A right-leaning charity group that claims to support troops is actually using the donations it receives in a manner that is unethical at best and grossly illegal at worst. Move America Forward brands itself as “the nation’s largest grassroots pro-troop organization.” It has recruited a virtual who’s-who of conservative big shots as spokesmen, including both Bushes, Rush Limbaugh and John Bolton. But ProPublica’s Kim Barker recently peered into the guts of Move America Forward, with the help of The Daily Beast. She uncovered evidence that suggests this charity is being used to subsidize tea party groups. It was one of Barker’s last projects with ProPublica before leaving for The New York Times.
Move America Forward was founded in 2004 by Republican consultant Sal Russo, better known as the founder of Tea Party Express. Barker examined five years’ worth of Move America Forward tax returns, and found that in that time Move America Forward had funneled a whopping $2.3 million–some 30 percent of the charity’s overall expenditures over that period–to either Russo or his consulting firm. As we all know, charities are not allowed to pay excessive fees or wages to staffers or consultants.
Barker also uncovered evidence that suggests Move America Forward footed the rent for several of the other occupants of the Sacramento office suite where it’s based. Move America Forward shares the suite with Tea Party Express and another PAC Russo helped set up, Move America Forward Freedom PAC. The other companies based in the suite are The Campaign Store, a Russo-run company that develops campaign materials, DonationSafe, a credit-card donation processing firm founded by former Move America Forward executive director Shawn Callahan, and Frontline Strategies, a consulting firm that lists Callahan as a partner. When nonprofit lawyer Bruce Hopkins saw the arrangement, he said in no uncertain terms that Move America Forward was almost certainly subsidizing the two PACs, and that “the IRS would be all over that” if it became public knowledge. If that isn’t problematic enough, at least two donations made by a ProPublica reporter appear to have gone to The Campaign Store.
It also looks like Move America Forward is allowing the PACs free access to it its email list. According to Kelly Eustis, a former consultant with Tea Party Express, Russo has been using the Move America Forward email list to fundraise for the PACs since at least 2008. Eustis was very uncomfortable with the close intermingling, saying that while she knew PACs take dirty money, “this is a charity that’s supposed to be helping the troops.” One of Barker’s colleagues subscribed to Move America Forward’s mailing list in November, and received several emails from the PACs. Indeed, it looks like at least one of the PACs is essentially a subsidiary of the charity; the PAC’s Website says that it is “brought to you by Move America Forward.”
While this would be reason enough to stay far, far away from Move America Forward, this charity has had a shady reputation for some time. It’s been under fire in recent years for stealing images and stories from other groups to use them in their fundraising appeals. For instance, Carolyn Blashek, the founder of Operation Gratitude, was “livid” when she learned Move America Forward had swiped one of her charity’s pictures to use it in a fundraising appeal. Other pictures used in Move America Forward appeals have been gleaned from stock-photo sites, news agencies, and social media. In a particularly brazen move, Move America Forward swiped a picture from Pinterest to use in a Valentine’s Day pitch, and even digitally scrubbed the soldier’s name from his cap. In the past, it’s even touted itself as having partnerships with Walter Reed National Military Hospital and VA hospitals, when no such partnerships exist.
Russo’s people have even gone as far as to steal veterans’ stories without permission. An email sent in December included the story of Larry Draughn, a Marine who had his legs blown off by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, but still managed to rescue several motorists caught in an Ohio snowstorm. When Draughn learned Move America Forward had taken his story without his knowledge, he hit the ceiling, and vowed to “ream their butts” over the phone. Move America Forward apologized and offered to send him a free gift. As of this summer, that gift hasn’t arrived. Small wonder that Move America Forward has a rating of zero stars from Charity Navigator.
If I’m Russo and I’m reading this, I’d have a lawyer on speed dial. One can only hope that sooner than later, he’s made to trade his business suit for an orange jumpsuit.
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Darrell Lucus is a radical-lefty Jesus-lover who has been blogging for change for a decade. Follow him on Twitter @DarrellLucus or connect with him on Facebook.
