NOM pays $61K to D.C. anti-gay organizer Bob King

According to a report filed with the D.C. Office of Campaign Finance by Brian S. Brown of the anti-gay National Organization for Marriage on June 10, NOM has paid $60,900 to Ward 5 ANC Commissioner Bob King since April 30 for flyer distribution in connection with the upcoming D.C. primary election. Here are the relevant entries:

Full Name, Mailing Address and Zip Code	Purpose of Expenditure	Date	Amount
King & Associates 3102 Apple Rd., NE Washington, DC 20018	flyer distribution-see list of candidates below	4/30/10	$15,850.00
King & Associates 3102 Apple Rd., NE Washington, DC 20018	flyer distribution-see list of candidates below	5/8/10	$ 6,000.00
King & Associates 3102 Apple Rd., NE Washington, DC 20018	flyer distribution-see list of candidates below	5/18/10	$16,850.00
King & Assoicates [sic] 3102 Apple Rd., NE Washington, DC 20018	flyer distribution-see list of candidates below	6/3/10	$22,200.00
TOTAL			$60,900.00

Oppose: Adrian Fenty, Vincent Gray, Phil Mendelson, David Catania, Kwame Brown, Jim Graham, Mary Cheh, Harry Thomas, Tommy Wells

I note that the address listed for King & Associates is the same as that listed by the Board of Elections and Ethics for ANC 5A12 Commissioner Robert "Bob" King.

The list of candidates NOM opposes consists of the mayor and councilmembers who supported D.C.'s marriage equality bill who are running for office this year. As to the flyers NOM paid Bob King to distribute, they are likely the ones we blogged about here.

Bob King is reportedly working with Bishop Harry Jackson to bus their supporters to the D.C. Democratic State Convention and Straw Poll, which is being held Saturday, June 12 at the Howard University School of Law, Dumbarton Campus. Click here for information on participating.

It is useful to get this latest reminder that Bob King and Harry Jackson are doing the bidding of radical-right groups from outside the District of Columbia. Those groups have no interest in helping District voters solve real problems related to jobs, housing, health care, crime, and education — but only in exploiting social divisions. Additionally, King and Jackson have urged Congress to interfere with D.C. Home Rule by overturning legislation enacted by the District's own duly elected representatives.

Of the four candidates the anti-gay crew is touting under the slogan, "Let the People Vote on the Definition of Marriage," one (Anthony Motley) is running as an independent and therefore isn't involved in the Democratic Primary. A second, Kelvin Robinson, is listed on the flyer as an At-Large Council candidate, but Mike DeBonis at WaPo reported yesterday that Robinson has bowed out of the At-Large race to challenge Ward 6 incumbent Tommy Wells. Rounding out the four are Leo Alexander for Mayor and Delano Hunter for Ward 5 Council. None of the people they are challenging has much reason to worry. I just hope the nice old ladies Bob & Harry are busing to the convention on Saturday get a good breakfast out of it.

(Hat tip: Philip Pannell)

Comments

[Charlie]

It is clear that Bob King is a professional h8er. He has financial interests in getting the rights of LGBT people put to a vote. In the event that it does get put to a vote he will be a prime beneficiary of the money that gets funnelled into the campaign.

None of the four candidates supported by the Bishop Jackson's group has bothered to comply with the reporting requirements of the Office of Campaign Finance. The Democratic State Committee would be wise to bar such people from it's straw poll, particularly since it has its own problems with financial compliance.

Kelvin Robinson hasn't filed any reports on his fundraising. Now with his political shenanigans it will probably be August before he reveals any information about his operations.

Leo Alexander's campaign is largely self financed. He has provided 3/5s of the contributions listed on his financial disclosure forms. Roughly half of the remaining contributions come from outside DC.

Delano Hunter's campaign is similar to Leo Alexander's in that over half of his contributors come from outside of DC and are responsible for just under half of the funds received.

[Mrs. D]

We've seen some different flyers around our area of Ward 5 lately. They list all of the candidates and even appointees who "supported" gay marriage in one way or another (often by simply not opposing it), so it strikes me that these may also be funded by NOM in this election season. Fortunately (for marriage equality, not so much for the environment), many that I've seen have been blowing around the streets or caught in a storm drain.