An appeals court on Tuesday upheld Maine’s campaign disclosure law that requires the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) to release its donor list, though the group plans to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The decision pertains to ballot question committees in Maine. NOM was a key player in the successful ballot campaign to repeal same-sex “marriage” in Maine back in 2008.
NOM has made the case that releasing the donor list would infringe on free speech. “We already know that the homosexual lobby has launched a national campaign of harassment and intimidation against supporters of traditional marriage, so there’s a good reason to keep these names confidential,” said Indiana lawyer James Bopp Jr., who’s representing the NOM.
Even if the Supreme Court rejects the appeal, additional action would be required before the donor list could be released. The Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices must conduct an investigation to determine whether the list must be made public.
Source: Boston Globe (Associated Press)