The LDS Church said Monday its financial contributions to the successful passage of Proposition 8 in California were minimal, in-kind donations totaling less than 1 percent of the amount raised for the Yes on 8 campaign.
"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has filed the final report of its contributions — all of which were nonmonetary — to the ProtectMarriage coalition," said Scott Trotter, church spokesman. "The report, submitted in advance of the Jan. 31 deadline, details in-kind donations totaling $189,903.58.
"The value of the church's in-kind contribution is less than one half of 1 percent of the total funds (approximately $40 million) raised for the Yes on 8 campaign. The church did not make any cash contribution," he said.
The church's involvement in support of the campaign touched off a nationwide controversy.
Proposition 8 was a ballot measure in California last November that changed the state constitution to restrict the definition of marriage to opposite-sex couples and eliminated same-sex couples' right to marry. According to campaign filings released Monday, opponents of Proposition 8 raised $43.3 million in 2008 and had a little more than $730,000 left on hand at year's end. The measure's sponsors raised $39.9 million and had $983,000 left over.
The LDS Church said it filed multiple reports on its Proposition 8 contributions per California law.
However, since it is the California secretary of state's job to officially post the filings on the Internet and through official sources, the reports have been hard to find. That led some of those against Prop. 8 to hastily and erroneously conclude that the church didn't file the required reports, according to the church.
Some media reports initially stated the church had contributed approximately $2,100, which was correct at the time. That number, though, came from one report and was an in-kind donation.
The church's in-kind donations consisted of video production from its studios, church employee time, airfare and lodging for church leaders, etc.
Contributing: Associated Press
E-mail: lynn@desnews.com