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Governor Andrew Cuomo has come up with an ethics law that the non-profit groups that demand tax exemption, now have to reveal the name of the donors, especially of the political donors.
After that, two years have already passed but now the non-profit organizations are demanding a change of this law because they think their donors will be in danger if their names are revealed.
Now the authority is re-considering the issue and there is a continuous debate going on Albany that which non-profit groups will be excluded from the list. It is being questioned that whether California government will prioritize privacy over transparency. Re-consideration seemed important following the increasing rate of investment by the non-profit groups. Non-profit organizations from Minnesota, California and Maine are charged as guilty.
In Albany, the ethics commission of the state has voted secretly for the Naral Pro Choice of New York and they have demanded exemption for this organization. This has enraged the American republics and they are accusing the ethic commission for supporting such a liberal organization. However, the Narals demand may get accepted because it has been supported by several other groups, one of which is the NY Civil liberty union. Well, organizations that support the commission, comment that the commission will take strict measure to limit exemptions.
Executive director of the organization, Citizens Union opined that if the commission starts searching for the political parties that donate to the non-profit organizations it will risk the entire network. However, the groups selected by the commission commented that if disclosure is the final verdict, these organizations then have to give high penalty in return.
President of the organization, Naral Pro Choice, NY commented that is spite of being an organization that works for women welfare; it has been enlisted in the exemption category.
This organization recently has received several handwritten letters and embarrassing videos on its Facebook fan page and they are sure that the commission is doing all these to threat the authority.
Other non-profit groups that work for public welfare are trying the best to protect the donors and they also demanded not to disclose donors name publicly. Some of the organizations are desperate enough to challenge the law.
Following this situation, this spring the commission finally decided to continue with tax exemption for organizations like Socialist Worker Party that has been accused of harassing common people, for creating violence and for threatening the members unnecessarily.
The state general has also asked the organizations to reveal donors name who spend money on election and have put the organizations in further trouble.
In New York, an organization like “Committee for Saving NY” has spent more than $13 million for advertising but when state demanded disclosure, the organization went dormant.
Mr. William, an official from the commission’s side commented that if the organizations can prove that their donors will face trouble and harassment in reality, then they could consider the issue. However, if they deny disclosure considering the economic loss of the donors, the commission will not spare them.
According to recent report, more than eighty non-profit organizations have already disclosed their source of finance.