A federal judge ruled Thursday that an
anti-gay marriage group must provide records associated with last
fall's campaign to ban gay marriage in California, The Associated
Press reported.
U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn Walker
in San Francisco has ordered ProtectMarriage.com to produce internal
emails, memos and records associated with its strategy to ban gay
marriage in the state.
ProtectMarriage.com is the sponsor of
Proposition 8, the voter-approved referendum that ended the
June-to-November “Summer of Love” in California when gay marriage
was legal.
Opponents of the law – led by the
legal team of Theodore Olson and David Boies – have challenged its
constitutionality in federal court. Over the objections of the law's
defenders, Walker set a January 11, 2010 trial date in August. Olson
has said he expects the suit to reach the Supreme Court.
ProtectMarriage.com, represented by the
Christian conservative group the Alliance Defense Fund, argued that
making Proposition 8 discussions between top campaign officials
public would violate the group's free speech rights and subject
supporters to harassment.
Walker disagreed and order the group to
provide the records.