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The PAC figure is more than twice what opponents of the same-sex marriage law have raised.

By MATT WICKENHEISER, Staff Writer October 14, 2009

Supporters of Maine's same-sex marriage law have raised almost $2.7 million to fight a people's veto, reports show, compared with about $1.1 million raised by supporters of the repeal.

The No on 1 Protect Maine Equality political action committee said Tuesday in its report to the state ethics commission that most of the money – $2.56 million – was raised in the three months that began July 1 and ended Sept. 30.

Stand for Marriage Maine, the PAC supporting a people's veto of the law to legalize same-sex marriage, had raised $1.14 million in all, $794,180 of it in the third quarter.

Officials with Stand for Marriage Maine could not be reached for comment Tuesday night. In an e-mail to supporters, the group's chairman, Marc Mutty, used the fundraising disparity as a call for more donations.

Mutty pointed to the "astonishing financial advantage" his group's opponents had. He noted the latest polls, which put the two sides about even and suggested that may change if Stand for Marriage Maine doesn't get more funding.

"Our campaign strategists, who helped pass Proposition 8 in California and who have won dozens of initiative campaigns around the country, tell us that we cannot win if we continue to be outspent as we have to this point," Mutty wrote. "We've had to cut our voter contact program dramatically. Every week we've cut our advertising budget. We've eliminated a statewide bus tour that we had planned for next week. We've had to cut back on staffing. And collateral materials. And direct mail. Our grassroots organizing has suffered."

Stand for Marriage Maine had spent $941,361 as of Sept. 30, and had $66,255 in cash.

It also listed $419,000 in unpaid debts and obligations. That included $284,570 to Marketing Communications Services Inc. of San Francisco for TV production services and $62,444 to a campaign consultant, Schubert Flint of Sacramento, Calif.

In a statement on the fundraising, Mutty said the finance reports portray "a disturbing, but unsurprising reality."

"Our opponents, while claiming to be the home-grown, locally supported campaign, have amassed from virtually every state in the nation a campaign fortune of more than $2 million to destroy traditional marriage in Maine," he said.

Jesse Connolly, campaign manager for No on 1, said his group's opponents "can spin these numbers however they like."

"What this really shows is, there's a lot of people in Maine and across the country that want Maine to provide equality for all its citizens," said Connolly.

According to No on 1, about half of the $2.56 million raised in the third quarter came from people in Maine. The PAC's finance report is 454 pages long, detailing donations from states as far away as Hawaii as well as how the group spent its money.

Page after page of the report shows individual donations ranging from under $50 to several hundred dollars. There are also some big numbers, with 29 individuals and 10 groups giving more than $10,000 a piece.

Topping the list of individuals are Donald Sussman, a New York City hedge fund manager who lives in Maine, who gave $225,000; Esmond Harmsworth, a founding partner of the Zachary Shuster Harmsworth Literary Agency, who gave $100,000; Paul Singer, founder of the New York City hedge fund Elliott Associates, who gave $100,000; and Diane Sammer of Harpswell, a high-tech entrepreneur who gave $60,000.

Groups that gave large sums to No on 1 include the Human Rights Campaign, which donated $155,000 in cash and in-kind contributions; EqualityMaine, which donated $90,000; the Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, which donated $87,000 in cash and in-kind; and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, which donated $75,000.

"We're just really grateful for the support we've received from people all across the state and all across the country," said Connolly. "People that give a dollar and people that give...