Undue Influence

Undue Influence is an online database published by the Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise (CDFE) that boasts it is "tracking the environmental movement's money, power, and harm". (The title borrows the title to Arnold's 1999 book by the same name).

In its 2002 Internal Revenue Service return CDFE states that it had "created a publicly accessible computer database tracking activities and donations to anti-industry groups."

However, it is a project that emulates what other conservative - and bigger budget - groups are doing. Despite this CDFE outlined that in 2002 it planned to press on. "Expand existing publicly accessible computer database to track activities and donations of animal rights groups," it stated. 

While the site contains extensive data, it appears that CDFE's lacks the ability to sustain the project. Much of the financial data from IRS returns dates back to the 2000 or 2001 financial year even though most groups 2002 year returns are readily available.

While CDFE made regular postings in 2002, including new profiles on environmental groups it objects to, there has been little activity since. In 2003 the CDFE only managed to add 2 new profile articles. The only posting for 2004 is an article that Arnold contributed to the Capital Research Center's Foundation Watch.

Related Sourcewatch articles

 * Ron Arnold