By JORDAN CARLEO-EVANGELIST, Staff writer First published in print: Friday, December 4, 2009
For those in the nonprofit world, one cardinal rule is to stay out of politics.
So officials at the Northeast Parent & Child Society -- one of the region's largest nonprofits -- say they got a jolt over the last month when it came to their attention that thousands of dollars worth of checks in the organization's name had been cut to a handful of local politicians.
The contributions came to the attention of Inside Politics during a routine review of Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings' campaign finance disclosure statements for the 27 days following last month's election.
The forms revealed two donations -- totaling $450 -- were returned to the Schenectady agency, which, among other things, provides foster care.
Both those checks were written more than four years ago, in May and August of 2005, when Jennings was running for re-election to a fourth term.
Paul Wein, an attorney for Northeast Parent & Child, said the organization's chief financial officer became aware within the last month that checks had been cut to local politicians, a clear violation of the organization's written policy
More than that, such political activity could jeopardize the agency's status as a tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization, which, according to the Internal Revenue Service, is defined in federal law as a group "which does not participate in, or intervene in ... any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office."
And the donations weren't limited to Jennings.
The state Board of Elections' online database of political campaign contributions reveals that at least 28 contributions totaling at least $5,490 were made in Northeast Parent & Child Society's name dating back more than a decade. For reasons that were not immediately clear, that search did not detect the two donations to Jennings' campaign.
Nearly half of the 28 contributions -- 12 to be exact -- went to state Sen. Hugh Farley of Niskayuna. Other recipients included former state Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, Assemblyman James Tedisco, former assemblyman and now U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko and Schenectady Mayor Brian Stratton's Schenectady First Fund.
Wein said that when some of the checks came to the agency's attention recently, the CFO searched Northeast Parent & Child's records to look for any others written to political campaigns and immediately requested a refund.
The CFO had become aware of one check several years ago and asked the campaign to return the contribution, Wein said, but at the time the agency never searched for others.
The organization's recent internal search yielded a number of donations much smaller than the 28 listed in state records, Wein said -- a disparity that could not immediately be explained.
Wein said officials concluded it was likely that an employee, who has since resigned, bought tickets to campaign events in an effort to network with people who could help Northeast Parent & Child Society with its mission....................>>>>...........................>>>>............. ..........http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=873452&category=ALBANY#ixzz0YidhJ79M
Eyeing nonprofits' illegal contributions to politicians By Jennifer Barrios Newsday, Melville, N.Y. Publication: Newsday (Melville, New York) Date: Monday, November 2 2009
Nov. 2--Dozens of not-for-profit organizations have given small political contributions to Long Island's representatives, despite federal law that prohibits the practice.
In many cases the contributions are made mistakenly -- such as when a nonprofit organization buys a ticket for a dinner held by a politician that is categorized as a campaign expense. Other times, outright donations are made in violation of the law.
"All of this is out of sheer ignorance," said Sean Delany, executive director of the Lawyers Alliance for New York, and a former head of the state attorney general's charities bureau.
However, while it is illegal for the nonprofit to give the money, it's perfectly lawful for a politician to receive it. It's not clear if the donations led to any "pay for play" -- legislators arranging for state funding for organizations that donate -- but Delany said such small donations could be seen as a way to maintain good relations or press pet causes.
Cuomo taking a look
New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office is in the midst of an ongoing review of state campaign finance records, seeking out nonprofits that may have given such contributions in recent years, a spokesman said. Most nonprofits in the state are required to register with the charities bureau, which ensures nonprofits operate properly.
Newsday's informal review of those records found 50 nonprofits that were recorded as giving amounts ranging from $25 to $2,000 to Long Island's state senators and Assembly members since 1999. The attorney general's office is sending out letters warning the groups that they must get the money back and pass a board resolution stating that they will not give political contributions, or risk losing their tax-exempt status..............................>>>>.................................>>>>....................... http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices-public/13387012-1.html
By FREDRIC U. DICKER in Albany and SALLY GOLDENBERG in NY
Last Updated: 6:16 PM, October 23, 2009
Posted: 3:18 AM, October 23, 2009
As part of a probe into sleazy "pay-to-play" donations made by nonprofit groups, state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has ordered dozens of charities to take back illegal contributions they've made to politicians -- or lose their tax-exempt status, The Post has learned.
Cuomo has begun notifying individual charities by letter that he's on to their wrongdoing. His office has uncovered improper campaign donations to state and city lawmakers that have been made by dozens of nonprofits, despite laws that bar them from such political activity.
"The issue of charities or not-for-profits giving political contributions is a matter we are currently investigating. It is not appropriate, and it is not legal, and we want to make sure it doesn't happen anymore," a spokesman for Cuomo told The Post.
The spokesman said the continuing probe has found the problem to be "widespread."
A source said "dozens" of charities are part of Cuomo's investigation, which involves political contributions at various levels of government, including the state Legislature and the City Council.
Federal and state laws bar non-profits from making donations to candidates or officeholders, as well as participating in their campaigns.
Charities that break the law risk losing their tax-exempt status.
Still, many have long quietly forked over campaign cash -- often after receiving pork barrel funding from some of the same lawmakers.
For instance, it has been reported that Assemblywoman Rhoda Jacobs (D-Brooklyn) got $2,500 from Maimonides Medical Center in 2006, while later that year, she arranged for a grant to the hospital for a CAT-scanner.
The assemblywoman's office has said the burden should not be on lawmakers to determine whether groups that give donations to them are nonprofits or not.
Cuomo's charity investigation grew out of an ongoing probe launched two years ago into pork-barrel spending -- known as "member items" -- by state lawmakers.
Earlier this month, the Attorney General's Office sent a strongly worded letter to the director of the Brooklyn Italian Youth Soccer Club, detailing campaign contributions the charity has given to state politicians over the past five years and demanding the organization undertake to be repaid.
"Your organization's apparent violation of the law may have jeopardized its tax-exempt status, the loss of which would seriously impair its operations and cause harm to its charitable beneficiaries," reads the Oct. 10 letter, which was obtained by The Post.
"Our office requires that your organization seek an immediate repayment of past political contributions, if it has not done so already," added the letter, which was signed by the head of Cuomo's Charities Bureau, Jason Lilien. The letter demands that the nonprofit take steps to ensure similar contributions are not given in the future.
Cuomo ordered the group to inform him of what it is doing to get the money back, within 24 hours of receiving the warning, as well as listing all other contributions made to candidates from 2003 to the present.
According to Cuomo's letter, the soccer club made nine contributions totaling $1,075 to Assemblymen Peter Abbate and Bill Colton, both Brooklyn Democrats, since 2004.
State comptroller records show the charity had not received any member items in recent years from Albany.
The head of the soccer club could not be reached for comment last night.
Non-profits should know better than to give to political campaigns. And candidates should know better and not take the donation. So they are both responsible for this bad behavior.
However, who oversees these donations? This has been going on for how many years now? And they just found out? Who's watching the hen house? There clearly needs to be more oversight with our government.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
SCHENECTADY Politicians return nonprofit’s donations BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Michael Lamendola at 395-3114 or lamend@dailygazette.com.
Northeast Parent & Child has recovered $5,400 in campaign contributions it illegally made to state and local political campaigns, following a crackdown by the state attorney general’s office. Northeast made the contributions between 1999 and 2006 to state Sen. Hugh Farley, R-Niskayuna, Assemblyman James Tedisco, R-Glenville, then-assemblyman Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, and to Democratic Mayor Brian Stratton’s Schenectady First Fund. State and federal laws bar nonprofits from making donations to candidates or officeholders and from participating in their campaigns. Charities in violation of the law can lose their tax-exempt status, although that did not happen to Northeast, which has administrative offices at 530 Franklin St. in Schenectady. Attorney General Andrew Cuomo issued Northeast a warning letter several months ago requesting it come into compliance with the law, said Paul Wein, an attorney for the nonprofit agency. .............>>>>..................>>>>....................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01202&AppName=1
Glad to see the gazette finally got on board and did a so called 'story' about the shameful non-profits and the shameful politicians. It only took the gazette how long????
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
"Pretty much all have been returned"? Who still hasn't? More polenta from the Gazetto.
This has been going on forever here-sickening. They take money from little old ladies and send it to some useless fat cat. Albany's Mayor Jennings was the only one to return the check-before the AG got involved. Throw the bums out.
Little League Baseball, Incorporated is a non-profit organization whose mission is to "to promote, develop, supervise, and voluntarily assist in all lawful ways, the interest of those who will participate in Little League Baseball and Softball."
Through proper guidance and exemplary leadership, the Little League program assists youth in developing the qualities of citizenship, discipline, teamwork and physical well-being. By espousing the virtues of character, courage and loyalty, the Little League Baseball and Softball program is designed to develop superior citizens rather than superior athletes.
Founded in 1939; granted Federal Charter July 16, 1964, by unanimous act of the Senate and House of Representatives of the Congress of the United States of America and signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson as Public Law 88-378, 88th Congress H.R. 9234, and amended December 26, 1974, Public Law 93-551, 93rd Congress, H.R. 8864. Little League is tax exempt.
SHOW ME THE $$$$ TRAIL......especially in Rotterdam and the almighty fields......
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
Logged
So AG Andrew Cuomo will pull NE Parent and Child's tax exemption?
