Jim Bopp, a high-powered Republican attorney, announced Monday the creation of Fairness for Curtis Hill, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization formed to collect tax deductible funds for Hill's defense.
Some tax and campaign finance experts, however, questioned whether the new fund could even operate as a charitable nonprofit under the law. Lloyd Hitoshi Mayer, a law professor at Notre Dame, said a 501(c)(3) charity can't benefit one person. Usually defending public officials from allegations also isn't considered charitable, he said.
"The name alone should have been a red flag for the IRS," Mayer said.