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THE STANDARDS IN Public Office Commission (SIPO) has explained why it ordered Amnesty International to return a donation made by billionaire George Soros for its My Body My Rights campaign.
Sipo said current legislation governing donations to political groups forces those who receive donations over €100 to register as a third-party. The Electoral Act also bans foreign donations from an individual other than an Irish citizen who resides outside the island of Ireland – meaning Soros’ €137,000 donation did not meet the criteria for an acceptable donation.
The law also states that a “donation from a body corporate or unincorporated body of persons which does not keep an office in the island of Ireland from which one or more of its principal activities is directed” is also prohibited.
The ban has seen both sides of the abortion debate to agree on one thing – that the rules ought to be changed.
Yesterday, Colm O’Gorman, chief executive of Amnesty International said he wanted the laws changed.
He told the Today with Sean O’Rourke show on RTÉ: “We will consider every opportunity to challenge this decision. I have repeatedly made it clear that we will challenge this. We gave complete details to Sipo about the purpose for which we received this. We responded in detail and clarified the amount and what we were going to do.”
David Quinn of the conservative Iona Institute agreed with O’Gorman and added: ““I will join Colm in campaigning to change the Electoral Act, I am happy to see the Electoral Act changed, but, in the meantime, you’ve got to obey it and not hold yourself above it and there also there can’t be double standards in how organisations are treated as to how they go about trying to raise money.”
A spokesperson for Sipo explained that the purpose of these bans is to protect against interference by foreign individuals in Ireland’s domestic political processes, including elections and referendums.
Prohibited donations must be refused or returned.
Last year, Sipo received information that several Irish organisations had received donations from a foreign donor. At the time, it made inquiries and received assurances from the recipients that the donations were not for political purposes.
The commission’s spokesperson explained that it received information that the donations were for political purposes.
“The commission sought and received written confirmation from the donor that the funding was for explicitly political purposes. As it is the intent of the donor that determines whether a donation is a political donation, the funding very clearly fell within the Act’s prohibitions. The Commission has issued directives to the recipients to return the prohibited donations. ”
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The article is riddled with errors and fails to explain the key issue: That Amnesty are refusing to return the money despite being ordered to do so by SIPO.
The 5th paragraph also makes clear that SIPO were deceived about the funds initially: http://www.sipo.ie/en/About-Us/News/Press-Releases/2017-Press-Releases/Press-release-Standards-Commission-comments-on-funding-rules-under-Electoral-Act.html
It seems as if Colm O’Gorman thinks he is above the law.
@Emma Murphy: soros: a rotten evil man. Amnesty: a rotten evil orgainsation. Hardly surprising theyre in cahoots and want the law changes so that stolen money can be used to fund their wicked campaigns
@jon-boy55: what makes him rotten and evil?
@Joe Ryan: So he’s not a fascist?
@Emma Murphy: and good of the Journal.ie to run the story… three days later….
@Dennis Laffey: Lets just say that if any single person is responsible for the migration crisis and deaths involved its Soros. You should read one of his leaflets telling people how to, and why, they should migrate and what they could expect as a reward. Apart from that, using his wealth and power to subvert societies is high up the list. He should be on trial for crimes against humanity.
@Patrick J. O’Rourke: He also influenced Clinton with the Serbian war
@Simon O’Connor: He also ruined countries by devaluing their currency, England & Malaysia for example. He funds divisive groups such as BLM, Antifa and the Hillary Clinton campaign. He also exerts a huge amount of influence on the EU and media across the world. He’s an evil pricķ. He’ll get what’s coming if Q is to be believed.
@Woke Bloke: do any of you have reliable sources for this?
@Emma Murphy: o Gorman is a smug grandiose knob. Any laws that don’t suit him are easily dismissed by a personality like his, one who thinks his opinions are fact.
@Dennis Laffey: http://www.google.ie
There it is in black and white. It is clear now that the head of Amnesty Ireland has spent the last week misleading people and peddling misinformation.
@Don Alfredo: https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/794729/Jean-Claude-Juncker-EU-chief-meet-George-Soros-discuss-Hungary-legal-action
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hungary-soros/hungary-pm-orban-u-s-financier-soros-clash-as-elections-loom-idUSKBN1DV4XP
As many would say that Soros misleads people as well?
@Alois Irlmaier: Any policy or Organisation to destroy and damage the indiginous people of Europe Soros will gleefully fund it.
@Ranty McCrank: Billionaires are like that, everyone else has children but they try to shape society in ways that they want?
With respect this article doesn’t deal with the actual matters that matter here. Firstly that Amnesty have explicitely said that they will not comply with the request to return the money as they believe the law to be unjust, and so are effectively stating that they are above the law of Ireland in any matter they choose to be, and secondly that the SIPO statement seems to imply that Amnesty took an illegal donation and then proceeded to lie to SIPO as to the nature of that donation, on at least two occassions, which would seem to be, even taken on its own, a very serious matter.
Considering this is the only piece the Journal has published on this matter, and this matter has been in the national media since Friday, these would have seemed to have been useful points to raise in this article.
@Gary Kavanagh: Can you imagine if the Iona Institute received the money. The Journal would be over it like a rash. I was never one of these that droned on about a soft left bias in the Irish media but the non-coverage of this story has me thinking.
@An_Fear_Liath: I’ve defended the Journal, and Irish media in general, for years against the claim that they’re biased, but I can’t look at how this has been handled by them and imagine the same happening to a pro-life organisation. It looks like they’ve either let their personal views / their relationship with Amnesty get in the way of covering it, or they’re actively trying to cover for Amnesty. Frankly it’s been incredibly dissapointing to see.
@An_Fear_Liath: You are aware you are commenting on an article about the very subject you claim is not covered? That is some high level victimhood complex you have there.
@Larry Doyle: This matter has been ongoing for 5 days at this point, during that time Amnesty have accepted they illegally took foreign money, that they would not be obeying the law, and that they would not be returning the money, and that has been followed by a SIPO statement which seems to indicate that Amnesty lied to a regulatory body regarding the payment. This has been covered under the Journal with the headline “Standards commission explains why George Soros’ donation to fund Amnesty abortion campaign was illegal”, a take which is as positive towards Amnesty as it is possible to get, the article then goes on to avoid mentioning pretty much anything that could reflect badly on Amnesty.
There is far more to bias than media simply refusing to cover a story, this is media covering a story in an exceptionally positive fashion given the matters at hand, and frankly in a fashion I don’t think they would cover it were Amnesty a pro-life organsation.
@Gary Kavanagh: I agree. Personally, I’m in favour of the woman’s right to choose. By the same token I do not agree with foreign donors and organisations interfering in the Irish political, legislative and judicial process. I applaud the decision and think the law should be applied – i.e. Amnesty prosecuted – not reformed, as that would only open the flood gates for foreign monies on all sides of the different arguments.
I look forward to the Iona books getting audited.
@KEV: Iona is fully SIPO compliant. Repeal campaigners are the only ones breaking the law here.
@Don Alfredo: it was breaking the law to be gay before 1993 too.
Sometimes the law is stupid.
@KEV: is Iona, Lolek Limited, a charity in a real Keegan sense and eligible to tax relief as a political lobbyist. I doubt it.
@Franklin Roosevelt: completely agree. However I wouldn’t class a law that limits the influence of third parties/non-citizens on contentious issues in our democracy as “stupid”.
@Fiona deFreyne: Keegan = legal
@Franklin Roosevelt:
It was NEVER illegal to be “gay” in Ireland. It was illegal to engage in acts of sodomy, irrespective of how one self identified. Ah sure why let the actual facts get in the way of a mindless libtard rant!
@Fiona deFreyne: don’t be asking questions and then writing “I doubt it”, as though you have uncovered something sinister.
Look it up.
@Franklin Roosevelt: C o Gorman acts above the law. Didn’t know that amnesty supported murder.
@Franklin Roosevelt: Yes, but this one isn’t. It is highly dangerous to have multinational corporations able to fund organisations like this, it allows for potential conflicts of interest.
Well finally TheJournal is catching up with this story, but even still they’re wrong – as per the Today with Seán O’Rourke debate (where O’Gorman shouted at and badgered Quinn to the point that nobody was actually able to get a point in edge-says) IONA DO NOT WANT/NEED THE LAW TO BE CHANGED. They are compliant, Amnesty aren’t. Indeed, Amnesty are knowingly uncompliant and acting in breach if the law.
Facts matter. Don’t be a Fake News Merchant!
@Brian Lenehan: C. O G has large chip on his shoulder. I wasn’t responsible for his troubles. Why have amnesty (Ireland) involved in this anyway.
As important as the upcoming referendum is to the two sides, we can make up our mind here with ANYBODY receiving foreign money.
No we shouldn’t change the law. We should make it a criminal offence on a par with treason to accept third party funds from overseas. It’s not about this referendum, its about sovereignty.
Ask yourselves, do you want the Tory Right Wing press setting up / funding more extreme views with Brexit issues / Trade deals in coming months. We need to make sure this cannot be done.
@Robespierre: Hear! Hear! Money from dubious foreign sources introduced for example via the DUP helped swing the Brexit vote and look at the chaotic state of the UK now. That should be a salutary lesson on the dangers of foreign interference.
@Riocard Ó Tiarnaigh: Thanks the whatabouttery of the punch and judy show between the extremists on both sides means they rush to say I want that too rather than saying actually none of us should have it all.
@Robespierre: The press is OWNED by rightwing capitalists promoting foreign workers for cheap labour. soros’s lttle financial contribution is a drop in the ocean campared to the media.
@Sean Conway: yeah that Irish Times is a den of capitalism … said nobody ever
It seems that this guy seems to throw money at a lot of dubious organisations.
@Remy: Any time you see this guy’s name, trouble will follow.
@Woke Bloke: Soros will fund anything to damage and eliminate the native European population
@Remy: it’s his mission to destroy the west’s culture and morals, the fact he wants babykilling legalized in Ireland should tell you everything you need to know about the repealside
@Remy: Doesn’t he think he’s God as he said that?
@Remy: The world’s largest and most reputable human rights organisation you mean?
Amnesty International cannot keep the donation, whether they claim they will do so or not. So Soros cannot fund the Repeal campaigh as the laws won’t allow that. Another spuccer lie shown up for what it is.
The Journal just deleted one of my posts, which was pro-life, and didn’t mention any posters here. This is just like being on the Committee!
Could a mod here explain why it was removed please?
@Hannibal: Doesn’t fit with the Journal’s ‘impartial’ views no doubt!
@Hannibal: they’ve deleted several of my comments as of late because they don’t follow the liberal agenda.
@cormacpaddies: same here
Colm O Gormans arrogance is staggering. As the head of a large organisation like Amnesty, he should be obeying the law.
There’sn no way a foreign billionaire should be allowed influence any political groups here in Ireland .
Doris has funded the importation of illegal migrants into Europe , he has caused enough trouble here .
Perhaps his issues stem from his childhood . Perhaps it would have been better for Europe , if his mother had availed of some of the causes he supports .
Nice of you to finally cover this.
What a pity it’s absolute hogwash and littered with errors. Afraid of upsetting Colm?
He is a cancer on this earth, interfering in democracies around the world.
@Don Alfredo: Even with Ukraine, the EU, Obama and the Clintons… He is like measles?
And the search engines are full of him… https://remnantnewspaper.com/web/index.php/articles/item/2763-dcleaks-bombshell-the-soros-francis-connection
@Alois Irlmaier: you’re so right, why couldn’t he be a nice billionaire like Rupert Murdoch?
All he does is use his wealth to advocate for perpetual warfare in the Middle East, austerity in Europe, and tax breaks for the rich.
Such a nice billionaire.
@Franklin Roosevelt: that’s like saying, you think hitler was bad, look at Stalin.
@Franklin Roosevelt: Did you see all my links and comments on here?
@Damien Wallanger: Probably employed by Soros, bad joke lol.
The country needs more laws like this,and those that break them must be charged with embezzlement, as in this case.
ah Colm O’Gorman ! Tweeting nonsense constantly. Openly supporting sexual abusers. Now feels he is too good to obey Irish law. His “human and civil rights are being abused” by this law apparently. Perhaps he should concentrate on the Rohinga rather than his human right to receive €137,000 from a billionaire
All the money he has and he has one big Grumpy head in that picture, it’s got to be true money doesn’t buy you happiness.
@Casper: They say that the souls of many people live in the bags under his eyes.
@Woke Bloke:
Those poor souls
Amateur billionaire behaviour.
If he had any sense, he would have hoovered up all our newspapers, radio stations, maybe throw in Sky News.
Then put a load of “pundits” on them, and make them say in unison – Sinn Féin will ruin the country, abortion means toddlers will be killed, and if you increase taxes on the rich, they’ll all get up and leave.
@Franklin Roosevelt: Should read “With Sinn Fein toddlers will be killed, increased taxes will ruin the country”
@Franklin Roosevelt: Brilliant
SOROS ,this man is evil personified .
@Anthony Gallagher: Don’t worry, he’ll die soon.
@Woke Bloke: he will t, but he has taken steps to ensure his global social engineering experiment continues long after his demise by providing his lobbyists with $18 billion to keep stirring the pot. I’m sure it will mean a few of the commenters here will stay in employment
@JimmyMc: I know all about it brother. Hopefully Open Societies will be shut down and have their assets seized. They can spend the money on funerals for the tens of thousands of migrants who drowned in the Mediterranean.
Scamnesty
The law should not be changed to suit these groups.
Coudenhove kalergi groupies amenity Ireland
I’d say handing back that money must have hurt like hell!
@Sean: The media obfuscation and sympathy will ease the pain.
@Sean: they have refused to hand it back, which is the entire point. This bogus article for some reason has decided to leave that part out.
@SweepTheLeg: O’Gorman’a position is not tenable if Amnesty want to be respected. Says more about them that he hasn’t been removed. Lots of look over there comments below – once again lack of accountability in Irish people when it suits their agenda.
@SweepTheLeg: doesn’t fit the journals neo liberal agenda, facts aren’t important
Soros = Globalisation, one world government, eliteism, no neutrality for Ireland. Simon Coveney and his Daddy must have been given a full briefing by the beildeberg consortium the minute he was named as tanaiste, hence the reason he is only popping up on Irish main stream media since coveney accepted the post. This “man” is the war monger of the eliteist banking families of the US/EU. An evil, vile, repugnant despot of a man. Hitler had the sack to be straight up about his views. This leach pours poison and money, quite quietly, into the ears and pockets of every trigger happy politician, in an effort to destabilise their countries, and thus profit from the ensuing destruction and civil war
It must be terribly tiring for O’Gorman to spend his life up there on his crucifix
Soros always has a political agenda and never “just donates “
A very distinct element of this story is missing here. SIPO, one year ago, said the donation was ok by them. This was either a mistake or deliberate fudging of the issue. They have serious questions to answer on this matter. I’m not for a second defending Amnesty by the way.
@Gorugeen: SIPO said the donation was ok by them because Amnesty lied about what they were going to use it for. Once they were investigated it became clear that they had misled SIPO and this all cane to light
I don’t think that Amnesty International is a political party or a political group. It pursues a human rights agenda. It does not support any political party in Ireland. It lobbies for human rights issue and advocates for reforms but it does not engage in electoral profits.
@Fiona deFreyne: Campaigning for killing children is hardly human rights nor apolitical.
Wish that old b….. would drop dead
A better system would be for ‘any’ group engaged in lobbying, campaigning or ‘research’ (cough cough) to be required to publish all donations from all sources and a complete and total ban on any organisation that receives foreign funding even indirectly.
That would completely make raising funds abroad a waste of time since it would also exclude such funds being brought to bear in Ireland.
I wonder if Soros is related to Donald Trump. He cut the hair as he got older.
@Paul Coughlan: they’re completely different politics. soros is a far leftist and is funding the pro abortions and mass immigration organizations all over Europe
As a pro choice woman I ask amnesty international to give the vile old despot his money back and furthermore leave our legitimate grassroots campaign alone.
We don’t want nor need the stink of amnesty hypocrisy anywhere near it.
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