Nonprofit advocacy groups are making their mark on the 2008 presidential primaries, as the groups try to walk the fine line between educating the public and lobbying for issues without operating for the primary purpose of spurring political action, reports The Washington Post. The heavy and somewhat unexpected presence of these organizations — classified under Section 501( c )( 4 ) of the Internal Revenue Code — is in the early primary states nudging into territory traditionally covered by independent political groups, designated under Section 527 of the code.

Advocacy groups are not new to the political scene, as Congress and state legislatures have often relied on them to gain support on specific legislation. But such a presence in a presidential race is unprecedented, according to the newspaper. Since the groups do not pay taxes on collected donations and, unlike 527 groups, do not have to limit the size of donations they can accept or disclose the names of their contributors, these nonprofit groups have become a venue for millions of dollars donated toward advertising, phone calls, and mailings that relay some of the candidates’ messages.

Federal-election regulators, however, are closely watching the activities of advocacy groups to ensure they stay within the regulations of their designated status and are not operating as political committees. Lois G. Lerner, who monitors nonprofit groups for the Internal Revenue Service, said, “We’re well aware that these groups may be used more in this campaign,” adding that “we are on the lookout, and we are prepared to look into allegations if things are being done improperly.”

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