LDS Freedom Forum

JUST AS A SIDE NOTE:

I have been fighting these anti-Constituion anti-Freedom campaign reporting laws for over a decade and still am. Naturally I did not receive any support from members of the Church. I was left to fight alone.

I must admit, therefore, that I found this very funny.

http://www.independentamerican.org/2010 ... rosecuted/

During the summer of 2008, we discovered the active involvement of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) in Prop 8. The Mormon Church took over virtually every aspect of the Yes on Prop 8 campaign.

Mormon families contributed approximately $30 million of the $40 million raised, the Church produced 27 slick commercials, put up an expensive web site, bussed in thousands of volunteers from Utah, had massive phone banks, yet only reported a mere $2078 in non-monetary contributions just three days before the election. Two weeks later I filed a sworn complaint with the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) against the Mormon Church for not reporting its vast financial involvement.

The Commission prosecuted the case, and conducted an unprecedented 19 month investigation of the Salt Lake City based Church’s finances. Three weeks ago the FPPC found the Mormon Church guilty of 13 counts of late reporting and they were fined $5539. That was the first time a religious organization was found guilty of election irregularities in the 36 year history of the FPPC.

1. "Prosecuted" is the improper term.

2. I prefer this statement of the event.

The LDS Church has been fined about $5,600 by an Elections Commission in California for the technical violation for untimely reporting about $35,000 worth of in-kind donated staff time by LDS employees in the last couple of weeks of the Prop 8 campaign. Apparently, the LDS Church was not aware that such in-kind donations of staff time were supposed to be included in weekly disclosures leading up to the election. Instead, they fully disclosed the in-kind staff time donations at the next quarterly disclosure date.

The commission decided on a 15% fine to cover the infraction. The faux pas was considerably less than the complainants had claimed that the Church had mis-reported.

3. This was simply a "minor" reporting infraction.

4. This information is also important.

http://www.sos.ca.gov/prd/campaign_info ... ements.htm

In the last weeks before an election, donors are required to post large contributions ($1,000 or more) within 24 hours. If they've donated at least $50,000 in the year, they have to start reporting those large donations electronically 90 days before the election. If they haven't reached the threshold, they have to start reporting them by fax or paper 16 days before the election. (Whether the donations are monetary or non-monetary doesn't matter for the reporting requirements, and that's where the mistake was made. The Church did not report its non-monetary contributions of staff time and travel expenses appropriately.)

5. I find attitudes of superiority against the Church and it's members to be "inappropriate".

leeuniverse wrote:1. "Prosecuted" is the improper term.

2. I prefer this statement of the event.

The LDS Church has been fined about $5,600 by an Elections Commission in California for the technical violation for untimely reporting about $35,000 worth of in-kind donated staff time by LDS employees in the last couple of weeks of the Prop 8 campaign. Apparently, the LDS Church was not aware that such in-kind donations of staff time were supposed to be included in weekly disclosures leading up to the election. Instead, they fully disclosed the in-kind staff time donations at the next quarterly disclosure date.

The commission decided on a 15% fine to cover the infraction. The faux pas was considerably less than the complainants had claimed that the Church had mis-reported.

3. This was simply a "minor" reporting infraction.

4. This information is also important.

http://www.sos.ca.gov/prd/campaign_info ... ements.htm

In the last weeks before an election, donors are required to post large contributions ($1,000 or more) within 24 hours. If they've donated at least $50,000 in the year, they have to start reporting those large donations electronically 90 days before the election. If they haven't reached the threshold, they have to start reporting them by fax or paper 16 days before the election. (Whether the donations are monetary or non-monetary doesn't matter for the reporting requirements, and that's where the mistake was made. The Church did not report its non-monetary contributions of staff time and travel expenses appropriately.)

5. I find attitudes of superiority against the Church and it's members to be "inappropriate".

I agree that prosecuted was an improper term. But then a Pro-Gay wrote that and not me.

So how many "dollars" were collected?

Did the Church or an official claim a specific number of "dollars?"

What is the legal definition of a dollar?
http://thetruthnews.info/dollardef.pdf

If they only collect Federal Reserve Notes, which are not dollars, how can such a contribution be properly reported?

In Nevada you have to sign the reports under penalty of perjury.

If you cannot know what a dollar is then you cannot sign the form without committing perjury.