Democrats at Amnesty International "nonpartisan"

Today's Washington Times has a story exposing campaign contributions made by leaders of the supposedly nonpartisan Amnesty International USA. Their money went to Democrats John Kerry and Ted Kennedy.

Amnesty International recently made the outlandish charge that the Guantanamo prison was "a gulag," a reference to the Stalinist prison system in which millions were made slave laborers and tens of thousands were murdered or disappeared without a trace.


The top leadership of Amnesty International USA, which unleashed a blistering attack last week on the Bush administration's handling of war detainees, contributed the maximum $2,000 to Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign.

Federal Election Commission records show that William F. Schulz, executive director of Amnesty USA, contributed $2,000 to Mr. Kerry's campaign last year. Mr. Schulz also has contributed $1,000 to the 2006 campaign of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Massachusetts Democrat.

Also, Joe W. "Chip" Pitts III, board chairman of Amnesty International USA, gave the maximum $2,000 allowed by federal law to John Kerry for President. Mr. Pitts is a lawyer and entrepreneur who advises the American Civil Liberties Union.

Amnesty USA yesterday told The Washington Times that staff members make policy based on laws governing human rights, pointing out that the organization had criticized some of President Clinton's policies.

"We strive to do everything humanly possible to see that the personal political perspectives of our leadership have no bearing whatsoever upon the nature of our findings and the conduct of our work," a spokesman said.

Amnesty International describes itself as nonpartisan. (Bold added)

Of course, Amnesty International's nonpartisan. Just ask Sens. Kerry and Kennedy or any Mullah in Iran.

The W. Times story carries Rowan Scarborough's byline. You can read it all here.