One Anchorage -- the group supporting Proposition 5 on the Anchorage municipal ballot next month -- says it's concerned its opposition isn't being forthright with where it's getting its funding.
If voters approve Proposition 5, it would become illegal to discriminate against someone in Anchorage based on their sexual orientation.
The official campaign group against the proposition is called "Protect Your Rights," but advertising purchase reports filed with Channel 2 and other Anchorage media outlets show a second group -- "Alaska Family Action, Inc." -- listed alongside the "Say No to Prop 5" campaign.
Jim Minnery is listed as both the head of the Protect Your Rights campaign and the chair of Alaska Family Action -- associated with the Alaska Family Council, a group that Minnery is also president of.
Alaska Family Action is a group known as a 501(c)4, according to Minnery. Those groups aren't required to list their donations, like political campaigns are.
One Anchorage says it may be a for people to donate to the "No on 5 -- Protect Your Rights" campaign without having to report their name.
Minnery says Alaska Family Action has been around for years, and that the "Protect Your Rights" campaign is one part of it. He says even though people can donate to Alaska Family Action, and then that money could legally be transferred to the "Protect Your Rights" campaign, he says it has not happened, and will not happen in the future; he says issue specific money would go to the Proposition 5 campaign fund, not Alaska Family Action.
"We would say very clearly to that donor, 'No, if you're going to make a donation that's restricted or has a donor intent regarding a ballot measure, then that's who I would give to,'" Minnery said.
Still, One Anchorage says it has some doubts about where the No on 5 campaign is getting its money. An advertising purchase report from the No on 5 campaign filed with KTUU Channel 2 on Frieday shows a total ad buy of $6,010, while at the same time, the Protect Your Rights latest income report from earlier this week shows less than $5,000 in contributions.
And then there's the gathering of church leaders on Thursday at the Alaska Wildberry Theater -- which management confirmed the group "Alaska Family Action" paid for.
"It was becoming very apparent that Alaska Family Action is becoming much more involved than was maybe being shared," said Trevor Storrs, spokesperson for the One Anchorage campaign.
Minnery explains the expenses by saying this week's media coverage of the campaign has money pouring into the "No on 5" group, all since their last financial report. He says they're amending their financial reports, to now show the Wildberry Theater expense.
"I think they're searching for something that's not there," said Minnery. "I'd say lets stick to the issue at hand, I mean there's not anything specific going on."
Election day is April 3 in Anchorage.
