LEWISTON – Two groups formed to fight the Taxpayer Bill of Rights have built an enormous fundraising advantage over the proposal’s supporters, with large chunks of the money coming from the National Education Association.

Campaign financial disclosure reports due Tuesday show that Citizens United to Protect Our Public Safety, Schools and Communities, the lead anti-TABOR political action committee, raised more than $625,000 between July 19 and Sept. 30.

Of that, at least $465,000 can be traced to the NEA, with $215,000 of the contributions stopping temporarily at another PAC, Citizens Who Support Maine’s Public Schools, before making it to Citizens United.

The public schools group is the PAC of the Maine Education Association, which also received $49,000 in in-kind contributions from the NEA.

The Maine Municipal Association was also a major contributor to Citizens United, giving more than $111,000.

Citizens United reported spending almost $609,000.

TaxpayerBillofRights.com, the PAC formed to support TABOR, reported raising $148,000, with the majority of the money coming from individuals in Maine. The group reported spending just more than $106,000.

The largest donors to the TABOR group were New Elm Farm in Freeport and Joseph Boulos in Falmouth, who each gave $25,000. Richard Dyke of Windham gave $20,000. Seven other individuals gave $5,000 each.

“The other side preaches about this, saying our side is this out-of-state issue when the opposite is true,” said Roy Lenardson, campaign consultant for TaxpayerBillofRights.com. “Their side is out-of-state money, out-of-state groups and consultant-driven.”

TABOR will appear on November’s ballot as Question 1. If passed, it would place strict limits on government’s ability to raise and spend money. To override the limits would require a two-thirds vote of the governing body, followed by a referendum.

According to Lenardson, TABOR’s opponents are misleading the public by calling themselves “citizen” groups when the vast majority of their money comes from national organizations.

“It’s fraudulent, they’re misleading people,” Lenardson said. “It’s a game to these people. They don’t care about people’s property taxes. … I hope that Maine people hold these people accountable for the deception and see through the hypocrisy.”

Before it’s said and done, predicts Dennis Bailey, a spokesman for Citizens United, the out-of-state money will show up for TABOR.

“I’m surprised that it hasn’t shown up yet,” Bailey said. “I emphasize yet.”

Bailey also brushed off complaints about the source of the anti-TABOR money.

“These are groups that are concerned about education,” he said.

Maine teachers pay dues to the National Education Association and before any money is sent to the state, the Maine Education Association has to ask for it.

“It’s really connected to Maine,” Bailey said. “It’s not like Grover Norquist flying in with no real connection to Maine.”

Norquist is an anti-tax advocate who has been heavily involved in TABOR-like campaigns in other states and who has visited Maine in support of the proposal.

“This was dragged here from out of state,” Bailey said. “I don’t think they should get on their high horse about out-of-state money until we see the final reports.”

The disclosure reports do not include spending by nonprofit groups that have other purposes but also oppose or support TABOR. For example, Democracy Maine, anti-TABOR, and the Maine Heritage Policy Center, pro-TABOR, have worked on the issue but haven’t been required to disclose their spending as of yet. The Maine Center for Economic Policy and the Maine’s Women Lobby have reported spending $4,107 and $2,641, respectively, working against TABOR. Disclosure is required after a group raises or spends $1,500 in relation to an election.