On February 18, Sunlight’s Lindsay Young reported that Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) disclosures show that The National Center for Public Policy Research participated in luncheon briefings sponsored by the Gaddafi Charitable and Development Foundation in 2009. FARA records actually show that a lobbyist sent unsolicited invitations to us to attend, but that we did not participate. We never even considered participating due Libya’s sponsorship of terrorism and long history of human rights abuses.

The Sunlight Foundation was forced to print a retraction. It fell considerably short of the truth, but was apparently sufficient to satisfy their legal team that it was no longer libelous. Sunlight noted that The National Center was among various groups invited to participate, not all of which did, and had denied participating in the meetings. Although the FARA records specify which groups participated and which groups did not, Sunlight chose not to share this information with readers.

We should thank the Sunlight Foundation for an incredible public service, however. Had it not been so eager to tarnish our reputation by attempting to link us to Libya we might not have ever examined the FARA records and learned that representatives of the Center for American Progress, the liberal advocacy group established by former Clinton Chief of Staff John Podesta, participated in the Gaddafi meetings.

Sunlight had neglected to mention the very prominent liberal group had dined at the Libyan dictator’s expense.

We believe we know why: Sunlight answers to the same paymaster as the Center for American Progress.

The Sunlight Foundation received $300,000 from the Foundation to Promote Open Society in 2010 and $250,000 from the Open Society Institute in 2008. Both these groups organizations are run by convicted insider trader George Soros. The Center for American Progress received $550,000 from Soros’ Foundation to Promote Open Society in 2009 and $1,250,000 in 2008 from his Open Society Institute.

It seems the foundation uses its sunlight to divert attention away from its allies to lurking in the darkness.