ACLU Can Give To Terrorists

Crossposted from Stop The ACLU

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union and 12 other national non-profit organizations today said they have successfully challenged Office of Personnel Management’s Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) requirements that all participating charities check their employees and expenditures against several government watch lists for “terrorist activities” and that organizations certify that they do not contribute funds to organizations on those lists.

Well, now that is something to be excited about for the ACLU. Now they can knowingly accept money from terrorists. Furthermore, they can now contribute funds to people on terrorist watch lists.

This is a major victory for non-profit organizations that refused to be subjected to vague government requirements forcing us to become law enforcement officers for the federal government,” said ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero. “We feel vindicated. List checking is not and has not been required by law.”

Romero was referring to the Office of Personnel Management’s final regulation posted in the Federal Register earlier this week, saying that it is dropping list-checking requirements. The regulation states: “Under the final rule, effective for 2006 and subsequent campaigns, OPM does not mandate that applicants check the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List or the Terrorist Exclusion List (TEL).”

What a load of crap. Someone please explain what the CFC are thinking here. The ACLU refused this money at first, and refused to obey by the rules of the CFC. They later found a loop hole, by saying, "hey, notice the word "knowingly"? We could just not check the list, and then we could say we didn't know." Clever, eh? So they continued to get the money. Other organizations that tried to give the ACLU money and abide by the rules of the CFC were downright refused by the ACLU.

In October of 2004, the ACLU turned down $1.15 million in funding from two of it’s most generous and loyal contributors, the Ford and Rockefeller foundations, saying new anti-terrorism restrictions demanded by the institutions make it unable to accept their funds.

“The Ford Foundation now bars recipients of its funds from engaging in any activity that “promotes violence, terrorism, bigotry, or the destruction of any state.”

The Rockefeller Foundation’s provisions state that recipients of its funds may not “directly or indirectly engage in, promote, or support other organizations or individuals who engage in or promote terrorist activity.”

Well, no worries now! Its victory for the ACLU, as they put it. Its victory for those who want to harm America, thats what it is.

In 2003, the CFC generated more than $248 million from approximately 1,345,000 federal employees, according to the ACLU. The funds went to more than 10,000 participating non-profits that support our country’s health and education systems, the arts and the environment, childrens’ services and religious life. CFC contributions earmarked for the ACLU typically totaled about $500,000 per year; as a result of the policy, the organization lost more than $1 million in contributions.

Money, money, money, money!!!! Thats what the ACLU's talking about! I wonder what kind of religious life the ACLU are seeking to protect with this money. Most decent organizations wouldn't mind making sure their money didn't go to America's enemies, but for some strange reason the ACLU found this requirement burdensome. Oh, thats right, they are not decent.

“Watch list requirements and other misguided policies of today remind us of the now- discredited anti-Communist list checking of the early 1950’s,” said Romero. “It is no more justified now than it was then.”

When was the anti-Communist list discredited? Oh, it was discredited by the ACLU's rewritten history. It was discredited because the ACLU say so.

Here's what the CFC letter said.

“I certify that as of (date), the organization in this application does not knowingly employ individuals or contribute funds to organizations found on the following terrorist related lists promulgated by the U.S. Government, the United Nations, or the European Union. Presently these lists include the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control Specially Designated Nationals List, the Department of Justice’s Terrorist Exclusion List, and the list annexed to Executive Order 13224. Should any change of circumstances occur during the year OPM will be notified within 15 days of such change.”

Obviously the ACLU had a problem exluding terrorists from its funds and employment. What a shame. It begs two major questions here. Why would the ACLU have a problem exluding its funds from terrorists? And what is the CFC thinking by dropping this?

I don't know about you, but I feel safer already. Thanks ACLU!