Ray Ring

Senior Editor

The Center for Public Integrity — tough journalists operating as a nonprofit in DC — dig deeper into the libertarian effort to end land-use regulations in many states. And … guess what?

The Center discovers more scofflaw behavior.

For those who need a bit of background: A few wealthy and powerful libertarians — based mainly in New York City, Chicago and DC — are pushing a bunch of antigovernment ballot measures in Arizona, Montana, Nevada, California, Idaho, Washington and other states. GOAT described in previous posts, including here and here.

These libs include a close-mouthed group called Americans for Limited Government, and a reclusive real-estate mogul named Howie Rich. Together they have apparently funneled more than $2 million into Western ballot measures.

Judges in Montana and Nevada tossed out some of the measures, in whole or in pieces, calling them illegal.

Now the Center reports:

(Americans for Limited Government), a Chicago-based tax-exempt organization … continued to dispense millions of dollars even after its authority to do business had been revoked by Illinois authorities. … (It) had no legal standing to operate from Illinois … Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White revoked the nonprofit’s certificate of authority to do business in the state on February 1, 2006, citing its failure to file an annual report as required by law.

The discovery may give more traction to those challenging the lib measures that remain on November 7 ballots.

Meanwhile, Oregon blogger Hart Williams — a chief digger into these libs — has assembled a couple of obscure mug shots and a sketch of the hard-to-see Howie Rich. It’s Part 27 of Williams’ investigation, no kidding. Glad I don’t pay his caffeine bills. To begin at Williams’ Part 1, or to survey all those posts, go here for the full read.

And in the Mutual Admiration Department: Both the Center and Hart Williams have linked to GOAT and High Country News coverage of the libs.