Prop 8 groups want donor data pulled from public view

Several groups that backed a California initiative banning gay marriage are suing to get all donations relating to the ballot measure pulled from public view, according to The Associated Press.

The pro-Proposition 8 groups say in the suit that individual supporters have received threats, including by e-mail and over the phone. The state should move to protect those people, they argue, by exempting the groups from normal disclosure requirements, and yanking donor data from the Web, The AP said.

The lawsuit was filed on Wednesday.

According to AP, the plaintiffs contend that case law allows for the closure of contribution information in the case of "an uncontroverted showing" that donors would be economically or physically harmed if it were released. First Amendment Coalition executive director Peter Scheer told The AP the suit is unlikely to succeed, although the arguments it sets forth "are not trivial," the wire service said.