Conservatives target the Natural Resources Defense Council

In April 2002, Frontiers of Freedom had filed a complaint against the IRS to revoke the tax-exempt status of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The nine-page complaint, charged that the council "routinely" engaged in political advocacy and lobbying on behalf of environmental causes. NRDC rejected the complaint. Frontier of Freedom alleged that during the Clinton Administration that the IRS clamped down on right-wing organisations and now it was time to create a level-playing field.

The NRDC has also been criticised by the Center for Consumer Freedom, a corporate-funded industry front group. CCF calls it "the utility infielder of nanny groups. Because its name implies a wide-ranging universe of issues, the group can be counted on to inject itself into just about any debate where there's an environmental argument to be made. Washington PR firm Fenton Communications has made use of the NRDC in a variety of public campaigns, the most famous example of which was the 1989 Alar-on-apples food scare." For the other side of the story see NRDC and Alar.

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 * Intimidating public interest groups
 * Intimidating democracy
 * Intimidating foundations