June 19, 2008
Dear Friend,
This month, I need to share with you a true story. It’s stunning and highly motivating—and shows in stark terms what you and I are up against.
Are you familiar with a man by the name of Tim Gill? For most Americans—even those who are well informed—the answer is no. You see, Tim Gill operates in virtual anonymity, yet he is transforming the politics of state after state with unrivaled success. He does it all to advance the cause to which he has dedicated his life—the homosexual agenda.
So, will you join me for a few moments as I pull back the curtain on Tim Gill?
Bankrolling a dangerous movement
Tim Gill is a homosexual activist living in Denver. As the founder of Quark, a very successful software company, Gill amassed a fortune worth several hundred million dollars.1
Fourteen years ago, he began pouring his massive wealth into the homosexual rights movement.2 As a result, dozens of gay rights organizations owe their existence to Gill. By 2001, his donations accounted for 20 percent of the combined income of homosexual rights organizations.3 And by last year, his foundation had given more than $110 million to such groups.4
Gill’s Rocky Mountain prize
All of that, however, is just the backdrop to the story that I really want to share with you. In addition to his "strategic philanthropy," he recently resolved to engage in "strategic politics." So he started the Gill Action Fund and began pouring huge sums of money into political races. But unlike most political donors, he didn’t throw most of his money into high-profile contests. Instead, he invested the vast majority of his funds into carefully targeted state legislative races. He understood that it takes far less money to make a huge difference at the state level . . . and the results can be priceless.
Gill’s first target was Colorado. In 2004, he dumped $5 million into political races,5 mostly at the state legislative level. But he didn’t stop there. He also went out and found other millionaires and billionaires to join him in this effort. They poured huge money into blistering attack ads against conservative politicians in swing districts, who stood in support of traditional marriage.6 But they were clever enough not to attack the politicians over their opposition to same-sex "marriage." Rather, the ads focused on issues important to the district—often twisting the facts beyond recognition to distort the conservative’s record.7
The result was what one Republican legislator called a "tsunami" of money that swept several conservatives out of office, giving liberal Democrats control of the legislature for the first time in 30 years.8
The payback for Gill came quickly.9 One Colorado legislator summarized a recent legislative session this way: "Windmills, mill levies and a million paybacks to Tim Gill."10
And that’s exactly what Gill got: essentially a gay adoption law,11 a law that redefines the family as any two or more people living together,12 and a job protection law that can force even Christian businesspeople into hiring gays, lesbians or transgenders.13
Targeting the country . . . state by state
With the Colorado legislature as a notch in his belt, Gill set his sights around the country in 2006. He again focused on state races, targeting key states in the battle over marriage. Specifically, he set his sights on Republicans in swing legislative districts in order to flip the state’s Senate or House to Democratic control.
Among Gill’s victims was Danny Carroll, the Republican Speaker Pro-Tem in the Iowa House of Representatives. Carroll, like most Gill targets, was caught completely unawares. That’s because money didn’t come directly from Gill. He disguised his efforts by recruiting like-minded people all over the country to send small- to medium-sized checks to the favored candidates.14
Consequently, Carroll didn’t realize he’d been a target of a national homosexual campaign until a reporter from The Atlantic Monthly magazine called him after the election and pointed out specific contributions that were made to his opponent.
In all, Gill spent $15 million around the country in 2006, and he won 50 of his 70 targeted races—defeating some pro-marriage leaders and giving Democrats new control of legislative bodies in several states.15
Once again, Gill reaped huge policy rewards. In Iowa, Republicans lost the House.16 Under Democrat control, the proposed state marriage amendment was killed—a major coup for Gill considering that, just a few months later, an Iowa judge allowed the first so-called same-sex "marriage" outside of Massachusetts.17
Gill also helped give Democrats legislative control in New Hampshire and Oregon,18 and lawmakers quickly responded by giving marriage (in all but the name) to homosexuals in both states.19
Face-off: Focus Action versus the Gill Action Fund
But for all of Gill’s victories in 2006, his biggest investment resulted in a stunning defeat. In early 2006, Focus and Focus Action were gathering signatures to put a state marriage amendment on the Colorado ballot. Gill decided that would be a clever time to put his own domestic partnership measure on the ballot. With heavy resources going to support the marriage amendment, social conservatives would be hard-pressed to combat domestic partnerships at the same time. Plus, the many moderates on the issue would be able to split their votes, supporting marriage while still seeming "tolerant" by supporting domestic partnerships.
National commentators recognized the confrontation that this set up between Gill and Focus Action founder and chairman Dr. James Dobson.
Early on, polls indicated that Gill would likely win this confrontation. But thanks to the generous support of friends like you, Focus Action was able to mount a vigorous defense that fall—investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in high-quality radio and television advertising campaigns that helped to reshape the debate.
Just as importantly, Focus was able to mobilize pastors and churches throughout the state. Working with our associated state group, Colorado Family Action, we conducted pastors events and provided resources for a massive grassroots effort to educate values voters and get them to the polls. In the end, the state marriage amendment passed and Gill’s measure was defeated, 53 to 47 percent, despite Gill’s $2.5 million expenditure to get it passed.20
The threat grows in 2008
Still, despite the stinging defeat that exposed Gill’s vulnerability, the threat he poses is likely to be even larger in 2008. Gill has openly boasted of an even bigger target list this year.21
That’s not surprising, considering the success he’s had and the fact that he continues to recruit more financial heavy hitters to join him in his efforts. In fact, he had 200 leading donors at a gathering in Miami, where he told them, according to one attendee: "If I can make a difference in Colorado, you can make a difference in your home state. So let’s work together to take it to your states."22
One state that Gill is clearly targeting this year is New York. After all, the only thing that is blocking New York from becoming the first state to legislatively enact same-sex marriage is the GOP-controlled state Senate. But the Republican margin is only two seats, and Gill and his money are hard at work to flip that legislative chamber and win a major policy battle for the homosexual movement.23
Other states that especially need to be on the watch for Gill activity are Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
One of the big reasons for the success of Tim Gill—along with all of his millionaire/ billionaire cohorts—is the fact that he’s been able to do virtually everything under the cover of darkness. By the time his targets figure out what’s happened, it’s too late.24
By God’s grace and with your help, that won’t happen in 2008. With your partnership, Focus Action is planning to aggressively shine the light of day on Gill’s activity so that good people in each state can stand strong and protect their state from being hijacked by the homosexual lobby.
The fact is that Tim Gill is not only pouring his life’s earnings into the homosexual agenda, he’s also an evangelist for this cause in which he believes so deeply—constantly asking others to join him in his misguided mission to, as he puts it, "punish the wicked." How can we not have the same commitment on behalf of righteousness?25
Will you help us defend the family against this unprecedented assault? Our election-year efforts have never been more critical. Most importantly, will you also pray for America and ask God what He would have you do in this critical time for our nation?
God bless you for standing strong.
Sincerely,
Tom Minnery
Senior Vice President
Government and Public Policy
P.S. Very few can write checks the size of Tim Gill’s. But we can each give something of significance. Will you please earnestly pray for our work? And if you are able, please consider supporting us financially. I, along with Jim Daly and the team here, gratefully thank you for your prayers and support.
1 Rita Healy, "The Gay Mogul Changing U.S. Politics, Time, April 4, 2007 http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1606679,00.html2 http://www.gillfoundation.org/usr_doc/2006_Gill_Foundation_Annual_Report_vFINAL.pdf
3 Jim Hopkins, "QuarkXPress grew out of sky guy’s love of solitude," USA Today Aug. 15, 2001
4 "They won’t know what hit them," Joshua Green, Atlantic.com, March 2007, http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200703/tim-gill
5 "They won’t know what hit them," Joshua Green, Atlantic.com, March 2007, http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200703/tim-gill
6 Rita Healy, "The Gay Mogul Changing U.S. Politics, Time, April 4, 2007 http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1606679,00.html
7 John J. Miller, "The Color Purple: How liberal millionaires are buying Colorado’s politics," National Review, Dec. 4, 2006
8 "A big role in a fight to help gays wed," Denver Post, August 7, 2007, http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_6559624
9 J. Adrian Stanley, "Power, pride and pocketbook: Tim Gill wants gay rights – and even Colorado is finally listening," July 12, 2007, http://www.csindy.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A21053
10 Comment by Colorado State Rep. Josh Penry in "A look back at the legislature 2007," Denver Post, May 6, 2007
14 "They won’t know what hit them," Joshua Green, Atlantic.com, March 2007, http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200703/tim-gill
15 Rita Healy, "The Gay Mogul Changing U.S. Politics, Time, April 4, 2007 http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1606679,00.html
16 "They won’t know what hit them," Joshua Green, Atlantic.com, March 2007, http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200703/tim-gill
17 "Iowa court rules same-sex couples can marry," CNN, August 30, 2007, http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/08/30/iowa.samesexmarriage/index.html
18 Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide, July 1, 2007
19 Human Rights Campaign: New Hampshire Civil Unions passed in 2007; became law in 2008; Oregon Domestic Partnerships became law 2008; Oregon passed non-discrimination measure in 2008 [New Hampshire: http://www.hrc.org/1329.htm ] [Oregon: http://www.hrc.org/1463.htm
20 Kerry Eleveld, "There is a gay agenda—winning elections," Salon.com, Nov. 29, 2006 http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2006/11/29/gay_millionaires/
21 "Guerriero said Gill’s ‚Äòuniverse is expanding’ and he plans to have a hand in politics for years to come." Kerry Eleveld, "There is a gay agenda—winning elections," Salon.com, Nov. 29, 2006 http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2006/11/29/gay_millionaires/
22 Myung Oak Kim and Burt Hubbard, "For Gill, it’s not about the money: Political power broker sees fortune as means to make a ‚Äòdifference in his lifetime,’" Rocky Mountain News, Oct. 23, 2006 http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/elections/article/0,2808,DRMN_24736_5087094,00.html
23 Gill gave $50,000 to the New Democratic Senate Campaign Committee in New York, Elizabeth Benjamin, "Cash in Key Senate Races," New York Daily News, Jan. 18, 2008 http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2008/01/cash-in-key-senate-races.html ; see also New York Daily News, "Gay Donors Eye Albany," Jan. 24, 2008 http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2008/01/ re: "Upstate sources report Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director Alan Van Capelle was spotted squiring around representatives from the political arm of the Gill Foundation around the state Capitol yesterday and then later joining them for dinner at one of the city’s nicer restaurants (74 State) with Senate Minority Leader Malcolm Smith."
24 "They won’t know what hit them," Joshua Green, Atlantic.com, March 2007, http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200703/tim-gill
25 "My philosophy during the 2004 election cycle was ’punish the wicked,’ " he says, sitting in his art-deco mansion across from the Denver Country Club. ‚ÄòI wanted to stop all the antigay bills from going through.’" Robert Frank, "Richistan: A Journey Through the American Wealth Boom and the Lives of the New Rich" Crown, 2007, Chapter 9. http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_6896086
