Peter Overby

IRS Hearings Highlight Ambiguity Of Nonprofits In Politics

Peter Overby — Sat, 25 May 2013 09:55:00 +0000

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SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News, I'm Scott Simon. In the two weeks since the Internal Revenue Service scandal erupted, the acting commissioner has been ousted, the head of the relevant section has been put on administrative leave.

IRS Official's Silence Riles House Committee Members

Peter Overby — Thu, 23 May 2013 08:38:00 +0000

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RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

The IRS has admitted to targeting conservative groups seeking tax exempt status. And yesterday at a House hearing the IRS director of exempt organizations said, quote: "I have not done anything wrong." She then declined to testify.

Some Lawmakers Want Big-Budget Groups Included In IRS Debate

Peter Overby — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:45:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l2s_q_kfrU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdYjp8-RMwA

After Targeting Conservative Groups, IRS Apologizes

Peter Overby — Fri, 10 May 2013 21:23:00 +0000

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AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

From NPR News this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Audie Cornish.

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

And I'm Robert Siegel. After more than a year of denials by the IRS, a director at the agency apologized today for its targeting of Tea Party and patriot groups. As NPR's Peter Overby reports, the apology has reignited a political controversy.

PETER OVERBY, BYLINE: Some Tea Party groups have long accused the IRS of going after them with unfair harshness.

Why Lobbying Is Now Increasingly In The Shadows

Peter Overby — Fri, 03 May 2013 07:24:00 +0000

While ideological gridlock continues to immobilize Capitol Hill, another of Washington's institutions is morphing behind the scenes.

The lobbying industry is becoming more secretive — reversing a trend that dates back to the 1990s. And campaign money now looms ever larger as a critical element in the persuasion business.

Ever since Congress strengthened the lobbying disclosure laws in 1995, most lobbyists have routinely registered and filed their quarterly disclosures of clients, issues and fees.

FEC: DOMA Limits Political Donations By Gay Married Couples

Peter Overby — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:36:00 +0000

Maybe it's not your first thought after saying "I do," but federal election law gives married couples some advantages in making political contributions. The Federal Election Commission tried Thursday to make those same breaks available to couples in same-sex marriages — but commissioners said they're thwarted by the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

True, President Obama's Justice Department no longer defends DOMA, and the Supreme Court is weighing whether to get rid of it. But the FEC didn't want to get too far out in front.

Bill Would Expand Disclosure Of Political Money

Peter Overby — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 23:54:00 +0000

The partisan rift over disclosing political donors has widened since last year's election. But now, along come Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., with a bill that would radically expand the disclosure of political money trails.

Their bill is aimed at outing the wealthy donors, corporations and unions that financed some $300 million in secretly funded campaign ads last year.

IRS To 'Social Welfare' Groups: Show Me The Political Ad Money

Peter Overby — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 16:51:00 +0000

There are still unanswered questions about the politically active 501(c)(4) "social welfare" groups. The anonymously funded entities' multimillion-dollar ad budgets helped to clog the airwaves last year.

How much did they really spend to intervene in the 2012 campaign? What kinds of sources supplied their money?

Thieves Target Political Ad Consultants On New FCC Site

Peter Overby — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 18:41:00 +0000

Poke into the obscure corners of the Federal Communications Commission's website, and you can find one of the deepest disclosures in campaign finance.

An FCC database, which the government just approved last April and began making public in August, posts documents that reveal which politicians and advocacy groups buy TV ads on major-market network affiliates, and how much they pa

Gay Lobbying On The Hill Has Short, Yet Strong History

Peter Overby — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 12:13:00 +0000

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SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

One argument used by conservatives in the Supreme Court cases is that gay Americans have become so politically powerful and prominent they don't need special consideration from the courts. Whether or not that's true, it is clear that lesbian-gay-bisexual-and-transgender advocacy groups have built a strong network of lobbyists and political activists in Washington, D.C.

NPR's Peter Overby reports.

PETER OVERBY, BYLINE: At the center of the lobbying for marriage equality is the Human Rights Campaign.