Smithsonian Reviews Policy After Renting to "Hate Group"
Immigration reform group holds event at Postal Museum
Wednesday, Sep 16, 2009 | Updated 12:08 AM EDT
WASHINGTON -- The Smithsonian Institution acknowledged it mistakenly rented space to an advocacy group that one civil rights organization calls a hate group.
The Federation for American Immigration Reform made a $5,000 donation to hold an event Tuesday night at the National Postal Museum, The Washington Post reported.
Allowing the group to use museum space violates a policy that bars partisan, political groups, Smithsonian spokeswoman Linda St. Thomas said. The Smithsonian did not cancel the event, though. It would be unfair to cancel because of a museum staffer's mistake, St. Thomas said.
FAIR spokesman Dustin Carnevale says the group is nonpartisan. FAIR is currently holding a two-day lobbying effort in Washington and advocates a temporary moratorium on all immigration.
The Southern Poverty Law Center has called FAIR a hate group.
