Michigan and Alabama Republicans took major steps this week to secure their states’ elections from foreign dark money.
The GOP-controlled Michigan House passed legislation (HB 5197) on Thursday that seeks to prohibit foreign nationals from contributing money to ballot initiative campaigns. The measure passed 97-6, with seven members not voting.
HB 5197 stipulates that Michigan ballot question committees “shall not knowingly or willfully receive, solicit, or accept contributions from a foreign national, whether directly or indirectly.” These committees are further required to obtain “affirmation” from any person who donates to the campaign that he or she “is not a foreign national and has not knowingly or willfully received, solicited, or accepted more than $100,000.00 in aggregate from foreign nationals in the 4 years immediately preceding the date of the contribution.”
Ballot question committees who discover that a donor meets the bill’s criteria are ordered to “return” such contributions “not later than 30 business days” after receiving it. Those who violate the provision will be “subject to a civil fine of not more than double the amount of the undisclosed contribution.”
The measure includes additional language explicitly prohibiting foreign nationals from making “a contribution, independent expenditure, or expenditure to promote or defeat a ballot question or to qualify a question for placement on the ballot.”
HB 5197 now heads to Michigan’s Democrat-run Senate for consideration.
Hellbound and Down 