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Overview:

Seniors Coalition Stated Purpose: Representing senior citizens before federal and state officials through public information, education and grassroots presentations. Tax Status: 501(c)(4) Political Orientation: Republican Profile: The Seniors Coalition is one of three purported senior citizen advocacy organizations, along with United Seniors Association and 60 Plus Association formed with the help of conservative direct mail pioneer Richard Viguerie and at least partially funded by the pharmaceutical industry.1 Despite its claim of non-partisanship, the Seniors Coalition disseminated electioneering messages in at least 11 political contests in 2002 in support of Republican candidates.2 Both in the content of its communications and in its choices of political contests in which to intervene, the Seniors Coalition appeared to coordinate in 2002 with two other non-profits, 60 Plus and America 21, an evangelical group based in Tennessee. The three groups, for instance, each sent direct mail pieces praising 7th District Colorado Republican congressional candidate Bob Beauprez. The direct mail pieces were similar in appearance and content, and each incorrectly spelled the candidate's name as "Beuprez."3 The Seniors Coalition's mailing said: "Bob Beuprez: Leadership on Prescription Drug Coverage for America's Seniors."4 The Seniors Coalition sent out similar direct mail pieces praising Rep. Chip Pickering (R-Miss.), Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M.), former Rep. Jim Talent, a Republican seeking to represent Missouri in the U.S. Senate, and Adam Taff, a Republican who was challenging incumbent Rep. Tom Moore (D-Kansas).5 The group also ran television ads that accused Moore of voting "to raid the Social Security lockbox 13 times," and told voters to "tell him to stop playing around and get serious about Social Security."6 Despite distributing direct mail and running television ads close to Election Day, the Seniors Coalition reported in its IRS forms that it had zero spending in 2002 for "political expenditures,"7 which the IRS defines as those intended to influence the selection, nomination, election, or appointment of anyone to a federal, state, or local public office.8 In effect, the group claimed that none of its ads or direct mail messages were intended to affect the outcomes of elections. That claim is particularly dubious in the cases of communications praising Talent, Taff and Beauprez for endorsing a Medicare prescription drug bill in the U.S. House. None of the three was in Congress at the time and, thus, none was in a position to vote on the bill. The group's spending, meanwhile, has risen and fallen in sync with election years in 2000, 2001 and 2002.9 Issues of concern involving the pharmaceutical industry are prominent in the Seniors Coalition's electioneering communications. The front page of the Seniors Coalition's "Beuprez" mailing contained a highlighted sidebar that claimed "Bob Beuprez supports the House-passed Prescription Drug Plan" and then enumerated facets of the bill in a favorable light.10 The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the trade association of the brand name prescription drug industry, gave the Seniors Coalition nearly $2.1 million in 2000, AARP Bulletin reported.11 The group reported receiving nearly $6 million from a single person or organization in 2002.12 Dan Alexander, who played a role in founding the Seniors Coalition, served four years in prison in the 1980s for extorting kickbacks for school construction while he served on a school board in Alabama.13 Much of the group's staff resigned in 1996, after the Virginia Supreme Court issued a ruling that placed individuals close to Alexander in control of the group.14 1   Bill Hogan, "Pulling Strings From Afar," AARP Bulletin, February 2003. 2   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. 3   Daniel Smith, "Distorted by Outside Money: National Parties and the Race for Colorado's Seventh Congressional District," in "The Last Hurrah? Soft Money and Issue Advocacy in the 2002 Congressional Elections," edited by David E. Magelby and J. Quin Monson, 2003. 4   Seniors Coalition 2002 direct mail piece collected by Daniel Smith, Political Science Professor, University of Florida. 5   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. 6   Campaign Media analysis Group (CMAG) Reports, 2002. (Available at http://polisci.wisc.edu. Accessed on June 3, 2004.) 7   The Seniors Coalition 990 form, 2002. 8   IRS Form 990 Instructions, Line 81, 2003. (Available at www.irs.gov.) 9   The Seniors Coalition 990 forms, 2000-2002. 10   Seniors Coalition 2002 direct mail piece collected by Daniel Smith, Political Science Professor, University of Florida. 11   Bill Hogan, "Pulling Strings From Afar," AARP Bulletin, February 2003. 12   Seniors Coalition 990 form, 2002. 13   Ronald G. Shafer, "Washington Wire," Wall Street Journal, Feb. 16, 1996. 14   Marilyn Werber Serafina, "A Ruckus At the Seniors Coalition," National Journal, Jan. 27, 1996.