Federal Appeals Court Grants NOM Stay Of Financial Disclosure Demand

A federal appeals court has granted NOM a stay of last week’s ruling by a Maine judge that they must abide by state financial disclosure laws. In their stay request, NOM again cited fears that violent homofascists will rain down retribution upon their donors. Via NOM’s blog:

The Maine Ethics Commission had asked for the disclosure of donors to NOM for all of 2009, operating under the false theory that NOM has acted as a ballot initiative committee formed for the purpose of working exclusively in Maine. “Americans who want to organize, to vote, and to donate to protect marriage are being singled out for harassment. No other 501(c)4 is obligated to disclose the names of donors and the demand by government officials in Maine that we expose our donors was an outrageous violation of all Americans constitutional rights,” said Brian Brown, NOM’s president. “We are grateful to the First Circuit for issuing this stay which recognizes that serious issues are at stake. We are confident that as these cases proceed to the federal courts we will ultimately vindicate Americans’ core civil rights.”

NOM has filed a federal lawsuit claiming that the First Amendment allows them to shield the identities of their donors.