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Out-Of-State Group's Donation Comes Under Fire In 'Right To Die' Debate

BOSTON (CBS) - Money from across the country is pouring into Massachusetts aimed at influencing the controversial so-called 'right to die' ballot question.

One of the donors, the American Principles Project, which has given $175,000, is coming under fire.

Supporters of the Die with Dignity movement are calling for that money to be returned, after controversial comments by an executive director that were posted on YouTube.

In the video, the Executive Director of the American Principles Project, Andy Blom, can be seen and heard claiming that anti-bullying programs are actually "being used as an opportunity to force homosexual teaching into the schools."

"They've been caught taking money from fringe groups, frankly lunatic fringe groups. They should give it back," Steve Crawford, with Dignity 2012, said of his opponents on the assisted suicide issue.

The Chairwoman of the Committee Against Physician Assisted Suicide, Roseanne Bacon Meade, admits that groups who align with their coalition have a wide range of opinions, but they all agree on one point: that there are flaws to Ballot Question 2.

"We have come so far in the ability of hospice and palliative care to help people live as they die, that it's a real distraction to be talking just about donors," Meade said. "I want to get back to the issues."

Meade's committee did return $250,000 to another group, the American Family Association, after its extreme anti-gay hate speech was made public.

So far, $293,286 has been donated to the campaign for "Yes" on Question 2, compared to about $1.6 million to the "No" side.

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