Have John Engler and the National Association of Manufacturers been naughty?

Technorati tags: John Engler, NAM, ATRA, ATRAF, tort reform, illegal contributions, Grover Norquist, bad guys

I haven't fact checked any of this, but one blogger points out the possibility that the NAM is illegally funneling money to other tort reform groups.

In 2005, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) funneled $870k through the American Justice Partnership (AJP) to American Tort Reform, according to the 2005 AJP 990.  Another $451k went to pay a "service fee". Total AJP expenditures were only $1.7 milllion.

Was AJP set up in 2005 to facilitate NAM's contribution to American Tort Reform? Is NAM legally prohibited from contributing directly to American Tort Reform?

The answer could, in part,  depend on which American Tort Reform received the $870k, the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) which is a 501(c)(6) or the American Tort Reform Foundation (ATRAF), a 501(c)(3).

This is not the first time that I have suspected NAM of disguising illegal contributions. Last year, I speculated here in the TPM Cafe about whether the 2004 $650k grant made by Grover Norquist's Americans For Tax Reform to the National Alliance for Worker and Employer Rights (NAWER) was funded by NAM. NAM is prohibited from contributing directly to NAWER by law

Source: American Justice Partnership, Another NAM Scam | TPMCafe

I'll do a little digging and keep my eyes open for more about this story.