NOM (an anti-gay hate group) has been ordered to pay a fine of $50,000 after being found guilty of breaking campaign finance laws in Maine in 2009. The Huffington Post is reporting that by not disclosing the names of donors to their efforts to prevent Marriage Equality in Maine, they further violated the law.
Personal Note: I hope this signals the end of this pathetic hate group once and for all.
Please share widely!
This is kind of neat. The anti-equality folk tend to act as if they are the true keeper of the American tradition, as if everyone deep down agrees with them, as if the righteousness of their cause is self-evident. On the other, they don’t want anyone to know who they are. They want to be upright in secret. Delightful irony.
Nonetheless I do find this a bit troubling. There are some causes that have started out very unpopular, e.g., LGBT rights come to mind or maybe opposing the Iraq invasion or maybe gun control in Texas. The argument that one should be able to support some things anonymously has some merit.
Anonymous support can be quite bad too: It’s of interest that coal burning industries want you not to believe science.
There’s a privacy issue here. I’ve no idea how one turns that into law.
if someone is purchasing campaign ads to advocate for or against a position, then I believe disclosure of the sources of the money is appropriate, particularly if the position being advocated for or against would result in others being denied certain rights. If I make a $5 donation to Obama08 campaign and it appears in a campaign report, then why should someone who donates $100K to NOM assume that their donation falls under a curtain of “anonymously”.
How about buying campaign ads advocating tolerance of gay men in Uganda? Being even identified with such a campaign could risk significant harm to oneself.
Of course, we have nothing like that here perhaps. Does that mean nothing should ever be advocated until it is physically safe to do so?
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I see the other side of the argument too. I have no idea how to balance these concerns.