In yet another significant legal setback for the National Organization for Marriage, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled today
that NOM must comply with subpoenas issued by the state’s Commission on
Governmental Ethics and Election Practices demanding information from
NOM and its president, Brian Brown, including the names of donors.
Maine authorities allege that, in 2009, NOM violated the state’s
campaign finance laws by failing to disclose contributors to its ballot
measure efforts. For four years, NOM has stonewalled the state’s
investigation, filing a slew of unsuccessful lawsuits in federal court
and resisting subpoenas in state court, all part of a massive effort to
evade campaign finance laws in order to keep its donors secret. NOM’s
legal gamesmanship is critical to maintaining its central purpose, serving as a vehicle for hiding anti-LGBT donors.
In today’s unanimous decision, the Court stated that “[NOM’s] arguments
were not persuasive” and that “transparency in campaign finance enables
the electorate to make informed decisions.” The Court rejected NOM’s
claim that disclosure would expose their donors to threats, harassment,
and reprisal, joining courts in California and Washington that have
found these arguments completely unsupported by evidence.
Last November, marriage equality passed at the polls in Maine. Today, the people of Maine can further rest assured that no one – not even NOM – is above the law.
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