Common Cause and the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy have called on members of the House to “urge the Ethics Committee to formally rule on the legality of a plan closely associated with Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX) to establish a children’s charity as a fundraising vehicle to subsidize donor events at the Republican National Convention.”

The Supreme Court’s Dec. 2003 decision upholding the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) has raised new questions about what kinds of political action committees are subject to federal campaign finance laws. On Jan. 15 the Federal Election Commission (FEC) voted to consider new regulations defining what kinds of political action committees would be subject to contribution and expenditure limits for federal election activity. FEC plans to have a proposed rule published on March 4. There will be a comment period followed by a public hearing in mid-April.

The Secret Service has created restricted areas to keep those actively opposing President Bush's policies from being seen during his public appearances. People have been arrested for stepping outside the designated free speech area, and one man was prosecuted in federal court. In South Carolina a long-time political activist was fined $500 for entering a restricted area during a presidential visit. Much like two people who were arrested for stepping onto the street in Atlanta, Brett Bursey, 55, was peacefully protesting.

Congressional scrutiny around the link between charities and terrorist organizations continues to grow. As first reported in the Washington Post on Jan. 14, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-IA) and ranking member Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) requested the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to produce the confidential financial records and tax documents of several Muslim charities and Islamic philanthropic organizations. The Dec. 22, 2003 letter was sent in order to increase government oversight over groups that "finance terrorism and perpetuate violence."