Secrecy Shrouds “Yes on 1” on Both Sides of Campaign LedgerPaul Hogarthbyline‚ Oct. 28‚ 2009For the last filing period, the “Yes on 1” campaign in Maine raised $1.4 million – with $1.1 million coming from one source, the National Organization for Marriage (NOM). All told, the right-wing group has financed 64% of the effort to strip marriage rights from same-sex couples – but there’s no way of knowing where their money comes from because they didn’t register as a PAC with the Maine Ethics Commission. Meanwhile, NOM (which many believe is a front for the Mormon Church), is suing the state to keep its donor list secret – claiming a right to “anonymous speech.” But “Yes on 1” also has secrecy on the expense side of its ledger. A stunning 62% of their entire budget has gone to pay Criswell & Associates – a San Francisco ad firm that uses the pseudonym Mar/Com Services Inc. (which is not a registered corporation), has a website that has been “under construction” for weeks, and has changed its address from an office on Union Square to a P.O. Box on Bush Street. With one week left to go before the vote, it’s still hard to tell where the “Yes on 1” money is coming from – and how it’s being used. |