for a rough and probably lonely life.

a reply to: OccamsRazor04
Well, if you follow the source from where that site got its information, you'd see:

Here’s a brief look at each of the criminal cases that have been filed, which prosecutors built with help from the Chicago offices of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Internal Revenue Service, as well as from the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office’s inspector general

...so perhaps an audit happened, eh?