A left-leaning dark money organization seems to have found a way to channel funds from foreign billionaires into U.S. elections, reportedly spending tens of millions to influence voter turnout in critical states.
The Sixteen Thirty Fund, a nonprofit that has directed over $1 billion in dark money towards liberal initiatives, has allocated nearly $23 million this election cycle to state ballot measures addressing various issues, including abortion and election reform, as detailed in a report from Americans for Public Trust shared exclusively with The Daily Wire.
Given that these ballot measures typically align with liberal viewpoints, they likely attract voters who will also cast their ballots for Vice President Kamala Harris.
Among the notable contributors to this organization are prominent figures like Democrat megadonor George Soros, billionaire Pierre Omidyar, and Swiss national Hansjörg Wyss. Wyss has stated that he has “never felt the need to become an American” but aims to “(re)interpret the American Constitution in the light of progressive politics,” according to a biography authored by his sister.
Wyss has donated $243 million to the Sixteen Thirty Fund. Although foreign nationals are barred from contributing to American political candidates or trying to sway elections directly, they are allowed to fund state ballot initiative campaigns.
This election cycle has seen the Sixteen Thirty Fund support ballot initiatives in various swing states, as reported by Americans for Public Trust.
In Arizona, for example, the organization contributed $1.25 million to a ballot initiative aimed at establishing a constitutional right to abortion. A similar initiative is on the Nevada ballot this November, with the Sixteen Thirty Fund contributing $500,000 to that campaign. Democrats believe that featuring abortion on the ballot could enhance voter turnout among their base in these states.
The Fund is also backing initiatives in Ohio, Florida, Nebraska, Montana, Missouri, and Alaska.
Since its inception in 2014, the Sixteen Thirty Fund has invested over $115 million into ballot measures across 25 states, with $34 million in Michigan, $21 million in Ohio, $11 million in Colorado, and other significant sums in locations like Missouri and Nevada.
Americans for Public Trust has urged Congress and state legislatures to address this “foreign influence loophole.”
“It’s unconscionable that foreign money is currently influencing our politics through a loophole most mainstream media and politicians are either ignoring or don’t know about,” said Caitlin Sutherland, Executive Director of Americans for Public Trust, in an interview with The Daily Wire.
“Activists like the ones running Sixteen Thirty Fund are targeting competitive states — not just to usher in left-wing legislative changes via these ballot measures, but also to give a boost to the liberals at the top of the ticket, which folks have openly admitted that’s their goal,” Sutherland noted.
She highlighted the case in Montana, where Democrat Senator Jon Tester is having a tough time, coinciding with the presence of an abortion initiative on the ballot.
“I can’t imagine Montanans would be okay knowing foreign dark money is targeting their state to give a boost to the Left’s preferred candidate,” she added.
According to Sutherland, Missouri has been the “top target” for the Sixteen Thirty Fund this cycle.
“At least $8 million came into their state from this foreign-backed group to fund two ballot issue campaigns — one on abortion and one on minimum wage/paid sick leave. I don’t think the people of Missouri would be thrilled to know a foreign billionaire is helping push policy that would never pass in a million years if they weren’t sidestepping the legislature,” she said.
She pointed to Ohio, which earlier this year became the first state to prohibit both direct and indirect foreign funding of state ballot measures, albeit after the Sixteen Thirty Fund had already contributed millions to a ballot initiative there.
