After visiting the National Organization for Marriage’s offices in New Jersey, twice, trying to get copies of the non-profit’s 990 reports back in May, Californians Against Hate filed a formal complaint with the IRS. This month, the group filed another complaint alleging NOM and other religious-affiliated groups are engaged in money laundering campaigns in Maine. Under federal law, and in order to retain its tax-exempt status, NOM is required to disclose this financial data. Organizations are provided a 30-day timeline to meet data requests. Need we remind you it’s now August? And NOM still hasn’t released its finances?
Skeptics, and there are many, say NOM is hiding its financial data because it’ll be easy to link the group back to the Mormon Church, which plenty of gay activist organizations believe is backing NOM. It was only a few months ago that “Matthew R. Holland, son of Mormon Apostle Jeffrey S. Holland and a board member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, resigned from the board of NOM after rumors began circulating that the two organizations were affiliated.”
If the Mormon Church is funding NOM, this would be problematic, since NOM (formed in May 2007 to push through Prop 8), actively endorses political candidates — something religious non-profits cannot do legally. They risk losing their tax-exempt status. Thus, the necessary front group.
But the issue of NOM’s financials is as pressing as ever, as Maggie Gallagher & Co. move in to Iowa with a (long-term) stab to challenge the State Supreme Court’s April ruling that same-sex marriage must be legalized. (The earliest voters could have their say is 2014.) NOM claims to have spent $1.5 million advocating against same-sex marriage laws with TV ads airing in states including New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Iowa and Washington, D.C. It’s now fronting at least $86,000 so its selected candidate, hog and grain farmer Stephen Burgmeier, can make a run for the Iowa State House in a Sept. 1 special election to fill exited Democratic Rep. John Whitaker’s seat. (Interestingly, Burgmeier says he’s never had any contact with NOM.)
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
It’s all part of NOM’s Reclaim Iowa Project, which butts up against One Iowa, the pro-gay marriage group that’s joined in demanding NOM release its financial reports. There’s under a week before Iowa’s elections, so while the data should still be released, like, now, it would have little effect on the outcome in Iowa.
Meanwhile, the IRS might only penalize NOM $20 each day (if anything) beyond the 30-day deadline. Certainly if the group can generate enormous sums for political campaigns, it can afford to pay penalties for paperwork delays.
SuperCat
hehehe NOM…
[img]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kac9jxGkbe4/SWnxD_Thm6I/AAAAAAAAASw/aLapUNF-LU8/s400/nom-nom-nom.jpg[/img]
Jeff K.
Bunnies! 😀
Muscato
The utter adorableness of that bunny almost offsets the horror of having had to look, for even a moment, at the Malignant Miss Maggie, the woman ashamed to use her married name.
AlwaysGay
Haterosexuals don’t want a level playing field. They always want to benefit while everyone else is disadvantaged.
Julian Edward Domain
Obama is going to have to start a deprogramming system for these people. The real economic crash has not hit yet and when it does these people are going to turn around and act like rabid dogs.
stevenelliot
FOLLOW THE MONEY….the path always leads directly to the ones who are profiteering from someone else’s misery.
Rick
Mehinks the records got lost in Maggie’s fat rolls.
LdChino
I’d suggest taking a page from the opposition’s playbook and pulling a David Parker: Go to NOM’s office and refuse to leave without the Form 990s in hand. The worst thing that could happen is you’d be arrested for trespassing. And if that were to happen, I’m confident you’d have no trouble raising bail.
The time for editorializing about this issue is past. NOM is clearly out of line. Continued pleading for their compliance with IRS rules will look weak unless it’s accompanied by direct action – in this case, visiting NOM’s offices, politely but firmly insisting they produce their Form 990s, and refusing to leave if they won’t.
Cameron Monagle
@will clemens:
Are you here just to make the lgbtq community look bad? or are you just filled with the same hate that these homophobes have?
really, just go away.
Iowa Dem
Yeah we pretty much kicked some Republican ass in that election for Iowa’s 70th District. Curt Hanson (D) is the newest member of the Iowa Legislature. So much for NOM’s political influence in Iowa. We do it right in the Hawkeye State.