SACRAMENTO - California's Fair Political Practices Commission - the state's political watchdog agency --has launched an investigation into whether the Mormon Church accurately accounted for its role in supporting Prop. 8, the recently enacted ballot measure than bans gay marriage in the state.

The investigation was spurred by a complaint filed two weeks ago by Fred Karger, founder of Californians Against Hate. Karger has accused the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of failing to report the value of the work it did to support the measure.

"We are very pleased that the FPPC has agreed to launch an investigation based on our complaint," Karger said in a statement. "My 4 page letter to Chairman Ross Johnson and California and Utah Attorneys General Edmund G. Brown, Jr. and Mark Shurtleff with all of the alleged unreported activities is available on our blog. We're hopeful the Mormon Church will fully cooperate with the investigation and that we will find out the full extent of their involvement in the Yes on 8 campaign."

Over the course of the campaign, members of the Mormon Church, at the direction of church elders, contributed more than $20 million to the successful Yes on 8 effort. Church representatives were not immediately available for comment Tuesday.

Here is a copy of the letter Karger received from the FPPC:

Fair Political Practices Commission

428 J Street, Suite 629, Sacramento, CA 95814-2329 (916)322-5660 Fax (916)322-0886

November 21, 2008

Fred Karger

Laguna Beach, CA 92651

Re; FPPC File No. 08/735; Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints aka the Mormon Church of Salt Lake City, Utah

Dear Mr. Karger:

This letter is to notify you that the Enforcement Division of the Fair Political Practices Commission (the FPPC) will investigate the allegation(s), under the jurisdiction of the FPPC, of the sworn complaint you submitted in the above-referenced matter. You will next receive notification from us upon final disposition of the case.

However, please be advised that at this time we have not made any determination about the validity of the allegation(s) you made or about the culpability, if any, of the person(s) you identify in your complaint.

Thank you for taking the time to bring this matter to our attention.

Sincerely,

Roman G. Porter

Executive Director

cc: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints aka the Mormon Church of Salt Lake City, Utah