FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 8, 2013
Contact: Elizabeth Ray or Jen Campbell (703-683-5004)
"This is another attempt to shut down criticism of activist judges and politicians who wish to redefine marriage." — Brian Brown, NOM president —
Washington, D.C. — The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) today decried the decision of the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board to open a campaign finance inquiry concerning NOM's participation in the 2010 and 2012 campaigns to oust several state Supreme Court justices, calling the inquiry a witch hunt spawned by a gay activist who has filed serial frivolous complaints elsewhere. The group said the complaint was an attempt to shut down opposition to activist judges and politicians who wish to redefine marriage, and equated it with the Internal Revenue Service's illegal release of NOM's confidential tax return to homosexual marriage activists.
"The National Organization for Marriage has violated no campaign finance rules in Iowa, and we decry the decision by the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board to open an investigation," said Brian Brown, NOM's president. "This inquiry is a witch hunt spawned by a delusional homosexual activist who fancies himself becoming the president of the United States and who is a serial filer of frivolous allegations against us whenever we stand up for traditional marriage. The complaint is another attempt to shut down criticism of activist judges and politicians who wish to redefine marriage."
NOM was a major contributor to the 2010 campaign in which voters successfully removed three sitting justices of the Iowa Supreme Court, including the Chief Justice, after the Court voted to redefine marriage in the state. The campaign finance complaint was filed by Fred Karger, a homosexual activist who ran for president of the United States in 2012. Karger has filed complaints against NOM in Maine and California, but no state has ever ruled that NOM violated state campaign rules.
"All that the decision today means is that Karger has alleged actions that, if proven true, would possibly constitute violations of campaign finance rules. But the allegations are dead wrong and the Board action today in no way means that the Board agrees with Karger's frivolous allegations," Brown said. "We are concerned about the continual use of the legal system by Karger and other homosexual marriage advocates who are intent on denying us and the people of Iowa their civil rights to defend marriage as God created it."
For several years, homosexual activists have demanded that NOM publicly disclose donors to the nonprofit group which are not required by law. They desire this information in order to harass NOM's supporters. (For example, the Human Rights Campaign operates the website www.NomExposed.org
"We are concerned about media reports quoting officials with the Ethics Board speculating about the allegations against us," said Brown. "This is reminiscent of the IRS scandal where the government illegally leaked confidential information to our political opponents. We will vigorously contest any suggestion that NOM has violated the law, and we will aggressively demand that our civil rights, including a presumption of innocence, be honored by Iowa government officials."
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To schedule an interview with Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage, please contact Elizabeth Ray (x130), [email protected], or Jen Campbell (x145), [email protected], at 703-683-5004.
Paid for by The National Organization for Marriage, Brian Brown, president. 2029 K Street NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006, not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. New ยง 68A.405(1)(f) & (h).
