A charity associated with Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX) has finally decided to pull the plug on its fundraiser that was to take place during the week of the Republican National Convention in New York. The cancellation came after numerous complaints were filed to the IRS and an outpouring of criticism was rehashed in most major U.S. newspapers.

As part of its effort to streamline the federal grants process, the Office of Management and Budget has published updated versions of its grants circulars that make definitions of key terms consistent for all types of grantees. The new Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations will centralize all policy guidance and rules for grants and cooperative agreements.

Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AK) has decided to cancel her July 28 fundraiser that was to be held during the weekend of Democratic National Convention in Boston. Worried about both potential criticism and comparisons with the fundraiser hosted by Rep. Tom DeLay's (R-TX), Lincoln decided to pull the plug. For more on this see last week's Watcher story entitled, In the Name of Charity or Political Gain?

Two of the six Federal Election Commission’s (FEC) six Commissioners have proposed a scaled-down version of the controversial proposed rule extending federal campaign finance rules to independent organizations. The proposal, drafted by Commissioners Michael Toner (R) and Scott Thomas (D), excludes organizations exempt under Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code and some Section 527 groups from regulation. However, it incorporates thresholds that are vague and leave exempted organizations open to similar regulatory restrictions in the future.