I get that all the time

ALEC has set up a sister organization to do some of the controversial lobby work. This is from the article cited in OP:

• Alec has set up a separate sister group called the "Jeffersonian Project" amid concerns over possible government inquiries into whether its activities constitute lobbying – which would threaten its tax-exempt status;...

The documents seen by the Guardian show that Alec is hoping to avoid legal, tax and ethical challenges by creating a separate sister organisation it calls the "Jeffersonian Project". The new body would be categorised as a 501(c)(4) social welfare organisation, a designation that would allow Alec to be far more overt in its lobbying activities than its current charitable status as a 501(c)(3).

"Any activity that could be done by Alec may be done by Jeffersonian Project if legal counsel advises it would provide greater legal protection or lessen ethics concerns," a note on the proposed new body to Alec's board of directors says. The note adds that the Jeffersonian Project would remove "questions of ethical violations made by our critics and state ethics boards and provides further legal protection".

Lisa Graves said that the difficulty the network was having in attracting back major corporate sponsors showed how vulnerable the network is to public scrutiny. "This is a reflection of the power of sunlight on their activities – for too many years they were operating largely in secret. Corporations are sensitive to these issues."

Sunshine is exactly what's needed to send ALEC's economic vampires back to their coffins.



-Laelth

also known as the SuperPAC.

Colbert: "So what, exactly, is the difference between this and money laundering?
Guest: "There is none."

-Laelth

n/t

Sunshine is a great disinfectant.

I hope that this story gets some attention http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/report-alec-has-a-funding-problem-after-trayvon-martin-saga

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is facing a potential funding problem after losing a number of big donors in recent years, The Guardian newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Documents obtained by The Guardian show that the lobbying group has identified over 40 former corporate members -- including Amazon, Coca-Cola, and Walmart -- it is looking to attract back. Numerous companies cut ties with the group following the "stand-your-ground" law issues raised by the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin in February 2012.

The documents, prepared for ALEC's recent annual board meeting, show that money raised from conferences, membership fees, and donations has fallen short. In the first six months of 2013, ALEC had a budget hole totaling more than one third of its projected income. The Guardian also learned that more than 400 state legislators have left ALEC over the past two years.

400 legislators and where did they go?

Are they chasing money elsewhere?

The idea of telling Coke and Amazon is a great one. And it works.

Dear Sirs,

I can see by your support of ALEC sponsored legislation, you do not care about my

purchases of your product. As of today, those purchases cease, along with those

of my family.


You'd be surprised how that works.

I love this analysis from ThinkProgress http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2013/12/03/3015361/alec-fading-power/

1. Membership is dropping. ALEC’s ranks shrank dramatically since its activities came to light in 2011. Nearly four hundred state legislators have jumped ship, bringing membership down from its peak of 2,200 in 2011 to 1,810 in 2013. Corporate membership has also declined from 280 to 214 over the past two years. Through a new initiative called “The Prodigal Son Project,” the group is struggling to win back former members who distanced themselves after the controversy, targeting corporate giants like Blue Cross Blue Shield, McDonald’s, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Walgreens, and General Electric. Members in the financial services have also backed away from ALEC “due to controversy,” the report notes.

2. Finances are in bad shape. As it sheds prominent members, the organization’s finances have taken a hit. The leaked documents reveal a budget shortfall of $1.4 million as of June 30, 2013 on expected dues of $3.9 million. Membership support had a gap of $440,792, while conference sponsorship fell short of expectations by $547,500.

3. Legal trouble is on the horizon. ALEC is creating a new lobbying wing in 2014 that will act separately from the rest of the organization. This new wing, called the “Jeffersonian Project,” will “provide greater legal protection or lessen ethics concerns,” the documents say. This means ALEC is trying to create an organization without a tax-exempt status so it doesn’t get in trouble for lobbying for the passage of bills. The documents show that ALEC would still like the Jeffersonian Project tightly linked, though. “No action can be taken by the Jeffersonian Project unless it is supported by a current ALEC policy,” the documents read. The project is also spun more positively with the board saying it “will be a new revenue source.”