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Panel hears testimony urging ban on foreign funding of Michigan ballot measures
Summary
Witnesses urged passage of HB 51 97 to close a federal loophole that allows foreign nationals to fund state ballot measures; testimony cited the "16Thirty Fund" and traced millions in foreign-tied spending in Michigan while members questioned enforceability and donor-privacy trade-offs.
Representative Smith introduced House Bill 51 97 as a measure "which would close existing loopholes in our election system by prohibiting foreign funding of ballot proposals and initiatives." She said federal law already bars foreign contributions to candidate campaigns but not to ballot measure committees.
Caitlin Sutherland, founding executive director of Americans for Public Trust, testified that foreign money is actively bankrolling U.S. policy fights and ballot campaigns. "One of [16Thirty Fund's] top donors is a reclusive Swiss billionaire named Hans…
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