Activist Says Mormon Church had ‘Front Group’ for Prop 8 Finances

Fred Karger of Californians Against Hate, who has been tireless in his work exposing the Mormon Church's contributions to the passage of Proposition 8, has filed a supplemental complaint to the Fair Political Practices Commission, which is investigating the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints and its involvement in the measure.

In February, the Mormon church disclosed $190,000 in non-monetary expenses related to Prop 8. Karger says there are more, and earlier. He also says the Church's expenses related to the National Organization for Marriage should be looked at, alleging that the Church "helped establish and pay for the creation" of NOM, which operated as a front for its activities.

Writes Karger: "Wealthy Catholics gave the bulk
of the early money to the National Organization for Marriage (NOM). San
Diegans, such as hotel owner Doug Manchester gave $125,000, Terry Caster and his family who own A-1 Self Storage gave $283,000, and several others including car dealer Robert Hoehn gave $25,000 and Roger Benson gave $50,000. The Knights of Columbus,
the political arm of the Catholic Church based in Connecticut gave NOM
$250,000 on January 30, 2008 and the California Knights gave another
$25,000 on April 8, 2008. While
these contributions were all reported, any reporting by the Mormon
Church of all of its activities in setting up NOM as its California
front group is missing. Did they do polling as they did in Hawaii? Did
the Church incur legal bills as they did in Hawaii? How about travel
expenses, as in Hawaii? What about staff time, as they reported after
the fact in California? These expenses should be easy to identify as a
part of the current investigation."

Karger also urges the FPPC to look at dates earlier than those during which the Mormon Church has admitted to helping finance the measure: "The Mormon Church Finally reported
$190,000 on January 30, 2009. According to their report, nearly all of
the money the Mormon Church spent came in the last two weeks of the
campaign. This is particularly odd since they announced their
involvement in a letter from the Church President Thomas S. Monson on
June 29, 2008. This letter was read to all Mormons, telling them to 'give of their time and their means' to support Proposition 8, and was
identical to what they had done in other states."