A press release put out by the California Association of Highway Patrolmen Widows and Orphans’ Trust Fund announces it has received a $50,000 donation from right-wing blowhard Michael Savage and his heretofore moribund organization, the Paul Revere Society.

Calling the donation “generous,” the association’s press release notes that Savage hopes the donation “will help aid the families of those that (sic) have paid the ultimate price in service of California’s citizens.”

A noble gesture, on its face. Nevertheless, the association should return the donation. And quickly.

Why? Well for a couple of reasons.

First, there’s the question of the Paul Revere Society’s finances, presumably the source of the $50,000. In June 2006, the IRS announced that the society was no longer considered a 501(c)(3) organization, meaning that donations to it would no longer be considered tax-deductible.

There was no reason given for the move, and when I called the IRS at the time, I was told the only people who could comment were the organization’s principles. Of course, that never happened. In fact, it was some time before Savage even removed the “501(c)(3)” tag from the PRS Web site.

Now, according to the 2004 tax return filed by the PRS in June, 2005, the organization — listed as an educational organization, by the way — had in its coffers at the end of 2004 more than $927,000. I and other Savage critics have been asking for three years about the disposition of that money. Was it returned to donors? Was it used for any “educational” purposes? If so, what? And did it all come from donations?

And, as loyal Savage listeners know, Savage has been incessantly begging for money from his listeners to fund his many legal battles. Was there any intermingling of that money?

It’s worth noting that in its 2004 return, the last one before the IRS action, the organization reported that 62 percent of its expenses ($109,000 of $178,000) were for “fund raising activities.” Another $50,000 went for unspecified “management” expenses.

The PRS reported earning $227,653 in “direct public donations” that year; that means that fully 48 percent of the revenue was used to raise money. Huh.

Second, there’s the issue of the PRS itself. Although the Widows and Orphans’ Fund press release calls it a “patriotic” group, I don’t think there’s anything patriotic about xenophobia, race hatred and fear mongering, all of which Savage has dabbled in, under color of the PRS. He can use the mantle of “borders, language and culture” to pretty it up and make it more palatable to the knuckle-draggers who follow him, but putting perfume on poop only covers up the smell for so long.

Certainly $50,000 is nothing to sneeze at for a non-profit, especially in these economic times. But the Widows and Orphans’ fund needs to ask itself if taking this money is worth the stench that comes with it.

I say no.

Keep the faith.