Posted on November 11, 2005

Federal Government Drops Watch List Requirement

The federal government has dropped a requirement that forces nonprofit organizations participating in the Combined Federal Campaign to check their employees' names against government lists of terror suspects, the New York Times reports.

About 165 organizations out of a total of 1,700, including Doctors Without Borders and Human Rights Watch, dropped out of this year's drive, in which federal employees can contribute a part of their pay to charity, rather than comply with the rule. Thirteen other organizations, led by the American Civil Liberties Union, sued the federal Office of Personnel Management to drop the requirement. In response to the announcement, the ACLU said it might withdraw the lawsuit.

"The new rule is a change from where they were, and that's something we're pleased to see," said Gary Bass, executive director of OMB Watch, a government watchdog group and a plaintiff in the ACLU suit. According to Bass, OMB Watch lost less than $10,000 by dropping out of the drive, although several other organizations reported relinquishing much more.

"This is a major victory for nonprofit 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."