O'Donnell wants CREW's tax-exempt status pulled
(CNN) - The verbal back-and-forth between former Delaware Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics (CREW) continued Wednesday as O'Donnell made her case for why the group should lose its nonprofit status as a 501(c)3.
"We're fighting back because while I'm certainly not the first person they've come after, I would like to be the last," O'Donnell said on a conference call with reporters. "I would like to stop this."
CREW filed a complaint against the Republican candidate in September 2010 over allegations she misspent more than $20,000 in campaign funds for personal expenses. O'Donnell admitted she used campaign funds for rent, but said her house also served as the headquarters for her campaign.
The federal probe into her campaign officially closed in July, but O'Donnell, who lost her third Senate bid to Democrat Chris Coons, said the group will continue their "sleazy, underhanded and illegal tactics" against candidates in the next election unless their status is revoked.
"What CREW has done is use the justice system as a political weapon and we want to stop that," O'Donnell said.
Her attorney, Cleta Mitchell, said the group should lose their nonprofit standing on the grounds they intervened in political campaigning, engaged in partisan activities, used expenditures for private benefit and launched attacks on the basis of race. Groups with the 501(c)3 classification are prohibited from conducting political campaign activities or intervening in the elections of public officials.
Anne Weismann, the chief counsel for CREW said O'Donnell's accusations are "without merit."
"It's no coincidence she is doing this at the same time she is pushing her new book," Weismann told CNN.
- CNN's Rebecca Stewart contributed to this report.
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Have to say that while I don't dislike her, her actions were not ethical.
go away u witch.
Yawn. Not a single shred of evidence that CREW's complaint was frivolous. Nothing to see here but a desperate, moneya and fame grubbing media wh-re. Moving on...
OMG!!!!!! They are coming out like roaches!!!! This DE witch does know about sleaze though.
BTW cnn, she has lost an election three times. Put hernunder the watercooler section. Don't have one? That's how much we care about this teatard!
I don't see why CREW is tax exempt when they are like a political watchdog, they are not a church which feeds, clothes, houses the homeless, the poor, those in need, help families down on their luck and some churches even try to even provide free medical care. Churches provide a free service to the community.
CREW collects money to pays salaries to those working to keep an eye on our government, politicians and spend the money to push whatever their personal issues, believes and personal political agenda is. I don't see how this is a service to the community deserving to be non-profit.
Good! Go after those Demoscum!! Why should they be a tax exempt smear merchant?
Go Christine, as there certainly is no place in politics for responsibility and ethics.
She should talk. Reports from former staffers would lead one to believe that she should be in jail for theft of campaign funds.
Christine O'Donnell is a young healthy woman and needs to get a job and stop pimping off public funds. O'Donnell has no political job that keeps her from getting a job, she's stolen enough of the publics money and she's too lazy to work like decent Americans.
O'Donnell: If you don't have anything to hide, you wouldn't be concerned about CREW. If you HONESTLY don't have anything to hide, then using a fake controversy to stir up interest in your book is pathetic....truly pathetic. You and Sarah Palin should both be ashamed.
I'm very proud to say that I voted for her opponent.
Gee, if that is justification for losing tax-exempt status, then so should Crossroads America. Talk about sleaze and underhanded tactics, that was how Karl Rove won two terms for W in both the Texas Governor's office and the White House.
What O'Donnell accuses them of is exactly what she's done herself. BTW, has anyone asked how she paid the attorney that's quoted?