The Mormon Church has agreed to pay a $5,539.00 fine to the state of California for failing to file the proper paperwork during an anti-gay fight two years ago.

Prop. 8, which restricted the definition of marriage couples to straight couples, effectively overturned the California Supreme Court’s ruling that gay couples should be allowed to marry.

Roman Porter, the director of the California Fair Political Practices Commission, said an investigation revealed the Mormon Church was tardy in revealing about $37,000.00 worth of work its staff performed on behalf of Proposition 8 in the final weeks before the November 2008 election.

The commission’s five appointed members are scheduled to consider the proposed settlement on Thursday. The investigation did not uncover evidence that the church failed to disclose any contributions but concluded that it failed to meet required deadlines for disclosing the value of 13 days of staff time devoted to the campaign.

Its role in putting Proposition 8 on the ballot made the Mormon Church a target for much of the anger that gay rights supporters felt after California voters approved the ballot measure, which outlawed same-sex marriage five months after the California Supreme Court legalized it.

At the urging of church leaders, individual Mormons from around the country volunteered for and gave millions of dollars to the Yes on 8 campaign.

Porter’s finding came in response to a complaint filed by a gay rights activist after voters approved the gay marriage ban 19 months ago. At the time, the church said it had spent just $2,078.00 itself to support Proposition 8.

Fred Karger, the founder of Californians Against Hate, alleged the church ran out-of-state phone banks, produced commercials and provided other services without disclosing them as contributions to ProtectMarriage.com, the coalition of religious and conservative groups that sponsored the gay marriage ban.

Actress and former talk show host Roseanne urged a boycott against the supporters of “Yes on Proposition 8,” the supporters also included:

• Aaron Eckhart (actor)
• American Express
• Black & Decker
• Dell Computer
• Gladys Knight (R&B and Gospel Singer)
• Kroger (who also owns Ralph’s and Albertsons)
• Hollywood Video
• Host Marriott (Marriott Hotels & Resorts; this includes Courtyard, Residence Inn, and Fairflied Inn)
• KeyCorp (Key Bank)
• K-Swiss Shoes
• La Quinta Hotels
• Marriott International
• Priceline.com
• Ryder Systems (Ryder trucks)
• and Sky West (airline) among others. (previous story)

In Kentucky, Kroger also supporters the Kentucky chapter of the American Family Association, another anti-gay group.

In 1997, Time estimated that the Church of Latter-day Saints’ net worth was a minimum of $30 billion, and its annual gross was around $5.9 billion.