NEWS RELEASE October 20, 2008 Contact: Fred Karger 619-592-2008

Mormon Families Donate 77% of Money to California’s Yes on Prop 8 Money Since July 1st – Mormons Take Over the Campaign

LOS ANGELES, CA – Californians Against Hate http://californiansagainsthate.com/ today released the results of its latest tabulation on the contributions to Yes on Proposition 8. Campaign Manager, Fred Karger released the numbers in his column in today’s Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/fred-karger/mormon-power-grab-its-tea_b_136018.html

“We have identified the Mormon contributions to Yes on Prop 8 and it totals $18.64 million contributed by 59,000 Mormon families in just over 3 months. This Mormon power grab represents 77% of the $22.88 million raised by the Yes on 8 campaign since they qualified their initiative for the November 4th ballot,” said Karger. “It is a staggering amount of money and an even more staggering percentage of the overall campaign receipts. The Mormon Church based in Salt Lake City, Utah has hijacked the campaigns in both California and Arizona where voters face constitutional amendments to end same-sex marriage. Mormon families have given nearly all of the $6.9 million in the Arizona effort to pass Proposition 102.”

Karger wrote about the effects of these massive contributions on families who are forced to make huge contributions to Yes on 8 by Mormon Church elders. “These public donations to ban same-sex marriage are tearing apart families,” concluded Karger in today’s blog entry.

Full Huffington Post Story Below and at this link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/fred-karger/mormon-power-grab-its-tea_b_136018.html

Posted October 20, 2008 11:40 AM (EST)

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Mormon Power Grab: It’s Tearing Families Apart
By Fred Karger

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose followers are more widely-known as Mormons, has swooped into two election battles against gay marriage this year. The Mormon Church is exercising its might in both California and Arizona like never before. If passed on November 4, Proposition 8 in California would immediately eliminate the right of gay and lesbian couples to marry. In Arizona, Proposition 102 would write this discrimination into their Constitution by defining marriage as only between a man and a woman. In both states, the Mormon Church has hijacked these campaigns.

On June 20th, three days after same-sex marriage became legal in California, the top leadership in the Church, known as the First Presidency, sent a letter to be read to all Mormons to “do all you can to pass Proposition 8.” The Wall Street Journal reported on September 20th, that church members were told “their souls would be in jeopardy” if they do not donate money. Mormons are already required to give 10% of their income to the church, so these donations dig further into the savings accounts of its followers.

Despite tough economic times, an amazing 59,000 Mormon families have succumbed to substantial pressure from church elders, and have given huge amounts of money to California’s Yes on 8 campaign. These Mormon families have given a staggering $18.6 million since June 1st and the total grows daily. This represents 77% of all money raised and 88% of all individual money raised (not including funds from the big out of state organizations). In Arizona where a gay marriage ban is back on the ballot after losing just two years ago, Mormon families have contributed nearly all of the $6.9 million to the Yes on 102 campaign. What is going on here?

Blog reports are popping up indicating Church elders are calling certain members and arranging one-on-one visits to discuss a prearranged “suggested donation amounts.” The Wall Street Journal reported that one conference call arranged by the Church had between 40 and 60 participants. A Church elder told everyone on the call that he should give $25,000 to Yes on 8. Analysis of the California Secretary of State website shows that worked. There have been 81 contributions of $25,000, and dozens more of between $26,000 and $$500,000.

Not all members are convinced this is the best idea. Andrew Callahan stood up to the church’s call for donations, saying it struck of discrimination, and he refused to donate. This incredible display of coercion explains why many members are scared to say no. Callahan’s case is going to be reviewed AFTER the election.

An article by Daniel Scarpinato in the September 17th Arizona Daily Star details a growing opinion that this battle represents Mormon attempts to clean up its battered image. With court cases continuing to link Mormon fringe groups and polygamy, this could be a crafty attempt to resuscitate their image, at the expense of gays and lesbians.

Last week in Salt Lake City, a group of 40 Mormons who support gay marriage delivered protest letters and bundles of carnations to church headquarters in an appeal to end the church’s support of the ballot initiatives to ban same-sex marriage.

These courageous protesters were there to “out” the Mormon Church for forcing so many Mormon families to give vast sums from their savings to these two ballot propositions. Because of this Church mandate, families are being torn apart.

How many of these tens of thousands of Mormon families, who have contributed the $18.6 million, have gays and lesbians in their immediate family? How many parents are forced to give thousands of dollars publicly at the expense of their gay son or lesbian daughter? What about a gay brother or sister in the family? Or an aunt or uncle or cousin or brother-in-law who is gay? What permanent damage does this cause these innocent victims of the Mormon Church’s power grab? How many families will be irreparably damaged by their actions?

In its quest to show the Catholics, Christians, Evangelicals and other religions that it has the money and power to take over these hateful campaigns, they are hurting more than just those from whom they wish to take away equality. They are tearing apart the very families they claim they are there to help.

ACTION ALERT October 17, 2008 Contact: Fred Karger 619-592-2008

Mormon Church President Called Upon to Honor
Pepperdine University President’s Request
to Have Their Name Removed From Yes on Prop 8 Ads

LOS ANGELES, CA – Californians Against Hate today sent a letter to Thomas S. Monson, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and asked him to use his influence to have the Yes on Proposition 8 campaign remove any reference to Pepperdine University in its advertising. Pepperdine University President Andrew K. Benton released a memorandum on October 15th to all University Students and Staff explaining Pepperdine’s neutrality and its desire to have its name pulled from all advertising. Pepperdine first made this request two weeks ago, but as Mr. Benton states in his memorandum, the campaign has “refused” to do so. Pepperdine’s name is used in conjunction with one of its Assistant Law Professors, Richard Peterson who is also a member of the Mormon Church.

The Mormon Church has made the passage of Californians Proposition 8 its major priority. Mormon Church members have given in excess of $18.8 million as of October 1st – over 77% of all the money raised by the Yes on 8 campaign since June 1, 2008.
PLEASE TAKE ACTION RIGHT NOW!

CALL THE MORMON CHURCH PRESIDENT AND ASK HIM TO USE HIS INFLUENCE TO HAVE THE YES ON 8 CAMPAIGN REMOVE PEPPERDINE’S NAME FROM ALL ADVERTISIING – THEY ARE NEUTRAL. THEN CALL RON PRENTICE AND FRANK SCHUBERT, THE LEADERS OF YES ON 8, AND DEMAND THAT THEY REMOVE PEPPERDINE’S NAME IMMEDIATELY.

PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL, BUT LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY SHOULD HONOR PEPPERDINE’S REQUEST.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!!!

Contact Information for Letter Recipients:

President Thomas Monson 801-240-1000 email: OwenTL@LDSChurch.org

Ron Prentice, Chairman Yes on 8 Campaign 951-354-8362

Frank Schubert, Campaign Manager 916-448-4234 email: frank@schubertflintpa.com

Copies of both the letter from Californians Against Hate to Mormon Church President Thomas S. Monson and the memorandum from Pepperdine President Andrew K. Benton are below:

October 17, 2008

Thomas S. Monson
President
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
50 W North Temple StSalt Lake City UT 84150
VIA FAX 801-240-1899

Dear President Monson:

I am writing today to ask your immediate help in honoring the most recent request of Pepperdine University President Andrew K. Benton of October 15, 2008 (see memorandum below) to remove the name of Pepperdine University in connection with all Yes on Proposition 8 advertising on television, radio, the internet and direct mail. The University first stated its neutrality right after the Yes on 8 commercials featuring Assistant Law Professor Richard Peterson began airing over two weeks ago. Pepperdine officials have repeatedly asked the Yes on 8 campaign to remove their name from all advertising. The Yes on 8 campaign has “refused” their request. As the leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a man of decency and honor, I would hope that you would do everything within your power to have the Pepperdine reference removed from all Yes on 8 advertising immediately.

The Mormon Church has made this campaign their number one priority since your letter was read to all church members on June 29, 2008: http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/california-and-same-sex-marriage

The Mormon Church has by all its actions over the last 4 months assumed nearly complete control over the campaign to eliminate same-sex marriage in California.

Members of the Mormon Church have contributed over $18.6 million — 77% of the $22.8 million raised by Yes on 8 since June 1, 2008. The Mormon Church is organizing all its members, issuing press releases, sending out millions of hand addressed letters to voters, using its missionaries and former missionaries to walk nearly every precinct in California, phoning millions of voters, asking college students from BYU and other schools to come to California to work on the campaign, broadcasting messages to all your members http://www.preservingmarriage.org/videos.html and I am sure many more activities of which we are unaware.

Even Assistant Law Professor Richard Peterson, who is the subject of the Pepperdine request, is a member of the Mormon Church. http://www.pepperdine.edu/pepperdinepeople/2005fall/features/advocate.htm

We at Californians Against Hate hope that you will apologize to President Benton and every Pepperdine student, faculty member and alumni for this blatant disregard of their request and honor it immediately.

We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Fred Karger
Campaign Manager
Californians Against Hate
http://californiansagainsthate.com/
619-592-2008

cc: President Andrew K. Benton, Pepperdine University
Ron Prentice, Chairman, Yes on 8
Frank Schubert, Campaign Manager, Yes on 8

M E M O R A N D U M

TO: University Students and Staff
FROM: Andrew K. Benton
RE: University Neutrality and the 2008 Election
DATE: October 15, 2008

As many of you are aware, a series of political ads on radio and TV has drawn much unwanted attention to Pepperdine. The ads, advocating for Proposition 8, feature one of our professors and lists his affiliation with the University.

I want to convey the following concerning this matter: Pepperdine University remains steadfastly neutral during election periods in all political campaigns, and this includes the debate over Prop 8. We respect our faculty, staff, and students’ right to be involved in the political process; indeed, we encourage engagement in the political process.

The Yes on 8 Campaign is using the Pepperdine name in a manner in which we do not approve. We asked the campaign to separate more clearly their partisan cause from our University’s name, but they refused. We ask all who are affiliated with the University to take care not to implicate the University in their respective political causes.

Finally, we ask our students, faculty, and staff to help clear up misunderstandings with those who may ask concerning Pepperdine’s perceived role in a campaign in which it is not involved. We appreciate your understanding, assistance, and patience during what has been a trying time for many at Pepperdine. I urge you to familiarize yourself with the 2008 candidates and issues, and vote your conscience.

— end –