Screenshot: Fox News
A bombshell report from the America First Policy Institute has exposed a staggering $100 million in foreign dark money laundered through the Sixteen Thirty Fund to bankroll radical ballot initiatives across 25 states.
The Sixteen Thirty Fund, a notorious hub for progressive causes, has been caught funneling foreign cash into state ballot measures targeting divisive issues like abortion, election law, and drug policy.
According to the America First Policy Institute:
Non-citizens can influence U.S. elections and domestic policy through donations to ballot initiatives. Instead of the ballot initiative process being decided by state residents who are affected by the result, foreign billionaires, often driven by an ideological agenda, impose their will on U.S. citizens by funneling large amounts of money into the ballot initiative process and swaying the results.
FACTS AND NUMBERS
In 2021, the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) ruled that foreign nationals can donate money to U.S. ballot initiatives, opening the door to foreign involvement in U.S. policy creation.
To varying degrees, California, Colorado, Maryland, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Washington have all prohibited foreign money in ballot initiatives, but sometimes with the caveat that only foreign-owned or partially owned corporations are prohibited, not foreign individuals.
A 2022 survey from the University of Maryland found that a “strong bipartisan majority of eight-in-ten voters favor Congress banning foreign individuals and entities from spending money to influence ballot initiatives”.
A 2024 report by Americans for Public Trust showed that almost $100 million was spent by one organization alone, the Sixteen Thirty Fund, spanning ballot initiatives in 25 states.
MAJOR EXAMPLE: OHIO
More than $14 million in foreign money was poured into Ohio to support ballot measures reducing penalties for fentanyl possession and codifying radical abortion laws in the Ohio constitution, despite 85 percent of Ohio voters thinking that foreign nationals should not be allowed to influence ballot initiatives. In 2024, as a response, Ohio prohibited foreign money in ballot initiatives.
WHO WAS BEHIND SO MUCH FOREIGN MONEY SPENT IN THESE STATES?
During a recent segment on Fox News, Dana Perino broke down the staggering implications of this discovery with Caitlyn Sutherland, Executive Director of Americans for Public Trust, who confirmed that what we’re witnessing is nothing short of a coordinated foreign influence campaign designed to bypass U.S. laws and hijack American policymaking.
From Ohio to Arizona, this foreign interference has targeted vulnerable state constitutions, aiming to rewrite election rules, expand abortion access to unprecedented levels, and even decriminalize dangerous drugs.
In Ohio alone, foreign-backed funds pushed for gerrymandering schemes that would have rigged congressional districts under the guise of “protecting democracy.”
Transcript:
Dana Perino:
Foreign money influencing state ballot measures has been a recurring problem all around the country. But now, a growing number of states are finally cracking down on election loopholes so that only U.S. citizens can donate money for these initiatives…
This is happening in lots of different places where you can try to find a ban for this. Why does this matter? Because people might not realize that this is even still happening.
Caitlyn Sutherland
What we are seeing across the country is sweeping momentum—states are rejecting foreign interference in their policies. It’s actually long been the case that foreign nationals are prohibited from influencing our elections.
But when we take a closer look at what that actually means, we realize that it’s not very comprehensive, and it actually doesn’t apply to ballot measures.
That is a very dangerous and alarming foreign influence loophole. When states learn that their policies and constitutions are vulnerable to foreign interference, they’re stepping up, fighting back, taking action, and passing bans that prohibit foreign nationals and foreign governments from influencing and contributing to state ballot issue campaigns.
Dana Perino:
A hundred million dollars was spent by the Sixteen Thirty Fund on ballot initiatives in 25 states. That’s a hundred million dollars. That’s according to the America First Policy Institute 2024 report. What kinds of state initiatives were they trying to influence? What’s the topic?
Caitlyn Sutherland:
It’s one thing to know that this is not a hypothetical situation. We have been able to trace over $100 million of foreign money flowing through the Sixteen Thirty Fund in states across the country. They are working to implement far-left and extremist public policies on issues related to abortion, election law, drug policy, and more. They are trying to sidestep the legislative process and push through the most extreme version of public policy possible.
Dana Perino:
Why would they want that, Caitlyn?
Caitlyn Sutherland:
Well, because they know that their far-left agenda often cannot withstand the scrutiny of a typical legislative process. So they are sidestepping that process, getting these extreme public policy measures on the ballot, and using foreign dark money to do it.
Dana Perino:
It’s a terrible problem. Let me read this statement from the Sixteen Thirty Fund to Fox. It says:
“Sixteen Thirty Fund is proud to support ballot initiative campaigns that are working to advance economic opportunity, reproductive rights, and democracy. Our donations to these initiatives are made in compliance with local, state, and federal laws.”
I’m assuming if these bans go into effect in other states, that would end. I’m just still trying to get to the nut of the problem here, which is—they support a far-left agenda, but what exactly are they looking for? They say they want to support reproductive rights, which I’m assuming means more access to abortion. But when it comes to supporting “democracy,” what does that actually mean?
Caitlyn Sutherland:
Well, when the left says the word “democracy,” that’s their catch-all for “we’re trying to do good things.” But when you take a look under the hood, you realize that it’s an extremist agenda.
We saw that foreign-backed funds came into Ohio last year that would have forced the state to gerrymander their congressional districts and change the way the state conducted elections.
There is nothing democratic about using foreign dark money in these state ballot issue campaigns. States have woken up to this problem and realized that their constitutions and policies are vulnerable to the corruption that is foreign money. That’s why we’ve seen such momentum across the country in passing bans that prohibit foreign funds from being used in these campaigns.
WATCH:
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