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Friday, August 19, 2005

Cleveland United Ways Mandating Checking Watch List

United Way Services of Greater Cleveland officials say they are just doing what the parent organization, United Way of America recommended. And, they say, they're complying with the USA Patriot Act.

The U.S. Justice Department can't find any reference in the act that specifically requires nonprofits to check employee names against its suspected terrorist lists.

Either way, United Way Services won't risk its affiliation with United Way of America for failing to comply with the "recommendations," said United Way Services Executive Vice President Bill Plato.

So far, nearly all of the charities have agreed to check their employees against a list of suspected terrorists kept by the federal government, and each has signed a form saying so.

For some charities, it was a request they couldn't refuse. They cannot afford to risk losing the United Way funding.

Only the American Civil Liberties Union said no. It will forfeit $10,000 to $20,000 in potential donations from across the state.

In June and again in July, United Way Services of Greater Cleveland mailed out "Counterterrorism Compliance" forms to nearly 600 charities.

United Way asked the charities to compare their employees names against several master lists of suspected terrorists kept by the U.S. Department of Justice and the state.

United Way also asked the charities to sign a form affirming they had made the checks.

The form distributed by United Way states that it intends to be "in compliance and with the spirit and intent of the USA Patriot Act."

U.S. Justice Department spokeswoman Kimberly Smith said that although there is no nonprofit requirement in the act, nonprofit groups are not immune to what she calls the "Material Support Statute" that existed before the Patriot Act did.

For the whole scoop

Posted by Jennifer Lowe