Appeals Court Says Tax-Exempt Groups Can Keep Donors Secret

The unanimous decision reverses a ruling by a lower court in March that had sent tax-exempt groups scrambling for ways to keep donors' names secret.

Many of these groups exist for the sole purpose of running election ads, often masking the involvement of wealthy individuals or major corporations, disclosure advocates said.

Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, sued the Federal Election Commission (FEC) in 2011 to try to force the agency to require disclosure.

However, a U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington ruled that the FEC was entitled to flexibility in how it interprets the relevant law,

"The statute is anything but clear, especially when viewed in the light of the Supreme Court's decisions," its decision said.

The relatively brief five-page decision came four days after a three-judge panel heard ...

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/18/us-usa-politics-disclosure-idUSBRE88H0TB20120918