Group targets liberal donors

In a mirror-image of a threat from a liberal group to publicize and raise legal problems for conservative donors, a conservative group has mailed a warning letter to what appear to be the backers of an array of liberal causes.

The letter from Americans for Limited Government says:

As a donor to one or more of these organizations and efforts, you have been able to engage in these activities without notice, operating in relative obscurity. I am writing to inform you that this will no longer

be the case. Your name has been put in our database. We are monitoring all reports of a wide variety of leftist organizations. As your name appears in subsequent reports, it is our intent to publicize your involvement in your local community. Should any of these organizations be found to be engaged in illegal or questionable activity, it is our intent to publicize your involvement with those activities. You should know that instances of coordinated voter fraud are surfacing all across America and investigations into possible criminal coordination are underway.



The letter is signed by the group's chairman, Howard Rich, a publicity-shy conservative donor who frames the threat as personal retribution for the (occasional) negative publicity he himself has received:

As someone who has been put through that abuse over the years, I can tell you from first-hand experience that it is not fun and not something to take lightly. I have supported groups and efforts that I believe will push back against the radical agenda of the Left. And, I have paid the price for it, in attacks, slurs and threats.



The president of Americans for Limited Government, Bill Wilson, said he'd sent out more than 11,000 copies of the letter and legal memo (.pdf) to "donors to left-wing 527s and organizations of that type. Anyone on the liberal, left-wing side of the line."

"We've looked at it as fair warning. A number of these groups have had no problem stepping over the line with the FEC in the past," said Wilson. "The people funding them should be aware of what's going on."

He said it wasn't a threat to the donors as much as a call on them to "exercise some restraint over these groups' activities."

UPDATE: Tom Matzzie, head of the liberal group, Accountable America, that began this tit-for-tat by targeting conservative donors, "thanks" Rich's group for the legal memo, which he says he'll use to warn conservative donors.

Full letter after the jump.

Dear [redacted],

Recently a new left-wing organization announced that it would be targeting donors to conservative, free-market organizations. The major press announcement stated that the organization intended to engage in such activities as "public exposure," having "watchdog groups digging through the lives" of these individuals, and "possible legal trouble."

As someone who has been put through that abuse over the years, I can tell you from first-hand experience that it is not fun and not something to take lightly. I have supported groups and efforts that I believe will push back against the radical agenda of the Left. And, I have paid the price for it, in attacks, slurs and threats.

As a donor to one or more of these organizations and efforts, you have been able to engage in these activities without notice, operating in relative obscurity. I am writing to inform you that this will no longer

be the case.

Your name has been put in our database. We are monitoring all reports of a wide variety of leftist organizations. As your name appears in subsequent reports, it is our intent to publicize your involvement in your local community. Should any of these organizations be found to be engaged in illegal or questionable activity, it is our intent to publicize your involvement with those activities. You should know that instances of coordinated voter fraud are surfacing all across America and investigations into possible criminal coordination are underway.

For your review, I have enclosed a memorandum from our legal counsel.

Howard Rich

Chairman