Outside money flows into MN marriage amendment campaigns

Posted at 4:24 PM on October 15, 2012 by Catharine Richert (7 Comments)
Filed under: Marriage Amendment

Groups on both sides of the marriage amendment debate are getting a last minute infusion of cash from groups outside of Minnesota.

The Human Rights Campaign, a national group that represents lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, announced today that it has invested an additional $200,000 in Minnesota to defeat the amendment, which would change the state constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman.

So far, the Human Rights Campaign has invested $1 million in the state to help pay for things like door-knocking and phone-banking to rally opposition to the amendment, according to the group.

Simultaneously, Freedom to Marry, another national group that opposes the Minnesota marriage amendment, announced today that it has raised an additional $500,000 to invest in Minnesota and three other states that are facing their own amendment battles.

That brings the group's total direct investment to $4.5 million since 2011, according to the group. An additional $2.4 million has been spent by Freedom to Marry to persuade voters in states like Minnesota to oppose the amendment on Election Day.

Meanwhile, the National Organization for Marriage, a group that's been working with pro-amendment group Minnesota for Marriage, said earlier this month that a generous, undisclosed donor had agreed to match chip in $2 for every $1 the group raised for a total of $3 million.

The National Organization for Marriage has been helping Minnesota for Marriage by sending out emails and donating voter mailing lists to the group, according to finance reports.

Comments (7)

Thankfully, the voters of Minnesota get it. Marriage is solely the union of one man and one woman. I'm glad, though, that the HRC is wasting so much of its money here!

Posted by Karen Grube | October 15, 2012 6:46 PM

Thankfully the voters of MN get it? I'm sorry, I thought the election wasn't for a few weeks yet?

Posted by Cori W | October 15, 2012 8:19 PM

It would seem that we now get it, right from both Michael Bordkorb and Tom Emmer: the marriage amendment is a Republican GOTV tactic (as reported by Pat Kessler this evening).

Posted by RaflW | October 15, 2012 10:40 PM

It should be a GOTV issue for EVERY voter! Marriage doesn't get to be redefined by a few gay activists with money. It needs to be preserved as solely the union of one man and one woman. As we have seen in other states, the consequences of giving in to these bullies are more than unacceptable.

Posted by Karen Grube | October 16, 2012 1:44 PM

As admitted by Rebublican strategist Michael Brodkorb, these amendments are cynical ploys to manipulate the public -- and, may I add, an abuse of the constitution. Don't allow our consitution to be used as a cheap political ploy. Vote NO on both.

Posted by Ginny | October 16, 2012 2:51 PM

Step away from the point of both ammendments for a moment and realize a yes vote on either means more government in our lives.

Posted by Phil Epstein | October 16, 2012 7:02 PM

Karen, as a supporter of equality I would hardly call myself a bully. The real bullies are the ignorant people who have always been OK with subjecting a minority to harassment and keeping those minority groups from attaining equal rights, suffrage, etc. I would probably call you a bigot but that's just my opinion and you'd probably disagree.

Posted by Dan Cashin | October 16, 2012 10:54 PM

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