While foreigners cannot spend money directly on elections by supporting candidates or funding PACs, in many states they can pass money to 501(c)(4) groups like the Sixteen Thirty Fund which can then run campaigns for or against ballot measures. This effectively provides foreigners with an opening to influence policy at the state level. Some states, such as Ohio, have taken action to make arrangements like this illegal.
Wyss was responsible for roughly one-sixth of the Sixteen Thirty Fund's revenue between 2019 and 2022, contributing a total of $143 million across those four years. As of December 2024, Sixteen Thirty Fund had spent about $130 million on ballot measures in 25 states, according to RealClearPolicy. Democratic PACs also count on the Sixteen Thirty Fund for revenue, disclosing over $20 million from the 501(c)(4) during the 2024 election cycle.
While foreigners cannot spend money directly on elections by supporting candidates or funding PACs, in many states they can pass money to 501(c)(4) groups like the Sixteen Thirty Fund which can then run campaigns for or against ballot measures. This effectively provides foreigners with an opening to influence policy at the state level. Some states, such as Ohio, have taken action to make arrangements like this illegal.
Wyss was responsible for roughly one-sixth of the Sixteen Thirty Fund's revenue between 2019 and 2022, contributing a total of $143 million across those four years. As of December 2024, Sixteen Thirty Fund had spent about $130 million on ballot measures in 25 states, according to RealClearPolicy. Democratic PACs also count on the Sixteen Thirty Fund for revenue, disclosing over $20 million from the 501(c)(4) during the 2024 election cycle.
