LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Safer sex advocates and individuals affiliated with AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the primary backer of Measure B, the so-called condoms in porn 2012 ballot measure in Los Angeles County, today cheered the news that California’s Fair Political Practices Commission’s (FPPC) Enforcement Division will be opening an investigation to look into allegations of foreign donations to the adult film industry’s failed 2012 ‘No on Government Waste, No on Measure B’ campaign seeking to block passage of Measure B.
In a July 17, 2015 letter, California’s Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) wrote that it’s Enforcement Division will be opening an investigation to look into the Free Speech Coalition’s Diane Duke as treasurer of the ‘No’ campaign as well as Manwin, a Luxembourg-based porn company and its related overseas companies—foreign companies which appear responsible for half of all donations to the industry’s entire ‘No’ campaign which sought to block passage of Measure B. Measure B won by a decisive 57% to 43% margin in the November 2012 election in Los Angeles County.
Measure B, officially known as the County of Los Angeles Safer Sex in the Adult Film Industry Act, requires producers of adult films to obtain a public health permit from the County, follow all health and safety laws, including condom use, and pay a permit fee to cover enforcement costs. Sponsored by five individuals affiliated with AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the initial complaint to the FPPC, filed a few weeks ago, notes that Manwin, a Luxembourg-based porn company and its related overseas affiliates in Luxembourg, Cypress and elsewhere donated as much half of all donations to the entire adult industry’s ‘No’ campaign.
“This investigation by California’s Fair Political Practices Commission of foreign money directed to 2012’s ‘No on B’ campaign is yet another confirmation of the complete lack of credibility that the porn industry has. The industry, its trade group, the Free Speech Coalition and FSC head Diane Duke, are basically cheaters—cheating on performer safety for years as well as what clearly appears to be taking foreign money for their failed political campaign against the condom ballot measure,” said Michael Weinstein, president of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “Keeping foreign money out of US elections should be an extremely high principle. We were fortunate that L.A. County voters had the good sense to vote ‘Yes’ on Measure B, but under different circumstances, foreign money could tip the balance in a close US election. Do we really want Saudis weighing in on oil policy via a US election? From a cursory look at the required political financial disclosure forms from 2012, we believe that Luxembourg-based Manwin (now MindGeek) and its other overseas entities donated at least half of all monies raised for the porn industry’s failed campaign to block Measure B. We thank the FPPC for opening this investigation.”
About AIDS Healthcare Foundation
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to more than 437,000 individuals in 36 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare.
