AP- Labor Dept. Probes Teachers Union Reports

[AZCat]

Labor Dept. Probes Teachers Union Reports
By LARRY MARGASAK, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - A teachers union that spends heavily to support political candidates is acknowledging for the first time that the government is investigating whether all its expenditures have been reported.

National Education Association general counsel Bob Chanin confirmed the Labor Department (news - web sites ) investigation began in April 2002, the same month a conservative law firm complained to the Bush administration that millions of dollars in political spending went unreported.
<snip>
The Labor Department is the second agency to investigate the way the 2.7 million-member NEA reports its expenditures to the government.

Last November, the AP reported the Internal Revenue Service (news - web sites ) was auditing the largest teachers union, which has said on tax forms that it does not spend union dues on political activity. AP first reported the union's decision to report no political expenses on its tax returns back in 2000.
<snip>

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=542&ncid=693&e=6&u=/ap/20040304/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/teachers_politics

Question: Who is the Landmark Legal Foundation? The article mentions that this group filed complaints with both agencies, and that they are a law firm, but who are they connected to?

[mulsh]

1. another scaife funded group

here's a link to mediatransparancy's info
http://www.mediatransparency.org/search_results/info_on_any_recipient.php?recipientID=747

[papau]

2. RW Clinton hater MARK LEVIN

Landmark's "work" is on Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michael Reagan, Janet Parshall's America, Marlin Maddox and articles/columns are featured on National Review (and National Review Online), The Wall Street Journal, Investor's Business Daily, The Washington Times, and Education Week,


Mark R. Levin is president of Landmark Legal Foundation, one of the nation’s most prominent conservative legal groups. Landmark promotes free enterprise, property rights, educational choice, free speech, taxpayer rights, welfare reform and ethics in government in courtrooms throughout America.

Mr. Levin served previously in the Reagan Administration, including chief of staff to Attorney General Edwin Meese, Associate Deputy Attorney General of the United States, and Deputy Solicitor at the U.S. Department of the Interior. Mr. Levin is an expert on the U.S. Constitution and government ethics. He represented Mr. Meese during the Iran-Contra investigation and was a leading advocate for the impeachment of President Bill Clinton.

He is an MSNBC legal analyst, a contributing editor of National Review, and a frequent contributor to the Washington Times and Human Events. Mr. Levin often appears on CNN’s Crossfire, CNBC’s Rivera Live, and Fox News Channel’s Hannity & Colmes. Rush Limbaugh appointed Mr. Levin head of his “legal division.”

[Tempest]

3. Landmark Legal Foundation - Rightwing group with ties to Richard Scaife

Between 1992 and 1996, the Landmark Legal Foundation received at least $650,000 from various foundations controlled by Scaife, according to documents and sources.
http://www.salon.com/news/1998/04/cov_02news.html

They obtained legal representation for Jones.
http://www.salon.com/news/1998/04/cov_02news.html

[Melinda]

4. Scaife. n/t

[LisaM]

5. They (barf) won a Ronald Reagan award....

http://www.landmarklegal.org/latest_developments.cfm?webpage_id=441

[AZCat]

6. Ahhhh. Thank you all for your quick responses.

I guess it's not surprising that this is a Scaife group. Just another RW propaganda machine...

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

7. Is this the same union that Paige called "a terrorist group?"

And now they are being investigated.

Funny how that happens, aint it?

BTW... Paige apologized today... finally.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/040302/photos_pl/mdf486266&e=3&ncid=27