Union disclosure unlike other groups’

…But when it comes to disclosure, talk of unions is a red herring. While they aren’t required by the FEC or IRS to disclose donors, a separate piece of federal law, the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act, requires that unions disclose all sources of income that adds up to more than $5,000, a requirement overseen by the Department of Labor. As a result, unions disclose more than many political groups about their internal operations, and certainly more than than do 501(c)(4) nonprofits like Crossroads GPS or 501(c)(6) groups like the Chamber.

In theory, a donor could write a check to a union, which would then spend the money on politics. But nobody I’ve talked to could think of what the advantage to that would be, or of an instance when it’s actually occurred.

AFL-CIO spokesman Eddie Vale called the union angle “phony” and a spokeswoman for SEIU, Michelle Ringuette, emails:

There are strict legal limits that help make our political efforts transparent. Most of our political funding comes from SEIU COPE, which reports its donors on a monthly basis, which cannot accept more than $5000 a year from any one donor, and whose donors overwhelmingly are a hundred thousand low wage workers contributing around $10 a pay period. To the extent we do political work funded by our general treasury, most of which is member to member work funded by and accountable to those same low wage workers. We don’t – and can’t – solicit contributions from non-members. And of course it is disclosed.

The Chamber and the shadowy 527 and c4 groups that have sprung up after Citizens United – perhaps more aptly called corporations united – are conduits for undisclosed corporate money, pure and simple. We are a union of working people, and the money we spend on politics is money donated by workers. Their attempt to liken us to them in this regard is at best ignorant and frankly wrong.

Just because an argument is “ignorant” and “wrong” won’t stop rightwing commentators from repeating it endlessly on Fox News and AM radio — in fact, it probably encourages even more repetition and fast talk. The GOP-Teaparty’s political narrative must arouse their base with enough fear and loathing to reach the desired outcome. Especially if the desired outcome is against their base supporter’s interests in the long run.

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