ST. PAUL (AP) – A group pushing to ban same-sex marriage asked state campaign finance regulators May 2 to investigate whether several gay rights organizations broke Minnesota’s public disclosure laws.

Minnesota Citizens in Defense of Marriage – whose own reporting practices have been under scrutiny – contended that OutFront Minnesota isn’t revealing enough about its activities to keep the issue of same-sex unions off the ballot in November.

The complaints from Jeff Davis, president of the marriage group, also said several smaller groups – Faith, Family, Fairness Alliance; Equality Minnesota; PFLAG Northfield; and an unnamed St. Cloud group – should be registered with the state as political committees working to influence a ballot question on the definition of marriage.

A story last month by The Associated Press examined the disclosure practices of Minnesota Citizens in Defense of Marriage and Minnesota for Marriage, the two main groups pushing for a statewide vote on a constitutional amendment to outlaw same-sex marriage. After the AP story appeared, Minnesota for Marriage registered three people as lobbyists, but Davis said his group is meeting public disclosure requirements by filing as a political committee.

OutFront Minnesota is registered as a lobbying organization with the state Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board, and the group’s political action committee, OutFront Minnesota Action, is registered as a political committee.

None of the other groups were registered with the state board as of May 2. As evidence of their activity, Davis clipped newspaper ads and media and blog reports, including those that referred to an opinion poll conducted for Equality Minnesota.

OutFront Minnesota’s executive director, Ann DeGroot, said Davis’s complaint against her group is baseless.

“Last week they were called on the carpet by some press about their legitimacy in terms of the election commission, and then this week they’re pointing fingers at someone else,” she said. “It seems diversionary to me.”

DeGroot said OutFront Minnesota reports both lobbying and political committee activities. Last year, the political committee OutFront Minnesota Action spent about $1,950 on legal fees and staff time, while the nonprofit OutFront Minnesota spent $180,000 lobbying the Legislature.

Davis’ complaint argued that the bulk of that was spent opposing the constitutional marriage amendment – which he says should be considered political committee work, not lobbying. And he asserts that the political committee filings are more detailed than lobbying reports.

DeGroot said her group is lobbying because the proposed amendment is still only before legislators. The Minnesota Senate has never voted directly on whether to put the amendment on the ballot.

That view was echoed by the Rev. Laurie Crelly, co-chair of the steering committee for Faith, Family, Fairness Alliance, a Twin Cities group that helped organize a rally against the same-sex marriage ban at the Capitol in March.

“This isn’t a ballot question yet, this is still just a bill,” Crelly said.

But Jeanne Olson, the campaign finance board’s executive director, said state law requires groups working for or against would-be ballot questions to file as political committees. That means they have to register with the board if they spend more than $100.

The threshold for lobbying is higher – an organization would have to spend $50,000 in a year, or pay $3,000 in salary to a lobbyist. An individual would have to register if he or she spent more than $250 of their own money to lobby, excluding travel expenses or member dues.

Groups who meet qualifications in both categories should file in both categories, Olson said.

“Getting it placed on the ballot is lobbying,” Olson said.

Olson wouldn’t confirm whether the complaints against OutFront and the other groups had been lodged. But she said the board investigates all alleged violations and may issue fines if it determines probable cause.

Messages left with Equality Minnesota and PFLAG Minnesota weren’t immediately returned.