# Stephen Colbert discovers SuperPac loophole that allows the tax free transfer of money to himself.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-colbert-discovers-superpac-loophole-that-allows-the-tax-free-transfer-of-money-to-himself/640902>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [November 13, 2012, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-colbert-discovers-superpac-loophole-that-allows-the-tax-free-transfer-of-money-to-himself/640902 "2012-11-13T17:38:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-colbert-discovers-superpac-loophole-that-allows-the-tax-free-transfer-of-money-to-himself/640902/21 "2012-11-14T18:16:28Z")

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So what I’m hearing is, “Don’t ever give money to a SuperPAC.”

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**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-colbert-discovers-superpac-loophole-that-allows-the-tax-free-transfer-of-money-to-himself/640902/22 "2012-11-14T18:17:19Z")

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Even the way Colbert describes it may be giving away too much information.

So you’ve got SuperPAC “A” that gives money to 501©4 “B” that gives money to Colbert.

Here’s what it looks like from the outside. You know you donated to A. You can see, upon request, the donation from A to B. It’s possible that an audit of Colbert’s taxes by the IRS, or a lawsuit, or something else entirely will reveal the donation made from B to Colbert. It’s pretty easy at that point to connect the dots.

If it were me, I’d add a third level to this ridiculous shell game. Call it the third 501©4 or “C”

Now here’s what it looks like.  
You give to A.  
A gives to B.  
C gives to Colbert.

And there’s absolutely no link whatsoever between B and C. No reason for anyone to get upset over that, right? And the money comes out clean as a whistle.

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**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-colbert-discovers-superpac-loophole-that-allows-the-tax-free-transfer-of-money-to-himself/640902/23 "2012-11-14T20:32:31Z")

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> [@Simplicio](#):
>
> In my (completely fictional) example, they gave it to the PAC to help GOP candidates, not to Rove\* to build a new house. I’d say that’s stealing.

Rove yes. But Colbert made it very clear that money donated to his super PAC would be used for whatever he wanted to use it for.

I think Colbert should get a Pulitzer for this. It makes a very confusing subject concrete as we saw him do all sorts of stuff - legally - that seems totally absurd. This last little bit of magic, making the money vanish, wraps it up nicely.

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**Author:** ![Aestivalis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Aestivalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aestivalis)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-colbert-discovers-superpac-loophole-that-allows-the-tax-free-transfer-of-money-to-himself/640902/24 "2012-11-14T21:24:07Z")

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> [@Voyager](#):
>
> Rove yes. But Colbert made it very clear that money donated to his super PAC would be used for whatever he wanted to use it for.
> 
> I think Colbert should get a Pulitzer for this. It makes a very confusing subject concrete as we saw him do all sorts of stuff - legally - that seems totally absurd. This last little bit of magic, making the money vanish, wraps it up nicely.

According to the [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colbert_Super_PAC) entry, he’s already won a [Peabody](http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/04/05/stephen-colberts-super-pac-satire-lands-him-a-peabody/) for these segments.

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