Overview
A bold new law is needed to close the loophole that allows political spending by foreign-owned U.S. corporations.
Introduction and summary
The 2020 presidential election is less than a year away, and intelligence officials warn that foreign entities remain intent on affecting its outcome. At the same time, the U.S. House of Representatives is conducting an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, due in large part to his solicitation of foreign interference from Ukraine in the 2020 presidential contest.
In the midst of these threats, Americans’ trust in government is near all-time lows, with voters deeply skeptical about a political system that they believe is corrupted and dominated by corporations and wealthy special interests.1 This dominance has been especially prominent since the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission unleashed a torrent of spending directed to super PACs and shadowy nonprofit organizations.2