Prominent Mormons Were Reimbursed For Prop 8

[helderheid]

Eric Ethington’s weblog
Dedicated to those who believe in equality


Prominent Mormons Were Reimbursed For Prop 8

February 2, 2009 by ethingtoneric

In what seems to be an endless line of embarrassments for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, it is now coming to light that several prominent Mormon figures were actually reimbursed for their efforts and participation on the Yes On 8 campaign.

Below is a list of several of them, brought to my attention by my good friend Reed Cowen (many thanks to him for this). The full list can be seen http://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/Detail.aspx?id=1302592&session=2007&view=expenditures">here (if unable to be viewed, too many people are looking at it at once) and I highly recommend that everyone views the list to see who they recognize.

Lawrence Research (Gary Lawrence, Mormon pollster and Meridian contributor): $528,877.35

Eagle Foundation (a Mormon PAC set up by Bart Marcois and David Parker): $135,912.76

Glen Greener (former Salt Lake City Police Commissioner, Meridian contributor, and now a GOP operative and sometime Cali property developer): $50,236.42

Sonja Brown (Protectmarriage.com communications director): $41,844.00

Zion Multimedia Corp.: $2,000.00

Rob Wirthlin: $768.18

So what does this all mean for the LDS church? Well it’s still unclear, and the list of those who were reimbursed may be getting longer as more is unearthed. But until then, you can count on more and more outcries against this “loving and tolerant” religion.


http://ethingtoneric.wordpress.com/

[MountainLaurel]

1. Well, well, well

Isn't that what many people were guessing had happened all along?

[Critters2]

2. Reimbursed? You mean paid by the church?

:grr:

[Taverner]

4. Yes - wouldn't that be illegal?

As in skirting campaign finance laws????

I second your :grr: and raise you a :mad:

[TheWraith]

9. As I recall, it's illegal to be reimbursed for any political contributions, church or not. nt

[SidneyCarton]

20. Do we know for certain that these were for political contributions?

I ask this because it is standard procedure for the Church to reimburse members for out-of-pocket expenses used for church activities. For example I pay for the food for a Church dinner, submit my recipts, and get reimbursed out of the budget of the organization which threw the event. (I've been a financial clerk for my congregation, so I speak from experience here) Hence, if these contributions were considered as assistance for what the church considered was a church function, then these reimbursements are understandable.

[Chiyo-chichi]

22. $528,877.35 will throw a heck of a church dinner.

[SidneyCarton]

23. True, I was wondering if we were dealing with the costs of printing handbills, etc...

[EFerrari]

17. So NOW is it money laundering?

:shrug:

[MineralMan]

3. Take their tax-exempt status away.

In fact, end the tax exempt status of all churches and religious organizations.

Thanks for listening.

[ColbertWatcher]

29. I agreed with this idea before and now with this revalation ...

... I don't see how anyone can argue otherwise.

They no longer qualify for tax exemption.

[Starry Messenger]

5. Not that I'm surprised but

:mad: :mad: :mad:

This whole episode was so cynical and inhuman I want to cry some days.

[helderheid]

7. Same. GAH.

[riderinthestorm]

32. Another GAH! With smilie added for emphasis! nt

:grr:

[GinaMaria]

8. It was an atrocity but

the exposure it brought the LDS is the silver lining in all this crap. The more that gets exposed, the more they undo all their hard work on their 'brand'. Their brand was BS to begin with.

I have a friend who travels to Utah on business and told me how nice the mormons are. They are polite and friendly and come across as very gentle.

My response was isn't that nice. They smile and use a nice tone of voice while they rip the rights away from other people.

Their phony mainstream act has been exposed. We are paying attention to the man behind the curtain and there's nothing mainstream about him.

[helderheid]

10. I live in Utah and I have to state I know MANY who opposed Prop 8 and this whole mess and there are

many great LDS Democrats here. I just need to make sure that's clear. What really sucks is that the entire state is run by "The Church". Not one piece of legislation gets passed without "The Church's" blessing. The concept of separation of church and state is completely unknown here. So many claim to be Libertarians here but they could have fooled me.

[Starry Messenger]

31. Yeah, I'm pissed at the church and people who voted for it.

Just to be clear. :) I've been to SLC and it's a wonderful city, but reminded me of an alternative universe in some ways. Orson Scott Card comes to mind, too. It's as if some of them don't quite realize what country they are really living in.

[nichomachus]

11. Mormon "charm" is like "Southern Hospitality"

It's basically a fraud.

[helderheid]

12. Please, not so broad a brush. I know LDS who are very liberal and opposed this.

[SidneyCarton]

18. Thanks HH, I appriciate that you realize that.

[helderheid]

25. Living here with LDS liberal friends, I must defend them.

:hi:

[myrna minx]

6. K&R n/t

[bullwinkle428]

13. Anyone who really believed that EVERY LAST PENNY of that

money came from "private sources" was truly living in a world of delusion...

[KittyWampus]

14. How does the attached list prove people were reimbursed? Please explain.

[barbtries]

15. they should lose

their tax exempt status. retroactively.

[defendandprotect]

16. Same old story --- religion wins by deception, fraud and lies . . . .

[SidneyCarton]

19. No one has won anything yet...

The CA Supreme Court will decide this mess, much like it did with Prop. 22. Come March the victory of Proposition 8 may be proved to have been entirely transitory.

[defendandprotect]

21. Prop 8 passed which is enough of a "win" . . . Hopefully, it will be defeated . . .

however, the pattern for religion still holds ---

[SidneyCarton]

24. So did Proposition 22...

It passed by approximately 21%, Prop 8 passed by less than 5% In less than 8 years, support for a ban has fallen 16%. The pain of defeat, while great, should be felt in consideration of the progress that has been made. I doubt in eight years such a ban would be able to muster the necessary support to pass. In any sense, this "victory" is transitory.

So your pattern, does not work for the long term.

[dysfunctional press]

26. the term "mormons" would be more accurate without the second "m".

nt

[libodem]

27. Dumb asses

Go to BYU!
Where the girls are girls
and the boys
are, too.
Remember the first foot tapping scandal ever. Spys hiding in The BYU bathrooms trying to catch homos? God. What kills me is the number of patrons in the bath houses in SLC goes sky-high during conference. These people are the kind that believe homosexuality is a self determined choice. I honestly think that they figure if the boys were given a choice at 13 they would all join permanent circle jerks.

[libodem]

28. Man

I can't believe I did not offend anyone enough for a comment with that statement. Come on.

[JNelson6563]

30. Politics = taxes

Pay up you lousy bastards.

Julie

[helderheid]

33. .