HUFFPOST FUNDRACE -- Karl Rove's Secret $10 Million Donor

By Paul Blumenthal

The dark money group founded by Karl Rove and other Republican luminaires, Crossroads GPS, reportedly received a contribution from one anonymous donor for $10 million, according to the Washington Post. WaPo reports, "The tax returns show that Crossroads GPS has collected the vast majority of its donations from the super rich. It reported that nearly 90 percent of its contributions through end of 2011 had come from as few as two dozen donors, each giving $1 million or more. Overall, the nonprofit raised more than $76 million since it was founded in May 2010 through the end of last year. 'That's certainly not a grassroots movement, is it,' said Bill Allison, editorial director of the Sunlight Foundation, which advocates for transparency in government and politics. 'These donors can have a very disproportionate effect on politics, and the fact that we don't know who they are and what kind of favors they will ask for is very troubling.'"

HuffPost's Dan Froomkin points out, "Crossroads GPS won't divulge the names of its donors, citing its self-declared status as a nonprofit organization operating under section 501(c)(4) of the tax code. That section is intended for "social welfare" groups that have a primary mission other than political activity. The IRS has yet to formally grant Crossroads GPS that status. Several campaign finance reform groups have demanded that Crossroads' request be denied."

Have television stations been corrupted by Citizens United? The New Republic dives into the lobbying by television stations to oppose a Federal Communication Commission plan to create a public, online database of ad buys for local broadcast stations. TNR writes, "This kind of intransigence from the super PACs is hardly a surprise. What is surprising is the intransigence from public broadcasters. The arguments against transparency offered by the networks show that, having experienced the windfall of advertising dollars that Citizens United unleashed, they have little interest in meeting their legal and ethical responsibility to serve the public interest."

Trevor Potter, Stephen Colbert's lawyer among many other things, writes in WaPo about five myths about super PACs.

Eric Cantor's "accidental" $25,000 contribution to a super PAC bent on deposing incumbent members of Congress is continuing to give members headaches.

A new super PAC named Occupy Obamacare hopes to creep people out with bizarre videos starring a grim reaper Obama killing Herman Cain.

The FEC is still debating whether or not to appeal the Van Hollen ruling that found FEC rules blocking disclosure of some donor identities had to be replaced with rules that enforced disclosure.

AD WATCH

Help us populate our list of campaign videos. Send any notable TV, radio or web ads that you see to Fundrace. Send your submissions to paulblumenthal@huffingtonpost.com.

Committee: American Crossroads
Candidate Opposed: Barack Obama
Spot: "Cecil Roberts"
Market: Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia. (Radio)
Buy: $175,000.

Committee: American Action Network
Candidate Opposed: Richard Mourdock
Spot: "PROBLEMS"
Market: Indiana.
Buy: Undisclosed.

Committee: Scott Walker for Governor
Spot: "Economy"
Market: Wisconsin.
Buy: Undisclosed.

Committee: Tom Barrett for Governor
Candidate Opposed: Scott Walker
Spot: "Erpenbach"
Market: Wisconsin.
Buy: Undisclosed.

Committee: Mark Critz for Congress
Candidate Opposed: Jason Altmire
Spot: "Honesty"
Market: Pennsylvania 12th District.
Buy: Undisclosed.

Committee: Jason Altmire for Congress
Candidate Opposed: Mark Critz
Spot: "Represent"
Market: Pennsylvania 12th District.
Buy: Undisclosed.

TRACKING INDEPENDENT SPENDING IN THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE:

These numbers represent spending by independent groups, like super PACs and non-profits, to support or oppose a particular candidate for the presidency in 2012. Fundrace will update this spending daily to help show which candidates are gaining from the proliferation of independent groups in this coming election.

Newt Gingrich (R), $13,014,518 to support, $18,885,161 to oppose.
Rick Santorum (R), $7,548,235 to support, $20,923,379 to oppose.
Mitt Romney (R), $3,317,306 to support, $6,927,290 to oppose.
Rick Perry (R), $4,167,697 to support, $1,404 to oppose.
Ron Paul (R), $3,748,218 to support, $214,158 to oppose.
Jon Huntsman (R), $2,453,204 to support, $0 to oppose.
Barack Obama (D), $294,895 to support, $979,322 to oppose.
Herman Cain (R), $501,717 to support, $954 to oppose.
Gary Johnson (R), $518 to support, $0 to oppose.

RECENT INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES

Progressive Kick Independent Expenditures, $35,500 to oppose Tim Holden for Congress in Pennsylvania's 17th District.
Indiana Values Super PAC, $85,000 to oppose Richard Mourdock for Senate in Indiana.
Majority PAC, $17,646 to support Claire McCaskill for Senate in Missouri.
The Centennial Fund Committee, $7,691 to support Frank Antenori for Congress in Arizona's 8th District.
United Steel Workers, $1,738 to support Mark Critz for Congress in Pennsylvania's 12th District.
Campaign for Primary Accountability, $15,331 to oppose Tim Murphy for Congress in Pennsylvania's 18th District.
The American Foundation Committee, $152,022 to oppose Paul Coble for Congress in North Carolina's 13th District.
FreedomWorks for America, $1,043 to oppose Orrin Hatch for Senate in Utah.

RECENT POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE REGISTRATIONS

NONE.

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