Florida Red &
Blue -- the organization running the campaign against
Amendment 2, a ballot initiative that would constitutionally
ban same-sex marriage in the Sunshine State -- has
filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against a group opposing
marriage equality.
Red & Blue
claims that Florida4Marriage.org has refused
to disclose their campaign donors or comply with election
laws. The lawsuit names Florida4Marriage.org, the
amendment's sponsor, the organization's chairman John
Stemberger, and Florida Family Action, a group
affiliated with Florida4Marriage.org that has raised
and spent more than $750,000 to underwrite the
pro-Amendment 2 campaign.
According to Red
& Blue, Stemberger sent an e-mail in September that
advised prospective donors that contributions to Florida
Family Policy Council were "confidential." Red &
Blue lawyers say this was a scheme to circumvent
Florida's campaign finance laws that mandate
transparency of all donors.
The suit seeks a
court order that would compel the Florida Family Action
Committee to disclose their donors and an emergency
injunction to stop the expenditure of illegally
obtained funds. The suit also seeks to end the
broadcast of pro-amendment advertising that was paid for by
illegal contributions.
"This is a
pernicious and sordid attempt to evade Florida's
comprehensive campaign finance laws intended to promote full
disclosure of political contributions and
expenditures," said Red & Blue attorneys Joseph
Geller and Ben Kuehne in a release. "The facts
demonstrate those named in this lawsuit have flagrantly
displayed a blatant disregard for Florida's campaign
finance laws." (Neal Broverman, The
Advocate)
