CAUTION:

An update on
"American Right to Life"

In the last edition of NRL News, we reported that National Right to Life has received numerous telephone calls from individuals around the nation with questions about "American Right to Life." It seems that this group is telemarketing as a "federal political action committee," focusing their pitch on
raising money to fight partial-birth abortion.

We reported that, among other things, the group had not registered with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). However, on July 7, 1998, a "Statement of Organization" was received by the FEC. (FEC regulations require that an organization register as a PAC after the organization has raised or spent $1,000 on federal elections.) The statement lists the same address as previously reported in NRL News - - a Mail Boxes, Etc. location here in Washington, D.C. - - with a "suite number," presumably a box at this place of business where boxes are rented and mail can be received using a street address.

(National Right to Life was informed that the group now has a physical office address. Three NRLC staffers were sent to visit this address during normal business hours on a Tuesday afternoon, and were surprised by what they found. This "headquarters" seems to be housed in a small basement apartment of a Washing-ton, D.C., rowhouse. A simple piece of copy paper which read "American Right to Life" was taped to the window and served to identify the "office." The blinds were drawn, the door was closed and locked, and there was no indication of any business activity therein.)

Later in the month, on July 22, 1998, the first monthly report of "American Right to Life," covering the period of June 1 to June 30, 1998, was filed with the FEC. Significantly more money than the $1,000 limit imposed by the FEC was raised before the group actually registered.

An anecdote from one of our many members who have received calls from American Right to Life:

"I just got a phone call from the American Right to Life which you had sent out the warning about. I asked them where they were located and they said, 'Washington, D.C.' And I said what is your address and the guy told me, and I said well that's just a post office [sic] box, isn't it? And he said 'yes,' and I said well, where is your actual office located?And he covered up the receiver and asked somebody and came back and said, 'Well, that is our office.' I said no that's not an office, that's just a post office [sic] box rental. Where is your actual office where the actual people do the actual work with the actual money that you're raising, and he said, 'Um, I don't know,' and he hung up on me."

-Susan, Virginia

The report indicates that no money had been given or spent to support the election of any federal candidate or for any activity regarding partial-birth abortion. In fact, all of the money the group had raised to that date was owed to a recently formed fundraising and telemarketing firm, Capitol Communications Corp. of Mesa, Arizona.

In addition, National Right to Life's lobbyists have not come into contact with anyone identifying themselves as working for "American Right to Life." During all of the National Right to Life lobbying team's efforts on Capitol Hill leading up to the successful override vote of President Clinton's veto in the House of Representatives on July 23, 1998, "American Right to Life" was never seen nor heard from.

Once again, National Right to Life urges our loyal members to use extreme caution if a call or letter is received from this group or any other group which is unfamiliar to you. National Right to Life continues to be your voice here in Washington and across the nation, speaking out against partial-birth abortion and working for pro-life legislation like the Child Custody Protection Act. Other organizations have worked alongside us on these important battles, but "American Right to Life" has never been one of them.

Furthermore, we believe that your pro-life donations are most efficiently and effectively used when given to National Right to Life Committee and National Right to Life's state affiliates.