NOM BLOG

Monthly Archives: May 2013

Please Help Us Save Marriage in Illinois - And Across America

National Organization for Marriage

Dear Marriage Supporter,

For months and months, NOM has been fighting hard to protect marriage in Illinois.

That's why, with less than ten days left to go in the legislative session, gay activists are still scrambling to twist arms and strike backroom deals in Springfield.

Your emergency gift of $35, $75 or $150 could make the difference by helping stop gay marriage in Illinois — the last state that will debate marriage before the Supreme Court hands down its ruling later next month.

Yes, even in this deep blue state where Democrats hold a supermajority and the governor is pushing for gay marriage, we've managed to stop them in their tracks — at least, so far.

Scoring a victory...will force politicians and the media to take notice. Please take action and contact your lawmaker urging them to vote NO on gay marriage.

NOM has joined forces with the African American Clergy Coalition and other allies on the ground, investing upwards of $125,000 to support a variety of activities including calling the constituents of wavering Representatives, alerting the citizens of Illinois to the threat to marriage in their state, and helping them take action to protect marriage.

We are achieving results, but we have so much more to do.

Supporter, it's make-or-break time in the Land of Lincoln!

Please make an emergency donation to NOM's efforts to protect marriage. $35, $75, $150 — whatever you can spare. Every gift matters — your gift matters!

And if you haven't already contacted your friends and family in Illinois and urged them to email and call their state representative in Springfield, please do so right away — before you close this email. Please forward this to everyone in your contact list you know cares about the defense of marriage.

Thank you — now is the time for action!

Live Video: House Hearing on IRS Targeting Conservative Groups

Watch with us (via FoxNews.com here) as the House Oversight Committee asks questions to key IRS officials about the IRS targeting conservative groups (including NOM).

National Organization for Marriage Condemns the Murder of a Gay Man in New York

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 21, 2013
Contact: Elizabeth Ray or Jen Campbell (703-683-5004)


Washington, D.C. — The following statement may be attributable to Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage:

National Organization for Marriage

"We condemn in the strongest possible way the murder of a gay man in New York by a killer who apparently hurled anti-gay insults at him moments before the killing. This senseless act cannot be condoned in America or anywhere, and we urge that the perpetrator be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Our heart goes out to the family of the victim, and we hold them in our prayers. While this killing appears to have no connection to the current debate about redefining marriage, there is no room for violence toward any American — whether they support traditional marriage or not. No person should be subjected to violence because they are gay or lesbian or because they believe that marriage is the union of one man and one woman. There is no place for violence, period."

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To schedule an interview with Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage, please contact Elizabeth Ray (x130), [email protected], or Jen Campbell (x145), [email protected], at 703-683-5004.

Paid for by The National Organization for Marriage, Brian Brown, president. 2029 K Street NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006, not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. New § 68A.405(1)(f) & (h).

Orwellian Groupthink of the Worst Kind...

National Organization for Marriage

The ongoing IRS scandal continues to expose the egregious government abuse of power toward groups opposing the liberal ideologue-machine currently occupying the White House.

I'm proud to say that NOM has taken the lead in the effort to hold the government accountable for this horrific escalation in the abuse of power, which is corrupting democracy and undermining the basic human right to participate in public life.

In fact, following the scandal that broke last week, we are the first group in the country to officially announce a lawsuit against the IRS!

Thank you, as always, for standing with us in defense of marriage!

Gay Activists Push Their Priorities Over Bipartisan Immigration Reform

Gay activists argue their political priorities must become the priorities of the Democratic party (and America):

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called a meeting with prominent New York gay elected officials and activists amid concern over whether a provision sought by same-sex couples will be included in the immigration reform bill, POLITICO has learned.

140406485The meeting became heated at times, as many attendees made clear to Schumer how critical it is that the overhaul allow allows U.S. citizens to seek green cards for their foreign-born partners.

Schumer is in a tough spot over the proposed amendment, which key Republicans involved in the reform talks have said would be a deal killer. While some officials who took part in the meeting voiced support for Schumer afterward, others said they would consider it a strike on his record if the provision is left out, noting that he voted for the Defense of Marriage Act and was the last of New York’s major elected officials to voice support for gay marriage.

“Sen. Schumer called the meeting because he is in trouble with a key constituency,” said Rachel Tiven of the group Immigration Equality. She attended the gathering and has been vocal in her criticism of Schumer on the issue. (Politico)

WorldMag: NOM to Sue IRS

WorldMag:

WASHINGTON—The National Organization for Marriage intends to sue the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) next week amid allegations that the government tax-collecting agency leaked confidential donor information to a key political rival.

IRS LeakThe accusation is one of many coming to light this week against the IRS, which has admitted to targeting conservative groups for audits and denying others tax-exempt status. But John Eastman, chairman of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), told me Friday that his organization’s lawsuit has been in the works since 2012.

“We asked for an investigation a year ago,” he said.

On March 30, 2012, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), which advocates for the legalization of gay marriage, released confidential NOM donor lists and addresses on its website. HRC attempted to conceal the source of the information, but Eastman said computer technicians were able to see redacted portions of the PDF document, proving it had originated from the IRS.

Eastman said NOM has not determined how much it will seek in damages, but he underscored the significance of the illegal disclosure. “One of the charges for impeachment drawn up against President [Richard] Nixon was the abuse of the IRS for political purposes,” he said.

NCRegister: Hollywood's 'Gay Culture' Reshaping America

The National Catholic Register:

HollywoodThe entertainment industry centered on Hollywood has helped reshape Americans’ views on sexuality, family and marriage.

But this change results from Hollywood’s powerful homosexual culture, whose ideological leaders tolerate no dissent — even from other homosexuals — and who have filled a vacuum in the industry left by the absence of faithful Christians.

... More than 5,000 members of the rich and famous attended the Los Angeles GLAAD Media Awards in April, which honored President Bill Clinton with the Advocate for Change Award. Clinton has apologized for signing into federal law the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which now faces a constitutional challenge in the U.S. Supreme Court.

However, GLAAD has made known that not all homosexuals in Hollywood are welcome, especially when they step out of line with GLAAD’s agenda. Bret Easton Ellis, screenwriter and author of the book American Psycho, took to Twitter to claim that GLAAD had banned him from the awards ceremony over controversial tweets criticizing what he called the “politically correct gay agenda.”

GLAAD's vice president of communications, Rich Ferraro, told the Hollywood Reporter that GLAAD did not want Ellis and his tweets overshadowing an event “advocating for equality in the Boy Scouts, marriage and across the country.”

Video: NOM's Case Mentioned on FoxNews Special Report

Amidst all the activity last week we forgot to mention that NOM was also mentioned during this Special Report segment:

Video: Sen. Cruz Mentions the IRS Targeting NOM

Sen. Ted Cruz (TX) used NOM's example as a particularly egregious example of the IRS targeting conservative groups:

Highlight Reel: IRS Scrutinized by Congress Over Leaked NOM Documents

Here are some highlights from yesterday's Ways and Means House Committee hearing on the IRS targeting conservative groups. NOM's case was mentioned several times:

Audio: NOM's Eastman on Mike Huckabee Show: IRS Targeted Us

Our Chairman John Eastman explained to listeners of the Mike Huckabee show what is happening and why it matters:

Video: NOM's Eastman on Cavuto (FoxNews Business)

Neil Cavuto on FoxNews Business devoted an entire segment last night during prime time to our announcement we will sue the IRS for illegally divulging our confidential tax returns:

The Road to Tyranny, NOM Marriage News

NOM National Newsletter

Dear Marriage Supporter,

The road to tyranny is paved with incidents like this.

Private Citizen Harassed for Her Political Writings

For Prof. Anne Hendershott, the phone call to her home from the IRS came out of the blue in May 2010:

"The IRS calls my house and says ... 'I just wanted to let you know that we're going to be auditing your business' and I said 'My businesses?' and he said, 'You know the expenses you take off for writing."

Prof. Hendershott is a sociologist and a fierce Catholic critic of what she calls "fake" Catholic, Soros-funded groups supporting pro-abortion Pres. Obama and Obamacare's mandates on Catholic groups.

Prof. Hendershott made very little money publishing a few pieces a year for places ranging from the Wall Street Journal to the Catholic Advocate.

But the IRS demanded she come to New Haven, Connecticut without her husband, met with her, and grilled her about every check she had deposited, demanding to know irrelevant questions like what kind of groups the money came from, etc.

The chilling effect of any abuse of the IRS' power, terrifying to millions of ordinary American taxpayers, is very real. The tactic worked:

"I haven't written for them since the audit, because I was so scared," she said.

This is what tyranny feels like.

NOM's Smoking Gun in IRS-Gate

The National Organization for Marriage has been a prime target of IRS abuse; I began with Prof. Hendershott's story to tell you the enormous consequences to liberty and democracy that will happen if we do not stand up and fight back.

This week we learned we are not alone: what happened to marriage supporters is one part of a larger pattern of abuse of government power to undermine democracy in America.

The latest news: the IRS systematically abuses its power to help one party win an election.

But what the IRS tried to do to you and to every marriage supporter in America through this attack on NOM is a key, and horrific, escalation in the abuse of government power, corrupting democracy and undermining the basic human right to participate in the public square:

In USA Today NOM's Chairman Prof. John Eastman asks the key question: "How did tax returns of a group opposed to gay marriage get leaked to political opponents?

Our case was particularly egregious because the IRS leak of confidential information fed directly into an ongoing political battle. For months before March 2012, the pro-gay marriage HRC had been demanding that my group, NOM, publicly identify its major donors, something that NOM and many other non-profits refuse to do. The reason is simple. In the past, gay marriage advocates have used such information to launch campaigns of intimidation against traditional marriage supporters.

Just as gay marriage proponents were demanding the information, the IRS appears to have illegally given them exactly what they were looking for.

For the IRS to leak any organization's tax return to its political opponents is an outrageous breach of ethics and, if proven, constitutes a felony.. .. But the situation here is even more egregious because the head of the HRC was at the time serving as a national co-chair of President Obama's re-election campaign.

The release of NOM's legally protected tax forms was a conscious act to reward a prominent Obama supporter while punishing an opponent.

When we went to the IRS to complain, we were promised a full investigation. And yet last year the IRS told us the case was "concluded" with no further information given. But then, in response to our latest of three Freedom of Information Act requests, the IRS replied that it could not disclose any information relating to a criminal investigation.
"It's just Orwellian," as Prof. Eastman told The Washington Times.

The story that the IRS leaked confidential info to NOM's political opponents and that Pres. Obama's co-chair then made use of the information, made the top of the Drudge Report, Politico, The Hill, FoxNews, Breitbart.com, and many, many other top news outlets.

Rush Limbaugh also took notice:

I don't quite know how to characterize it. This is Soviet-style banana republic stuff; it's a combo of Soviet-style statism, thuggism, and banana republic. The law doesn't matter — all that matters is advancing the cause and defeating the enemies of the cause, no matter what you have to do. . . . Law says you can't share information, we'll find a way to do it.

Listen to the full Rush segment here.

IRS agents acted like the law doesn't matter. Decency doesn't matter. Diversity doesn't matter. The rights of your fellow citizens, friends, neighbors and family to participate in democracy—even if they disagree with you—doesn't matter. All that matters is getting to your enemies and shutting them down any way.

A piece published this week in the prestigious The Atlantic, coauthored by David Montez of GLAAD (a major gay advocacy organization), openly laid out their goals for America, their vision of America: a place where your views never get heard: "But even today, anti-LGBT activists, who continue to wrongfully state that gay people are unfit to be parents, have a platform in the media to spread their lies. We have a long way to go before groups like the National Organization for Marriage are no longer routinely invited to provide 'balance' on national cable news programs."

(Note how they transform the idea that children ideally need a mom and dad, to the idea that gay people are "unfit" — not what we say of course — but the truth is not relevant to a determined, aggressive campaign designed to silence your opponents and treat them as bigots.)

I want to thank those Democrats in particular, some of whom may even support gay marriage, for standing up for basic decency against the abuse of government power. Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, ranking Democrat of the House Oversight Committee, is one such politician who, in talking to the press about the unfolding IRS scandals, called the news "one of the most alarming things that I have ever seen."

"I think laws were probably broken, but at the least there have been some improper actions on the part of the IRS," he said.

At the very least!

How We Fight Back Against Tyranny

Pres. Obama has promised he will get to the bottom of these IRS abuses, but the proof lies in the pudding and at this point we aren't going to sit back and trust, we are going to demand action to protect your right to participate in democracy on an equal basis.

Again, we are not going to take this lying down. WE are not going to lose our democracy—and your rights—without a fight!

First, this week NOM called for Congressional hearings (and launched a brand new online petition where you can join this call.) The IRS not only harassed conservative groups, it went so far as to release confidential and sensitive information to their liberal opponents in a presidential election year.

As I told The Washington Times "Only the unique powers of Congress to subpoena, question and investigate will help us expose the truth about how the pro-gay Human Rights Campaign (HRC) came into possession of a nonpublic tax document that NOM had to file with the IRS."

Second, this week, I announced NOM is filing a lawsuit against the IRS over the illegal theft of NOM's confidential tax return from 2008 and its subsequent leak to the Human Rights Campaign, one of our principal political opponents:

Not only has the IRS retaliated against conservative, small-government and tea party groups as they apply for recognition of tax exemption AND lied about it, but it has criminally released our confidential tax return including the identity of dozens of major donors to a political enemy.

In addition to being our principal combatant in the war on traditional marriage, the HRC's president at the time was serving as a Co-Chair of President Obama's reelection campaign. This is a chilling set of circumstances that should ring alarm bells across the nation.

NOM has retained ActRight Legal Foundation to file the lawsuit in federal district court in the District of Columbia. We encourage any other individuals or nonprofits who experienced similar IRS abuses to contact ActRight Legal Foundation.

"The very core of our ordered society has been shaken by this political roughing-up of nonprofits by the IRS" says NOM's Chairman, Dr. John C. Eastman. "As a constitutional law scholar I can tell you that no nonprofit should ever have to experience this kind of retaliation."

Today the news broke that the IRS demanded in writing, that a prolife group promise not to picket Planned Parenthood, in order to receive tax-exempt status.

This is serious my friends, our democracy is at risk. Unless we stand shoulder-to-shoulder and fight back, the campaign to silence traditional points of view will move on to the next phase—silencing the people who hold these views and pushing them out of the public eye completely, into the shadows.

If you know of a tax exempt organization that has been attacked or harassed by the IRS, please ask them to contact us or ActRight Legal Foundation. Please pray for all those on the front lines fighting for marriage, for democracy, and for what is right.

If you can, consider giving a major gift to NOM as our legal and other expenses mount. $100 each month if you are able; or a one-time gift of $500 or $1,000 if God has blessed you and your family in this great country of ours.

Let me close with two reminders: tomorrow, Friday May 17th at 12PM there will be nationwide rallies to support the Boy Scouts' rights. Find out more from John Stemberger at www.OnMyHonor.net.

Also, if you live near San Diego or can make plans to travel there, please consider attending and supporting the Ruth Institute's first ever Gala and Live Auction on June 2nd—you won't want to miss it!

Thank you again for your courage and your decency. Together we will stand for God's truth about marriage and save our great country.

Text: Sen. McConnell's Remarks on the Senate Floor: IRS Targeting of NOM "Clearly Merits Investigation"

Today Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell discussed at length NOM's situation on the floor of the U.S. Senate and says it merits investigation:

...“Last May, Senator Hatch — the top Republican on the Finance Committee — sent a letter to the IRS inquiring about reports that someone at the IRS had leaked confidential donor information from NOM to an advocacy group whose political goals were in direct conflict with its own.

“NOM has since released documents suggesting that this information came from one source — from within the IRS itself. All this took place, by the way, in the middle of a national political campaign.

“Significantly, one of the NOM donors whose name was leaked was none other than Mitt Romney. What a coincidence. And what about the group it was leaked to?

“Well, it was headed by a guy who was named a co-chair of the Obama campaign, and who published the confidential donor information on the website of the organization he ran – an organization opposed to the goals of NOM.

“So here’s another situation that, at the very least, clearly merits investigation. There are allegations here that someone at the IRS committed a very serious crime that had the effect of chilling the speech of a political organization that happened to be on the wrong side of the current Administration.

“Yet, a year later, Senator Hatch has yet to hear anything back from the IRS. And, according to the folks at NOM, neither have they."

You can read his entire set of remarks here.

Video: NOM's Eastman on Fox News Greta Van Susteren

Last night our Chairman John Eastman appeared on Greta Van Susteren to discuss the IRS leak of NOM's documents: