IRS Grants Nonprofit Status to ‘Dark Money’ Group Founded by Karl Rove

Donors to the nonprofit group Crossroads GPS, founded by Republican strategist Karl Rove, no longer have to worry about their identities being disclosed. After a five-year wait, the IRS has approved the organization’s application for tax-exempt status.

Crossroads had been the most active of the nonprofits that are funneling cash into politics—often called "dark money" because the original source of the funds may be kept secret if the organizations have social welfare as their primary purpose. During the 2012 cycle, Crossroads GPS reported spending almost twice as much on political ads as the next most-active nonprofit, Americans for Prosperity, which is backed by conservative billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch.