As reported here in early January (see "The Left Assaults John Ashcroft," Feb. 12), members of dozens of 501(c) organizations met in Washington at the offices of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), where they launched a comprehensive lobbying campaign against the Ashcroft nomination. Staff of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee and of four leading Democratic senators, including Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., were in attendance.
The Landmark Legal Foundation has written to Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who was Senate Judiciary Committee chairman during the Ashcroft hearings, seeking the identity of members of the Senate staff in attendance at the lobby-planning meeting, a description of their role at the meeting and whether they attended with his knowledge. "The public has a right to know whether these nonprofit organizations, with your encouragement, are using tax-exempt funds or federal funds to lobby senators," Levin wrote to the highly partisan Leahy. As Insight goes to press, Leahy has not yet responded.
Among those listed as having representatives in attendance were: the American Bar Association (ABA); American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice; Feminist Majority; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium; National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems; National Black Women's Health Project; National Coalition Against Domestic Violence; National Council of Jewish Women; National Education Association; NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund; Organization of Chinese-Americans; Physicians for Social Responsibility; Planned Parenthood (USA); Sentencing Project; Sierra Club; and Youth Law Center.
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This group also was involved in trying to stop the US Government from starting up a nuclear plant in Washington for the purposes of obtaining Tritium for use in National Defense.