Center for Individual Freedom
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This article is part of the Tobacco portal on Sourcewatch funded from 2006 - 2009 by the American Legacy Foundation. |
Center for Individual Freedom ("CFIF") is a nonprofit, 501(c)(4) corporation based in Alexandria, Virginia. It is a member of the Townhall.com consortium. CFIF was founded in 1998 and describes its mission as being to "to protect and defend individual freedoms and individual rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution." [1]
The CFIF is involved with "strict constructionist" activities regarding judicial and legislative issues. The organization maintains Freedom Line, a radio interview show and We The People, a grassroots organizing effort dedicated to conservative causes.
In August 2004, the Center for Individual Freedom gained national attention by launching a grassroots campaign against what it called a "tasteless anti-American marketing scheme" from a German subsidiary of the American based Subway restaurant chain. The CFIF claimed that the Germany Subway stores featured advertising that included cartoon parodies of the 9/11 terror attacks on the World Trade Center, as well as using derogatory German slurs to describe Americans. [2]
Funding
On its website CFIF states that it "relies on private financial support from individuals, associations, foundations and corporations." [3] However, it does not identify which corporations or foundations financially support it.
The website recently reported that CFIF had abandoned its Foundation due to funding concerns. Funding for the foundation, under IRS law, must generally be separate from the lobbying arm.
In 1999 Thomas Humber, the President and CEO of the National Smokers Alliance, a front group originally created with funding from Philip Morris (PM), wrote to Lorillard Tobacco Company requesting financial support. [4] Humber wrote to Lorrillard's Ronald S. Milstein that "I would even like to talk with you about a development project, the Center for Individual Freedom, which might be of interest to Lorrillard's parent or associated companies." The letter confirms the solicitation of funding, but does not confirm that the tobacco company assisted CFIF financially. [5]
Contact information
Center for Individual Freedom
917-B King Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
Telephone: 703-535-5836
Fax:703-535-5838
E-Mail:info AT cfif.org
Web:http://www.cfif.org
External links
- Christina Nucklos, "Group airs TV, radio ads criticizing candidate", PilotOnline.com, July 10, 2005. (PilotOnline.com is the website for the The Virginian-Pilot).
- Susan Jones, "More Anti-American Images Found at German Subway Stores", CNSNews.com, August 04, 2004.
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