Disallow Foreign Donations, PACs that Lobby for the interests of foreign countries from contributing or in any way influencing State and Local Elections. I have seen far too many strong State and Local Politicians with promising visions for real change have a legitimate campaign with significant momentum squashed by a Uniparty -type candidate solely because a Foreign Interest PAC Bankrolls their campaign sometimes doubling and tripling other candidates budgets often in the late stages of a race.
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For decades, federal law has prohibited foreign nationals from donating to political candidates and the campaigns and super PACs that support them. But there is a loophole: ballot measures are not considered elections, meaning that foreign nationals are free to finance ballot measure efforts that change our laws and rewrite our states’ constitutions.
That legal loophole is being exploited. Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss is not an American citizen, but he is one of the largest political donors in this country. His aim is to “(re)interpret the American Constitution in the light of progressive politics.” To help achieve that goal, Wyss has funneled at least $243 million into a liberal “dark money” group called the Sixteen Thirty Fund, which has simultaneously spent over $130 million on ballot measures in 25 states. In the 2024 cycle alone, this single group spent $37 million in foreign-tied cash on initiatives in states like Arizona, Florida, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, and Ohio.
Citizen-led ballot measures are intended to give the people a direct check on their government. But liberal groups like the Sixteen Thirty Fund have coopted the process, using initiatives to bypass elected lawmakers and enact extreme policies without bipartisan debate. Liberal groups also attempt to use these measures to influence candidate races by driving turnout among demographics deemed likely to support their preferred candidates. And by running initiatives that gut election integrity laws and seize control over redistricting, liberal groups are angling to create systemic political advantages that stack the deck for the left.
The fact that the ballot measure process has been coopted is bad enough. Worse yet is the fact that it is being done with foreign funding. In fact, thanks to groups like the Sixteen Thirty Fund, state ballot issues have become a Trojan Horse for otherwise illegal foreign influence.
Ohio has shown us how to stop that. In 2023, the Sixteen Thirty Fund spent more than $14 million bankrolling ballot issue campaigns in the state. That massive influx of foreign-tied cash prompted lawmakers to act, and in May of this year, Gov. Mike DeWine called them into a special session to ban foreign funding.
That same day, the Sixteen Thirty Fund funneled more than $6 million into the coffers of the ironically named “Citizens Not Politicians” ballot measure campaign to redraw Ohio’s legislative maps to advantage liberals. Once Ohio’s foreign funding ban was enacted and went into effect, though, Sixteen Thirty Fund abruptly stopped spending in the state—a powerful admission that foreign funding taints the group’s entire operation.
Ohio has acted, but other states remain vulnerable. In Arizona, the Sixteen Thirty Fund spent $1.25 million on a measure to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution. Florida saw over $14 million in foreign-backed spending on a similar initiative. Missouri received $8 million for measures to raise the minimum wage and protect abortion rights, while Montana saw over $3 million for abortion and election-law initiatives.
Closing this loophole is not a partisan issue; it is about safeguarding the integrity of our elections. After all, if the Sixteen Thirty Fund has figured out to funnel foreign money into critical ballot issues, it is not hard to imagine hostile foreign powers like China and Russia doing the same.
Ohio’s success shows such measures can be implemented effectively and withstand legal scrutiny. Congress should follow Ohio’s lead by enacting a nationwide ban on foreign spending in state and local ballot measures. Earlier this year, legislation advanced out of committee in the House. But states cannot afford to wait. Each state has a responsibility to protect the integrity of its constitution from foreign interference.
As George Washington warned, “foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of republican government.” His words ring true today. American elections should be decided by American voters, and no campaign—especially not one aimed at amending our state constitutions—should be a vehicle for foreign political interference. States must act now to close the foreign influence loophole before more damage is done. The stakes are simply too high to ignore.
Caitlin Sutherland is Executive Director of Americans for Public Trust. Jason Snead is Executive Director of Honest Elections Project.