Media omitted facts about Bruce-funded group to which he reportedly donates his salary

Summary: The Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News on February 21 reported on state Rep. Douglas Bruce (R) inaccurately stating his per diem request for January, but omitted various details about the group to which he said he donates his salary. Bruce founded the organization, Active Citizens Together, which claims that it works for "lower taxes" and "more personal freedom," and the group's most recent annual report states that he is its registered agent.

In February 21 reporting about Republican state Rep. Douglas Bruce (Colorado Springs) overstating his January per diem request by $750, various newspaper accounts omitted pertinent facts regarding the group to which Bruce said he donates his legislative compensation. The Denver Post identified the organization only as "the pro-Constitution charity he founded," omitting the group's self-description as a "non-profit educational organization" set up to "allow[] concerned citizens to band together to learn how to protect our rights and to work for lower taxes, less government, more accountability, and more personal freedom!" The Rocky Mountain News identified the group and its agenda, but omitted that Bruce founded it and serves as its registered agent.

The Post reported that according to state records, "Bruce requested and was paid $750 in expenses for the first five days of the legislative session -- days that he very publicly did not work -- because of a clerical slip."

From the February 21 article in The Denver Post, "It's all in a day's perk: wrangling over per diems":

Bruce, who donates his salary and expenses to charity, said he will repay the money.

[...]

He said he requested the per diem to 'get the money out of the government's hands' and into the bank account of the pro-Constitution charity he founded. [emphases added]

While the Post did not name or provide details about the "pro-Constitution charity," the News identified it as Active Citizens Together (ACT), and provided information about the group gleaned from the organization's website, which states:

This organization allows concerned citizens to band together to learn how to protect our rights and to work for lower taxes, less government, more accountability, and more personal freedom!

Active Citizens Together is a Colorado non-profit educational organization whose mission is to educate the citizens of Colorado on the workings of government and how they can influence government at all levels within the state of Colorado.

From the February 21 Rocky Mountain News article, "Bruce overcharges $750, cites error":

Bruce said he intends to donate his entire $30,000 legislative salary as well as his per diem payments to the charity Active Citizens Together. According to its Web site, the Colorado Springs-based organization "allows concerned citizens to band together to learn how to protect our rights and to work for lower taxes, less government, more accountability, and more personal freedom!" [emphasis added]

However, the News failed to identify Bruce as ACT's founder, in contrast with a report by The Gazette of Colorado Springs:

When Bruce was asked to fill out a form to receive January's per diem, he said, he asked a staffer how many days he should bill for and was told 23 -- the number of days all other legislators worked, rather than the 18 he had been in office.

Legislative Council staffers approached him Wednesday about his request, and Bruce said he told them immediately that he would get the check back to them.

"I was told to put in 23 days. What was I supposed to do?" Bruce said. "I didn't know (that number of days) was the 9th to the 31st. I didn't know it wasn't the 14th to the 31st. ... I don't walk around with a calendar, so how do I know what is 23 days?"

He pointed out also that he did not file for mileage reimbursement despite being able to, because he does not believe legislators should be paid to drive to work. And he added that his salary and per diem are going to a charity. The charity is Active Citizens Together, a group he founded 6½ years ago to educate people about their rights as property owners and taxpayers. [emphasis added]

Bruce incorporated ACT as a nonprofit corporation on December 19, 2001; according to a filing with the Secretary of State, the group was organized under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code, which covers organizations created "exclusively for charitable, educational, religious or scientific purposes." As of the most recent annual report -- dated December 24, 2007 -- Bruce remains ACT's registered agent, and the street and mailing addresses listed for him as registered agent are the same as those for ACT.

—E.B.