Activist Fred Karger, founder of Californians Against Hate, has successfully motivated California’s Fair Political Practices Commission to launch an investigation into the Utah-based Mormon church’s unreported, non-monetary contributions to the effort to remove marriage equality in California.
From The Salt Lake Tribune:
Probe into LDS Church’s Prop 8 donations going forward
By Jessica RavitzCalifornia’s Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) confirmed Monday that it will investigate allegations that the LDS Church failed to report nonmonetary contributions to the Yes on Proposition 8 campaign.
An independent nonprofit organization, Californians Against Hate, called for the investigation after the measure passed earlier this month, effectively ending same-sex marriages in that state.
“They read my letter and I guess came to the conclusion that there’s something worth looking into,” said Fred Karger, who heads Californians Against Hate, which was formed to track donations in support of the ballot initiative. “I’m hopeful that the LDS Church will cooperate and share all the records and all the information they have about their activities in the Proposition 8 campaign.”
Karger, a retired political consultant, alleged in his complaint that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints failed to report money invested to organize phone banks, send out direct mailers, provide transportation to California, mobilize a speakers bureau, send out satellite simulcasts and develop Web sites as well as numerous commercials and video broadcasts.
Roman Porter, executive director of FPPC, points out that probing the Mormons is nothing more probing the Mormons, and the announced investigation should not be taken as an assumption of wrongdoing. However, if the LDS Church is found guilty, the FPPC could levy a fine of up to $5,000.00 per violation.
Californians Against Hate has been accused of intimidating anti-marriage equality, Prop 8 donors by making their contributions, which are a matter of public record under California law, a matter of public record via the organization’s Dishonor Roll.Â
Oddly, no such accusations were leveled against the San Francisco Chronicle when they published this nifty web gizmo that allows readers to enter a name, city or zip code and search for Prop 8 contributions.
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