Before Elections, Dutch Fear Russian Meddling, but Also U.S. Cash

Before Elections, Dutch Fear Russian Meddling, but Also U.S. Cash
views foreign political organizations as the same as domestic political organizations — not appropriate for a charity to support," said Marcus S. Owens, a partner at Loeb & Loeb,
and former director of the Exempt Organizations Division of the Internal Revenue Service, in an email.
David Horowitz, an American right-wing activist, has contributed roughly $150,000 to Mr. Wilders’s Party for Freedom over two years — of which nearly
$120,000 came in 2015, making it the largest individual contribution in the Dutch political system that year, according to recently released records.
also views a charity that is controlled by a political organization as transgressing federal tax rules." Mr. Horowitz
said he was not certain if the foundation had given additional funds to Mr. Wilders’s party this year or last year.
Steve King said that I expect the Trump administration to be more open to these parties than Obama, certainly,
"You see campaign finance is spent for posters, and no one believes
that changes the game." Now, however, European political campaigns could become more expensive as parties turn to data-driven persuasion efforts similar to those used in the United States, even if they are limited by European data-protection laws.
"Geert Wilders is a hero, and I think he’s a hero of the most important battle of our times, the battle to defend free speech," he added, calling the situation
in Europe a "nightmare." Though Mr. Horowitz’s donations adhere to Dutch standards, there was some question of whether they comply with American law.
The State Department, in a statement, declined "to comment on political parties in foreign elections." Mr. Horowitz, who has long sounded alarms on Muslim immigration, first rallied to Mr. Wilders’s side after the Dutch politician was put on trial in 2010 for inciting hatred against Muslims with a film he made
that attacked the Quran; he was acquitted the next year.