Fear of IRS targeting may be hurting Republican super PACs

By David M. Drucker | Washington Examiner

Democratic super PACs have outraised their Republican counterparts by millions, a factor attributed in part to GOP donors’ fear of being targeted by the Internal Revenue Service – or “getting Koch’ed.”

Republican political operatives concede that there are multiple reasons for the Democrats’ advantage in super PAC money raised.

Among them: Labor unions have become among their largest and most consistent donors. But this election cycle, two new challenges have chilled GOP super PACs’ effort to raise cash from wealthy individuals and corporate donors: anxiety that they could get slapped with an IRS audit and unease that donating could lead to public demonization.

The former concern has arisen in the wake of revelations that the IRS has targeted conservative groups for extra scrutiny and leaked confidential information about their contributors. The latter is tied to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid‘s relentless attacks on Charles and David Koch.

at Washington Examiner.