Groups Once Tied to Nader Now Steer Clear of Controversial Candidate

Ralph Nader has founded dozens of civic-action groups in his career, including Clean Water Action and

the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. But most of the organizations he helped to start make no mention of Mr. Nader or his presidential campaign on their Web site.

What’s more, some groups even make a point of noting that they have nothing to do with the legendary do-gooder. Public Citizen, which Mr. Nader helped to found, and Common Cause, which he isn’t connected with, both state prominently on their Web sites and in mailings to supporters that they have no current tie to Mr. Nader.

The reason for the disclaimer is that, after the last presidential election, many advocacy groups received protests from irate Democrats who said that Mr. Nader cost Vice President Al Gore the election. In addition to sending hundreds of communications expressing their anger over Mr. Nader’s candidacy, many of the groups’ supporters stopped providing money.

Public Citizen, which focuses on a broad range of public-interest causes, lost 20 percent of its members and $1-million in support after President Bush won. When Mr. Nader announced in February that he would run again for president, Public Citizen posted its message to prevent the same thing from happening a second time. Public Citizen acknowledges that Mr. Nader founded the group, but says he has had nothing to do with it for the past 24 years.

Kevin Zeese, a spokesman for Mr. Nader’s campaign, says the candidate understands the situation Public Citizen is in and doesn’t blame groups for trying to distance themselves from him. “It’s a shame that funders use their power to threaten nonprofits,” he says. “Nonprofits are unfortunately pawns in a larger game” of politics.

Winning Back Donors

The Center for Auto Safety, which also was founded by Mr. Nader, lost about a third of its membership after the last election. Clarence Ditlow, the center’s executive director, attributes some of those losses to its ties to Mr. Nader, who is perhaps best known for his crusade for safer cars.

“We’ve spent four years getting back to where we were,” Mr. Ditlow says.

The group’s membership is stable this year, which Mr. Ditlow says is because the more-political donors left four years ago and have not returned. “If you want to express your concern about Ralph Nader this year, you have to join again first,” he says. Donations to his group have risen 25 percent in the past year, he says.

Like many organizations founded by Mr. Nader, the Center for Auto Safety’s Web site makes no mention of the presidential candidate. “We’ve been totally independent of him since the ‘70s,” says Mr. Ditlow.

Common Cause lost anti-Nader members after the last election, despite the fact that the organization has never had any official ties to him, according to its spokeswoman, Elizabeth Jenkins. Mr. Nader’s name is so firmly linked to crusading that even some of Common Cause’s own members believe Mr. Nader is connected with the group, Ms. Jenkins says.

On its Web site, the group states in capital letters: “In response to recent questions, we would like to make it clear that John Gardner, not Ralph Nader, was the founder of Common Cause.” Explains Ms. Jenkins, “We were getting a lot of e-mails from people who were angry at Ralph Nader for jumping into the race.”

‘He’s Done Great Work’

One group that is promoting its connection to Mr. Nader is the Alaska Public Interest Research Group.

“We’re proud to have him as one of our founders. He’s done great work for this country,” says Steven Cleary, the group’s executive director.

So far, only one donor has complained, he says. The man, who ordinarily sends a $50 check each year, sent Alaska PIRG a quarter this year, noting that the remaining $49.75 was being withheld because of Mr. Nader’s candidacy.

“Somehow, he thinks by ‘punishing’ us and other groups, that then Nader would get the message to pull out. But really, Ralph Nader doesn’t have anything to do with us anymore,” Mr. Cleary says.

All the groups say it’s still too early to know how Mr. Nader’s candidacy will affect them during the 2004 campaign. Last time, most did not feel an impact until well after Election Day.