GAO Report Recommends IRS Improve PAC Disclosure Web Site - August 19, 2002 Vol. 3 No. 17

August 19, 2002 Vol. 3 No. 17:

Published: 08/19/2002

Printable Version
Email to a Friend

GAO Report Recommends IRS Improve PAC Disclosure Web Site

The "Stealth PAC" law of 2000 was meant to inform the public about the sources and uses of soft money in federal elections. It required political action committees (PACS) to disclose their existence and to report soft money contributions and expenditures. It also requires the IRS to post information returns filed by political action committees on the web. However, the information has not been posted in a searchable, useful format.

The General Accounting Office (GAO) issued a report, Data Disclosure and IRS’s Oversight of Organizations Should Be Improved on August 16 recommending that the IRS:
· Consult with users of PAC soft money disclosure reports and improve the usability of the information posted on the web;
· Ensure that PACs comply with filing requirements; and
· Improve public accessibility to disclosure information by making electronic information more available.

See our previous article on problems with compliance with this law.