The investigation of National Organization for Marriage (NOM) donations -- which largely funded last year's successful fight against same-sex marriage in Maine -- will continue, the Maine Ethics Commission decided at a hearing held on Thursday, June 24.

According to the Ethics Commission, NOM should have registered as a "ballot question committee" after funneling donations to strike legalized same-sex marriage from Maine's law books in November 2009.

Any group that spends $5,000 or more on a ballot question must register as a ballot question committee, reported the Bangor Daily News. NOM contributed more than $1.9 million to Stand for Marriage Maine, the major group that opposed same-sex marriage.

Should the Ethics Commission require NOM to register as a ballot question committee, the organization would be forced to disclose the identities of contributors.

The Daily News reported that NOM representatives are arguing that the donations were made to support the national fight against same-sex marriage and not Maine's struggle in particular. Critics, however, allege that the group used the 2009 debate to encourage contributors to donate specifically for that cause.

"They shouldn't have anything to hide," Fred Karger, who leads LGBT organization Californians Against Hate, told the Commission. Californians Against Hate spearheaded the campaign to force NOM to disclose their donor lists in Maine, as well as in other states . "Why are they going through all of this...to protect their donors? Who are they trying to protect?"

NOM attempted to block the Commission's investigation, stating that the four members of the Commission do not have the authority to conduct the investigation.