PALIN: Newt The Cheat Is "Now going to soar even more"

[malaise]

16. And that batshit ignoramus what she thinks about Newt's tax problems

They haven't gone away

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/gingrich-fires-back-abc-news-tax-expert-world/story?id=13846685#.TxijSfnDB6Q
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GOP Presidential contender Newt Gingrich attacked the "elite media" Wednesday for running "hit pieces" against him, even as tax and ethics experts were telling ABC News that the recent reports on a charity Gingrich founded have spawned serious questions about the former House Speaker's business and charity empire.

"I think he's in a world of trouble from a tax standpoint," said Marcus S. Owens, who ran the IRS Exempt Organizations Division for ten years, and who now works in private practice in Washington. "There are clearly enough questions there for the IRS to begin an investigation."

At issue are the activities of Gingrich's charity, Renewing American Leadership (ReAL), which was founded with a goal of promoting faith, freedom and free enterprise. The tax-exempt organization paid the salary of Gingrich's personal spokesman, bought Gingrich's books and DVDs, and provided Gingrich a copy of the fundraising list it spent more than $1 million to build. Over two years, ReAL made $220,000 in payments to Gingrich Communications, a for-profit business Gingrich owns.

Melanie Sloan, Executive Director of the good government group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said she found those activities troubling. "Charities should be engaged in demonstrably charitable purposes," Sloan told ABC News. "Here, given that ReAL hasn't done anything other than send out fundraising appeals, creating a mailing list for Mr. Gingrich to use to contact his supporters, it appears the major, if not sole purpose of the group is to further his political ambitions."