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Overview:

Planned Parenthood Action Fund (PPAF) Stated Purpose: Engages in educational and electoral activity including public education campaigns, grassroots organizing and legislative activity. Tax Status: 501(c)(4) Political Orientation: Democratic Profile: September 2004 — Planned Parenthood Action Fund (PPAF), the "political arm" of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, combined with other Planned Parenthood affiliates to spend several million dollars during the last five weeks of the 2000 general election campaign to broadcast two ads criticizing George W. Bush’s record on abortion rights.1 The ads, which were broadcast in seven battleground states, questioned Bush's record on abortion rights in Texas and predicted that Bush would nominate anti-abortion judges to the Supreme Court if he were elected. In the 2002 election cycle, PPAF funded direct mail and telemarketing campaigns supporting pro-choice candidates in several closely contested U.S. House and Senate races. The group distributed more than 200,000 pieces of literature and made 190,000 phone calls supporting Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.) against Republican challenger Norm Coleman. The group subsequently distributed 200,000 e-mails supporting Walter Mondale, who became the Democratic nominee after Wellstone died in a plane crash.2 Because Planned Parenthood's overall structure includes a 501(c)(4) entity, a 501(c)(3) entity, a federally regulated PAC and a 527 organization, it is difficult to determine which pots of money paid for which ads.3 Susanne Martinez, Planned Parenthood's vice president for public policy, wrote in a letter to Roll Call that Planned Parenthood's 501(c)(4) group, its PAC and its 527 collectively spent more than $9 million during the 2000 elections. But she did not offer a breakdown of spending by each affiliate.4 The flush coffers of Planned Parenthood's collective entities in 2000 resulted in large part from $6.2 million in donations to Planned Parenthood's 527 group to Pro-Choice Vote, a 527 group funded by actress Jane Fonda, to Planned Parenthood's 527 group.5 PPAF announced an alliance in March 2004 with Voters for Choice Action Fund, a 527 organization headed by feminist Gloria Steinem.6 Planned Parenthood President Gloria Feldt announced in April 2004 that PPAF had endorsed Sen. John Kerry for president.7 Planned Parenthood also has announced plans to file with the Federal Election Commission as a Qualified Non-profit Corporation (also known as a "Massachusetts Citizens for Life," or MCFL, group), a status set aside for ideological 501(c)(4) corporations that do not accept funds from labor unions or corporations.8 Such groups are permitted to use unlimited donations from individuals to pay for "express advocacy" communications, which urge the election or defeat of candidates. They also may make "electioneering communications," which are defined as broadcast ads that mention candidates during the 60 days preceding general elections or the 30 days preceding primaries or conventions. Other independent groups are prohibited by the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act (BCRA) from making electioneering communications unless they set up separate, segregated funds that do not receive corporate or union money.9 Qualified Non-profit Corporations are required to report independent expenditures -- spending specifically directed at supporting or opposing political candidates -- to the Federal Election Commission. But unlike other groups that may expressly advocate for candidates, qualified non-profits are not always required to disclose their contributors. Like other 501(c)(4) organizations, they must disclose their political expenditures to the IRS and are prohibited from devoting themselves primarily to the purpose of affecting the outcomes of elections.10 Qualified Non-profit Corporation status "is just another tool in our arsenal, which I think makes our case even more compelling to those donors who want to help us," PPAF political director David Williams told the Associated Press in March 2004.11 Planned Parenthood was one of only a handful of groups included in the New Stealth PACs database that has reported substantial political expenditures since 2000. The group reported $1.3 million in political expenditures in 2000 and nearly $500,000 in 2002.12 1   Campaign Media Analysis Group (CMAG) Reports, 2000. 2   William H. Flanigan, Joanne M. Miller, Jennifer L. Williams and Nancy H. Zingale, "The Minnesota U.S. Senate Race and the Second Congressional District Race," in "The Last Hurrah? Soft Money and Issue Advocacy in the 2002 Congressional Elections," edited by David E. Magelby and J. Quin Monson, 2003. 3   Public Citizen's analysis of data contained in the New Stealth PACs database. Data collected from groups' Web sites and annual tax forms, press reports, academic papers on activities of independent political groups and interviews by Public Citizen research staff. 4   Susanne Martinez, "'Planning to Spend Big" letter to the editor, Roll Call, May 15, 2003. 5   Web site of "Silent Partners," a project of the Center for Public Integrity. (Available at www.publici.org/527. Accessed on June 29, 2004.) 6   Planned Parenthood Action Fund Web site. (Available at www.ppaction.org. Accessed on May 27, 2004.) 7   Planned Parenthood Action Fund Web site. (Available at www.ppaction.org. Accessed on May 27, 2004.) 8   Liz Sidoti, "Some Groups to Run Ads Until Election Day," Associated Press, March 22, 2004. 9   Code of Federal Regulations, Section 114, "Corporate and Labor Organization Activity," revised as of Jan. 1, 2003. 10   Code of Federal Regulations, Section 114, "Corporate and Labor Organization Activity," revised as of Jan. 1, 2003. 11   Liz Sidoti, "Some Groups to Run Ads Until Election Day," Associated Press, March 22, 2004. 12   Planned Parenthood 990 forms, 2000-2002.