“Follow the money,” advised Hal Holbrook pretending to be Deep Throat in All the President’s Men. That’s good advice for almost any investigation. Let’s see what questions come up as we follow some of The Dread Pirate Kimberlin’s cash flow. Let’s examine the latest available (2010) IRS Returns for his two not-for-profits, Justice Through Music Project and Velvet Revolution US.

Here is the Form 990 for JTMP. The JTMP address is redacted because it is Mr. Kimberlin’s home address. He operates both entities out of his mother’s basement. Jeff Cohen’s address is redacted also.

Scrolling through the return shows that Brett Kimberlin’s salary was $19,500 for 2010. As we’ll see below, he lent $4,500 to Velvet Revolution in 2010, so his net was $15,000. That’s well below the poverty line for a family of four. (He and his wife have two children, I believe.) Even assuming that he was living for free in his mother’s basement, $15,000 in Montgomery County, Maryland, is awfully tight. How did his family get by? Perhaps with other sources of income?

Part IX of the Form 990 has some potentially interesting information. Line 7 says that $25,480 was paid out as Other salaries and wages to person or persons other than Brett Kimberlin. A family member? Line 16 shows $15,225 spent for Occupancy. JTMP has no physical presence that I’m aware of other than the Kimberlin basement. To whom was this rent paid? For what space? Line 24e shows $7,933 for Utilities. For where? The Kimberlin basement?

If we add $15,225 and $7,933 to the $15,000 of net salary, we get $38,158. Given free rent, that’s a viable level of compensation in the DC suburbs.

Of course, the Kimberlin family may have other sources of income, but that still doesn’t explain why JTMP would have expenses for Occupancy or Utilities.

Here’s the Form 990 for Velvet Revolution. All the home addresses have been redacted.

Part VI of the main form does not list Mr. Kimbelin as an Officer, Director, Trustee, or Key Employee. Part II of Schedule L shows that Brett Kimberlin lent VRUS $4,500.

Hmmmm.

Considering that various members of Team Kimberlin have made noises about allegedly shady use of funds donated to various rightwing not-for-profits, perhaps they will also ask TDPK to explain these … um … interesting items in JTMP’s and VRUS’ finances. We’ll see how long it takes for them to speak up.

Or perhaps corporate veils will soon be pierced.

Tick, tick, tick, tick, …