Political leaders, donors among those financing push for same-sex marriage ban

A number of leaders from conservative nonprofits have donated to the campaign to get a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage on the ballot in 2012. In addition to religious leaders and prominent business owners, the list of contributors to the Minnesota Family Council’s lobbying campaign includes a candidate for the Minnesota Supreme Court, leaders of anti-abortion groups and major donors to Republicans, specifically Rep. Michele Bachmann.

To look at the effort’s top donors, the Minnesota Independent examined lobbying reports, campaign finance filings and foundation tax records. Lobbying reports don’t include the amount of money given to a particular lobbyist, only whether the donation totaled more than $500 per year. And campaign finance reports are limited to funds that went toward advertising, print or other electioneering communication and activity.

Timothy Tingelstad is a donor to the Minnesota Family Council’s lobbying campaign. When he donated in 2010, he was a candidate for the Minnesota Supreme Court. (He also ran for a high court seat in 2008.)

In a candidate questionnaire last year, Tingelstad told the Minnesota Family Council that he opposes court cases that overturned Minnesota’s sodomy laws, and supports a court decision that banned adoption for same-sex couples and court decisions that banned same-sex marriage.

Jessi Brinkman gave to the lobbying campaign of MFC. She is the director of the A-Team, a central Minnesota abstinence program that grew out of a crisis pregnancy center.

Jo Tolck is a donor to the Minnesota Family Council’s lobbying efforts, and she’s also the executive director of the Human Life Alliance (HLA), an anti–abortion rights group. The Minnesota-based group courted controversy in 2009 when college newspapers rejected its advertising insert that contained fact-challenged information about abortion.

HLA has partnered with the Minnesota Family Council in the past on seminars involving sex education, “moral relativism” and “the gay agenda in the classroom.” Until recently, HLA and MFC rented office space in the same building.

HLA was formed from Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, the state’s largest group opposing abortion rights.

Martin Kellogg is the chairman of the Citizens Council for Health Freedom, formerly the Citizens Council for Health Care, a group that opposes government involvement in health care and does extensive lobbying at the Minnesota Legislature. Kellogg is also CEO of UFE, Inc., a company that manufactures gears.

Lyle Nienow of the Lewiston Auto Company gave to the Minnesota Family Council in 2010 and is also a donor to the Republican National Committee. He’s also a past donor to Minnesota for Marriage ($600).

He attended a 2006 rally in St. Paul hosted by James Dobson’s Focus on the Family. At the rally, he told the Star Tribune, “Without a clear definition of marriage, I worry that society is headed in the wrong direction. It could open the door for communal marriage.”

A number of political donors who gave to the Minnesota Family Council’s lobbying campaign in 2010, gave big money to Republican candidates and committees.

Alden Starkey, president of Keystar Inc., was a past donor ($1,000) to religious right presidential candidate Gary Bauer.

Phillip Lindau gave $5,250 to the Republican National Committee in the last two election cycles and gave $7500 to the Republican Party of Minnesota in 2010.

Gilbert Mathews has donated more than $55,000 to Republican candidates over the last ten years, including Rep. John Kline and former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee.

Palmer Norling of Norling Farms Inc., was a donor to Lee Byberg, a Republican who ran against Rep. Collin Peterson in 2010. Norling has given more than $4,000 to Republican candidates and groups over the last ten years.

Mark Meader of Covenant Mortgage donated $1,000 to Minnesota for Marriage in 2005 and has been a large donor to Bachmann and former President George W. Bush with donations totaling over $4,000 since 2000.

Elizabeth Cherne gave $1,000 to Minnesota for Marriage in 2005 and has donated more than $66,000 to Republicans, including John McCain and Michele Bachmann, since 2000.

Vic Eaton has given $3,500 to Minnesota for Marriage and is a Bachmann donor.

Tom Becken donated to the Minnesota Family Council’s lobbying efforts. He’s the CEO of Cemstome, a Lake Elmo concrete company. He’s also a large-scale donor to Republican candidates and committees ($31,000 since 2000) including to Bachmann, Rep. Erik Paulsen and, last year with his wife, $10,200 to the Republican Party of Minnesota.

Jeanne Fudge gave to the Minnesota Family Council’s lobbying efforts and is a major donor to religious right political action committees and candidates. She’s a donor to the Family Research Council’s PAC (that group has been labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center) and has given money to religious right leader Gary Bauer’s Campaign for Working Families.

This is part three in a series on donors to the successful campaign to get a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage on the ballot. Earlier installments focused on religious leaders and business owners who contributed to the effort.