Statement from Rick Jacobs, Chair of the Courage Campaign, on Proposition 8 Sponsors Filing to Block Proper Disclosure of Donations
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 9, 2009
Statement from Rick Jacobs, Chair of the Courage
Campaign, on Proposition 8 Sponsors Filing to Block Proper Disclosure
of Donations
LOS ANGELES – Rick Jacobs, founder and chair of the Courage Campaign – an online organizing network with nearly 400,000 members – today made the following statement regarding ProtectMarriage.com and the National Organization for Marriage filing suit in the U.S. District Court in Sacramento to block the proper disclosure of campaign donations:
“This lawsuit is yet another act of duplicity from the Yes on 8 campaign. They argued that courts should not overturn the will of the voters with respect to Prop 8. Now they argue courts should indeed overturn the will of the voters who approved the Political Reform Act in 1974.
“The only reason the Yes on 8 campaign is suing is because they are afraid. They’re afraid that nobody will want to donate money to their cause in the future. They’re afraid that marriage equality supporters might learn their money has been used to further an attack on same-sex couples and then decide to take their business elsewhere.
“What the Yes on 8 campaign is most afraid of is that when voters get another chance to weigh in on same-sex marriage, voters will support equality. So they are trying to stack the deck in their favor by attacking basic campaign finance rules just so they can raise even more money next time.
“This effort to deny voters proper disclosure information is an affront to democracy. Do Californians want to face a barrage of initiatives funded by the wealthy few and not know who is behind them? For example, do Californians want the likes of Chevron to be able to put initiatives on the ballot without the voters knowing that Chevron is behind the effort? This craven attempt to subvert democracy is shameful and outrageous. Transparency is the foundation of democracy.
“Their boldest act of hypocrisy is bringing this kind of suit after they themselves abused campaign disclosure rules to intimidate donors.
“According to the Associated Press and San Diego’s CBS affiliate, ProtectMarriage.com, a group that includes Mark Jansson, a self-described member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, reported that donors who gave money to the ‘No on 8’ campaign have ‘received blackmail letters demanding money’ from the Prop 8 campaign. The campaign has confirmed ‘they sent around 30 companies the letter.’”
“The only people in California that have misused the disclosure rules are Ron Prentice and the Yes on 8 campaign themselves. Californians and their courts should reject these dishonest tactics.”
The full CBS story on the Prop 8 campaign’s blackmail of California businesses, including TV news report, can be viewed here:
http://www.cbs8.com/stories/story.144185.html
The Associated Press story on the Prop 8 campaign’s blackmail of California businesses can be viewed here:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/10/23/state/n145556D05.DTL&tsp=1
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