Federal Judge Blocks NOM Paladino Ads

A federal judge in New York dismissed a lawsuit Monday from the National Organization for Marriage that seeks to circumvent campaign disclosure laws in order to run advertisements for Republican gubernatorial nominee Carl Paladino.

According to The Buffalo News, U.S. District Judge Richard Arcara said the lawsuit filed by NOM was premature because the group has not yet tried to run ads in New York, nor has it been declared a political committee.

"NOM wants to run an advertising campaign in favor of Paladino, but the group said it does not want to conform to state election laws that would require it to register as a political committee," reported the News. "If it does register as a political committee in New York, the group would have to file financial reports with the state Board of Elections, listing its donors by name."

A lawyer for NOM said it was unclear whether they would try to run the ads for Paladino anyway. The candidate, who hails from Buffalo, opposes marriage equality and infamously declared before an audience of ultra-Orthodox Jewish leaders that children should not be taught that homosexuality is "equally valid or successful option."