Alex Angelides, a 31-year-old engineer from Arlington, Virginia, donated $600to a superPAC called For a Better America, which spent 90% of its money on fundraising alone. The Do Not Call law, the FTCs major weapon in policing telemarketing, does not apply to political calls, which have protections under the U.S. Constitution. Starting with a group of eight fundraising operations that earned at least a half-million dollars each during this period, Reuters traced interconnections among them and 31 PACs. Reuters obtained FTC complaint records, with names redacted, through a Freedom of Information Act request. It was raising money using four different police-oriented names (one "association," two "coalitions" and one "support fund"). If the claim cannot be verified, report the solicitation to your local law enforcement officials. For the record, on their website, it never calls itself a charity or non . Im thinking, What the hell is this, using our name and our police department to raise funds? Nonprofit however does not mean they are a charity. They count on local press coverage and a quick website. One woman received a call from. As we stated earlier, these 50 charities account for almost $1 Billion in donations. Of that amount, about $26.5 million, or 83%, went to Zeitlin's companies, according to CFPI. I got a call from someone saying they were in Olympia Washington representing the State Troopers of Washington State and wanted my financial help. Most of the money went to the people who collected the donations. Instead, the money makes its way to a new nonprofit based in Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Star reports. Political organizations including both the Democratic and Republican parties are nonprofits. Your donations allow the PAC to continue supporting legislation addressing the needs and safety of our law enforcement communities. The reason we are able to support members of the law enforcement communityand their families is because of you and your generous financial support. I believe this organization is a reinvention of the National Police and Troopers Association out of Sarasota Florida. Committee type: Super PAC (Independent Expenditure-Only) Committee designation: But before saying yes,. It wouldve been nice to know that my money was going to a PAC, not a charity, and that it wasnt going to actually help police and firefighters directly.. Zeitlin did not respond to questions about this issue. Around 200 consumer complaints have also been made to state and federal regulators about the super PAC, its aliases and related groups. Montana Attorney General Tim Fox posted on Facebook last year about a call he received from Roy on behalf of the National Coalition for Police and Troopers. Our goal is to push for the election of Federal Candidates that support our police and law enforcement professionals that suffer from PTSD, displacement, and other medical needs such as transportation to and from medical appointments as a result of their high risk . Read Also: What Are The Steps To Becoming A Police Officer. Mostly they are the products of individual scammers who smell an opportunity to cash in using the name of a victim who may or may not even be real. Americans need to push for the election of Candidates that support the efforts of our law enforcement officials and share the same agenda. as in political action committee. The fundraisers later went to work for PACs under the names Politicause and Pledge Assistance, both registered in Wyoming, which requires little disclosure from corporations. The Committee for Police Officers Defense, the telemarketers who called me, applied for tax exemption in California. The Albuquerque Police Department is warning the public to not send any money or personal information to anyone if you receive the letter in the mail. proudly complies with state regulations and required disclosures. (Super PACs are a type of political action committee that faces no limits on spending or contributions, by virtue of court decisions a decade ago.). . Another law enforcement charity that faced disciplinary action was the American Association of State Troopers, which was fined a total of $321,115 in three states - Georgia, Mississippi and Pennsylvania. The otherwise bland office was decorated with posters from the film Glengarry Glen Ross, a tale of ruthless telemarketer salesmen set in a real-estate boiler room. Every day, police and firefighters risk their lives to make your community safer. Reuters gains rare access into the world of fundraising for these charitable-sounding political action committees, a tiny but profitable niche in the U.S. telemarketing industry. Instead, the contributions end up with a super PAC, Law Enforcement for a Safer America, which has ties to a controversial union and spends most of its money on its own operating costs. Reduced Attorneys Fees for Class A& B MISD, Family Law and Felony Cases, Reimbursement Plan of $200 / Day for Suspensions and $3000 if Terminated for Memeber Only. These workers were a convenient labor pool and skilled at getting people to open their wallets, former callers said. Through interviews with the former callers and donors, reviews of call scripts and visits to threecall centers in Alabama, Reuters has obtained rare access into the world of these for-profit fundraisers, a tiny but lucrative niche of the multi-billion-dollar U.S. telemarketing industry. You can contribute to The Police Coalition of America PAC's efforts of advocating on behalf of all law enforcement in the United States of America. These organizations raised almost $1 billion for corporate fundraisers. It only means they do not seek to make a profit on their activities. One very common hustle is the name game. Donations arent directed to the Trenton Police Department or typically any other police agency, for that matter. None of the money goes to police departments. Federal election laws were designed to prevent corruption, he said, not to protect consumers.. Shine a blue light. Every penny went toward administrative costs like payment processing, leads, and payroll. The IRS has pretty broad rules for being a nonprofit organization. Place a blue colored light in your window or on your porch to honor fallen officers and show support for your local guys and gals in blue. Below you will find a roundup of that list, which was based on federal tax filings over 10 years. The IUPA and the relief fund also uses almost 80% of its donated funds to pay telemarketers to obtain even more funds. They are the tragi-charities. A special program within the International Union of Police Associations, AFL-CIO.Speaking With One Voice, Moving With One Purpose. Dont Miss: Can I See My Police Report Online. I go to their website and it is in Sarasota Florida where the previous organization was.I search the internet and all I get is their website as a result. But what's the truth. With tales of woe and heartbreaking images of children or helpless animals, they beg for assistance. The organization is widely considered to be a "Scam PAC," with only a fraction of donated funds actually going towards pro-police activity. Coffee is for Closers Only, read another. A 5 On Your Side viewer got one of those calls recently,. For the record, on their website, it never calls itself a charity or non-profit. These callers typically use language that suggests they are charities raising money directly for local police. According to Bates, the "Police Officers Support Association" appears to be a facade for a political entity whose actual name is "Law Enforcement for a Safer America, PAC.". National Coalition for Police & Troopers 1032 15th Street, NW Suite 140 Washington, DC 20005 1-800-758-9503 (Toll Free) Email: Info@nationalcoalitionforpoliceandtroopers.org BBB always recommends. No legitimate fundraising effort is so urgent that if you do not make your contribution right at that moment someone will suffer. A profit according to Investopedia.com is revenue that exceeds expenses. The caller explains that the goal of this nonprofit is to help the families of fallen officers. In 1995, he was elected as President of the I.U.P.A. They count on local press coverage and a quick website. The committees treasurer, attorney Chris Marston, told Reuters the purpose of the PAC was to raise money in support of candidates who would help police and firefighters., Im sure the [call] scripts didnt misrepresent anything, Marston said. You can register up to three phone numbers, including your cell phone number, by visiting www.donotcall.gov or calling (888) 382-1222. Rather, they and their fundraisers present the PACs as charities, suggesting they support veterans, firefighters or victims of deadly diseases, for instance. If youre a PAC, and youre raising money for one purpose and doing something else, thats fraud, said Elizabeth Grant, who oversees the Oregon Department of Justice Charities unit. Here it would be virtually impossible for the consumer to do any research, he said. Bob. Thats what critics call political action committees that gobble up most of the money they raise rather than using it for the charitable or other causes they profess to support. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Albuquerque Police Department is warning people about a new scam that seeks pledge donations for the National Police and Troopers Association. Please do your homework and avoid scams and misleading appeals for your hard-earned money.. A week later, Armstrong said, he was rehired to help raise money for political action committees. If you require additional information, then call us 1-800-247-4872 or email us at: AMERICAN POLICE AND TROOPERS COALITION It is our mission support legislation that will ensure law enforcement is best positioned to provide the highest degree of uninterrupted public safety service to America's communities. 2023 Keepthelovealivetour. In some cases, the charity has a name that includes a law enforcement word . The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. When she later realized it was a PAC telemarketer, she felt exploited. A further. Richard Zeitlin, the biggest fundraiser in the loose network identified by Reuters, told a reporter in a brief interview that he had closed down all of his call centers, saying I wanted a change in direction. Asked about ex-employees claims of deception in his companies PAC fundraising practices, he declined to discuss specifics. All said they thought they were giving to a charity. Email: [email protected] https://www.iupa.org. Every penny went toward administrative costs like payment processing, leads, and payroll. The calls, which often target elderly donors, come from a variety of generic and similar-sounding aliases: The Police Officers Support Association, the National Emergency Responders Coalition. Phony Firefighters Scam. Ask if your contribution is tax-deductible. Its all a way to get your credit card information and a donation. Law Enforcement for a Safer America officials did not return repeated requests for comment. , Is national police and troopers association legit? A 5 On Your Side viewer got one of those calls recently, asking him to support the National Police and Troopers Association. The tell is a poker term. . The latter is the name of the PAC I found earlier that had raised $3.2 . TheBetter Business Bureauhas been around for decades. box 26708 Wauwatosa, Wisconsin United States Phone: 855-242-8621 Web: ustroopersandpoliceprogram.com In about 7 years (through March 2018), the union and relief fund spent a total of approximately $102.3 million, of which $82.3 million went towards fundraising. The calls, which often target elderly donors, come from a variety of generic and similar-sounding aliases: The Police Officers Support Association, the National Emergency Responders Coalition. The FTCs response to complaints is not noted in the records.. Filed 04/12/2022 . JoAnn Coleman, 63, a construction engineer from Gaithersburg, Maryland, said she was particularly vulnerable to a pitch for the breast cancer PAC. For a charity to receive BBB accreditation, it must meet 20 Standards of Accountability covering everything from governance to fundraising. In recent years, Infinity hoops, or weighted hula hoops, have been created and are an even more intense way of working out while still having fun. An award-winning writer with more than two decades of experience in real estate. And while law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice, have hit some alleged bad actors withfraud charges, it generally is only when they have tried to conceal where the funds were going, said Adav Noti, a former Federal Election Commission lawyer and now chief of staff at the Washington D.C.-based Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan organization of specialists in election law. Thats what critics call political action committees that gobble up most of the money they raise rather than using it forthe charitable or other causes they profess to support. The Tampa Bay Times and The Center for Investigative Reporting broke the charities up into five main categories: children, cancer, police/law enforcement, veterans, fire and other. A secretive political group has been pulling in millions of dollars in recent months amid a growing Blue Lives Matter movement, with a cadre of telemarketers urgently telling Americans that now is the time to support the police and keep them safe. Find out now: How much do I need to save for retirement? We wish it was 100, but we have to keep the lights on.. Access the Nonprofit Portal to submit data and download your rating toolkit. Yes, a PAC-a political action committee, which is not a charity at all, of course, but a conduit to make contributions to political campaigns and perhaps push a cause. The International Union of Police Associations, AFL-CIO was formed in 1979 to collectively represent those in law enforcement that are active or retired law enforcement officers to fight to improve, protect, and remember the lives of officers and their families in law enforcement the organization also works to improve legislation that protects and affects public safety officers, as well as representing the needs of law enforcement officers and support personnel, whether that be for better equipment, more staff or a fair wage. The mission of CPOD is to seek out radical prosecutors, judges and district attorneys. Its important to remember that these numbers are just for the 50 worst offenders. Its infuriating, said Angelides, who learned from Reuters that it was a PAC that got his money. That could punish well-intentioned organizations, he said. By choosing the correct address, your $100 will be worth $100. 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