After languishing in limbo for nearly five-and-a-half years, one of the most controversial, politically active 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations in the country has been granted nonprofit status by the IRS. The ruling was made official last Nov. 4, according to documents viewed by OpenSecrets Blog, giving an air of legitimacy to the more than $330 million that Crossroads GPS has raised and spent over the years, most of it on election-related ads and candidate support.

More than any other group claiming to be a social welfare nonprofit, Crossroads has become a symbol of the current malleability of campaign finance rules. Run by some of the most seasoned political operatives in the country, it has almost no grassroots support — financially or in terms of volunteers — and is represented by some of the finest campaign finance lawyers in the country.

The brainchild of Republican strategist Karl Rove, Crossroads was established in … read more here