“A bill to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to further restrict contributions of foreign nationals, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section expands the prohibition on foreign nationals making contributions, donations, expenditures, or disbursements in connection with any federal, state, or local election by (1) barring such donations for voter registration activity, ballot collection, voter identification, get-out-the-vote activity, public communications referring to a clearly identified federal, state, or local political party, or election administration; (2) applying the ban to state or local ballot initiatives, referenda, or recall elections; (3) prohibiting any person from knowingly aiding or facilitating violations; and (4) treating contributions or donations with any designation, instruction, or encumbrance (direct or indirect) resulting in prohibited uses as indirect contributions. The section further adds enforcement procedures allowing certifications under penalty of perjury as a defense to allegations, limiting investigations to facts necessary to determine violations, and permitting petitions to quash subpoenas or orders exceeding that scope. It also requires political committees, parties, and independent expenditure reports to include certifications under penalty of perjury of compliance with the ban.
This section prohibits entities of the Federal Government from collecting or requiring the submission of information identifying donors to tax-exempt organizations (i.e., those described in IRC §501(c) and exempt from tax under §501(a), excluding IRC §527 political organizations), with exceptions for the IRS (under IRC §6033), the Secretary of the Senate and Clerk of the House (under Lobbying Disclosure Act §3, 2 U.S.C. 1604), the FEC (under specified statutes), and court or administrative orders. It further prohibits such entities from publicly disclosing donor identification information, with exceptions for the IRS (under IRC §6104), the Secretary of the Senate and Clerk of the House (under 2 U.S.C. 1604), the FEC, court or administrative orders, and disclosures authorized by the organization. This section establishes criminal penalties for willful unauthorized disclosure by federal officers or employees, including fines up to $250,000, imprisonment up to five years, costs of prosecution, and dismissal from office or employment.