Keep Foreign Money out of American Elections

  • Bob Fertik's picture
    Bob Fertik
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February 17, 2010

The majority opinion in Citizens United v. FEC states:

III(B)4: We need not reach the question whether the Government has a compelling interest in preventing foreign individuals or associations from influencing our Nation's political process.

Thus the Court did not summarily reject the principle that the Government has "a compelling interest in limiting foreign influence over our political process." Therefore new legislation grounded in that principle would not defy Citizens United on its face, and would be Constitutional unless the Supreme Court ruled otherwise in a new case. (And if this is a criminal statute, a new case worthy of certiori would have to be an appeal of a successful criminal prosecution.)

So how about expanding the existing ban on foreign money in American elections?

ยง 441e. Contributions and donations by foreign nationals

(a) Prohibition
It shall be unlawful for-

(1) a foreign national, directly or indirectly, to make-

(A) a contribution or donation of money or other thing of value, or to make an express or implied promise to make a contribution or donation, in connection with a Federal, State, or local election;
(B) a contribution or donation to a committee of a political party; or
(C) an expenditure, independent expenditure, or disbursement for an electioneering communication (within the meaning of section 434 (f)(3) of this title); or

(2) a person to solicit, accept, or receive a contribution or donation described in subparagraph (A) or (B) or (C) of paragraph (1) from a foreign national.

(b) "Foreign national" defined
As used in this section, the term "foreign national" means-

(1) a foreign principal, as such term is defined by section 611 (b) of title 22, except that the term "foreign national" shall not include any individual who is a citizen of the United States; or
(2) an individual who is not a citizen of the United States or a national of the United States (as defined in section 1101 (a)(22) of title 8 ) and who is not lawfully admitted for permanent residence, as defined by section 1101 (a)(20) of title 8.
or
(3) any corporation of which a foreign national is a shareholder

 

 

Comments

Go one step further and keep Corporate money out too!!!

  • NorCalDave's picture
    NorCalDave
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03/09/11
3:48pm

We need to end the corporatocracy in America and I've got a few ideas that could do just that.

THE NEWEST ADDITION/AMENDMENT TO THE BILL OF RIGHTS FOR AMERICA

1.  Reverse the "Citizens United" ruling ASAP!!!

2.  If per the supreme court that corporations are "people" than do away with the corporate tax structure, the corporate "peoples" can pay the same taxes we all do.  If they make millions or billions they should pay the same top tax bracket that anyone "person" would have to pay.  THIS WOULD ALSO FIX ALL OF THE FINANCIAL SHORTFALLS OUR GOVT HAVE HAD DUE TO THE LACK OF SUPPORT FROM THE TOP 2% RICHEST INDIVIDUALS AND RICHEST CORPORATIONS IN THE US.

3.  Close all tax loopholes for corporations TODAY!

4.  Criminalize lobbyist and lobbying TODAY.  The biggest cancer on our country, society and govt today is the free flowing corporate cash flowing into OUR government on a daily basis!!!  We must end this prostitution of our elected representatives or OUR democracy is dead.   WE ELECT OUR REPRESENTATIVES TO REPRESENT "WE THE PEOPLE", NOT THE CORPORATE WHORES WHO DUMP POUNDS OF CASH INTO THE CAPITAL EVERY DAY.    End the supplantation of our democracy and the misdirection of our representatives from the greater good of the citizenry to the bottom line of the corporate whores who are destroying OUR COUTRY!!