Cult Guilty of Lying for Prop 8

[A_Wanderer]

Church of Liars

On June 11th, the FPPC, in an unprecedented ruling against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, found the Salt Lake City based Church guilty on 13 counts of late campaign reporting. The Mormon Church was fined $5538 in an agreement worked out ending the 19 month long investigation. The Church was the primary backer of California’s Proposition 8, which ended gay marriage in California two years ago.

The Mormon Church initially admitted to spending only $2078 to pass Prop 8. When Fred Karger, founder of Californians Against Hate, filed his sworn complaint on November 13, 2008, he said they instantly attacked him.

The Mormon owned Salt Lake City Deseret News reported on November 14, 2008 that Church spokesman Scott Trotter said the allegations are “false” and the complaint — filed by Fred Karger of Californians Against Hate — has “many errors and misstatements.” Trotter said The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints “has fully complied with the reporting requirements of the California Political Reform Act. Claims that the Church has violated the act and failed to report political expenditures made by the church are false. The church has, in fact, filed four reports with California authorities; these reports are a matter of public record. A further report will be filed on or before its due date, Jan. 30, 2009,” Trotter said.

Don Eaton a spokesman for the Mormon Church said in an interview with KGO-TV (ABC San Francisco) "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints put zero money in this.”
Three months later the Mormon Church filed an amended return in which they admitted to spending $190,000. Unfortunately, this was 3 months after the election, so 17 million California voters never were able to know the full extent of the Mormon involvement until well after the election.

The Mormon Church ran phone banks, sent out direct mail, had well designed web sites, produced 27 slick commercials, bussed people in from Utah and had lots of travel expenses by high ranking Church officials. They also raised approximately $30 million from Mormon families to pass Proposition 8.

The Mormon Church also was behind the creation of the infamous National Organization for Marriage (NOM) in 2007, and was the biggest contributor to pass Prop 8.

NOM continues to be one of the great mysteries of the world. I have been closely following them since they reared their ugly heads in California just three years ago.

NOM is currently under investigation in the state of Maine for possible money laundering, and failing to file the required campaign reports for that state’s Question 1 campaign. Question 1 took away gay marriage in Maine just last November.

NOM was also the largest contributor to that election by contributing $1.9 million to Yes on 1. They have steadfastly refused to identify any of their donors in spite of three federal court orders and a State Attorney General’s ruling demanding that they do so. It begs the question, whom are they working so hard to protect?

California Ethics Commission finds Mormons guilty on 13 counts of late Prop 8 campaign reporting

 

[Irvine511]

8: The Mormon Proposition

 

[A_Wanderer]

It would be nicer if they could suspend tax-free status for these sorts of violations.

 

[nathan1977]

From a comment on the article:

"According to the FPPC website, the LDS church was fined because they 'failed to timely report making late non-monetary contributions totaling $36,928 in connection with the November 4, 2008, General Election.' The church admitted to and paid the fine for the mistake. Not a malicious crime by any stretch.

"As for NOM, a FEDERAL court ruled that contributers deserved to have their 1st amendment rights protected and granted a STAY of enforcement regarding previous county court orders. Said Brian Brown, NOM Pres, 'Americans who want to organize, to vote, and to donate to protect marriage are being singled out for harassment. No other 501(c)4 is obligated to disclose the names of donors and the demand by government officials in Maine that we expose our donors was an outrageous violation of all Americans constitutional rights'."

A cursory internet search reveals that hundreds, if not thousands, of politicians in every political cycle file late campaign contribution reports.

Mormon money was involved in the campaign on Prop 8. So was Catholic money, and Pentecostal money, and the Human Rights Campaign's, and GLAAD's, and Hollywood's.

Is it illegal for tax-exempt or non-profit organizations to lobby and/or advertise?