The radical Left will do anything to try and win the election. They’re desperate to defeat former President Trump.
And Leftists have been caught in this dark money scheme to try and influence the 2024 election.
A left-wing dark money group appears to have discovered a loophole that allows it to channel millions of dollars from foreign billionaires into U.S. elections, with a focus on increasing voter turnout in key states.
The Sixteen Thirty Fund, a nonprofit responsible for funneling more than $1 billion to liberal causes, has reportedly spent close to $23 million during the current election cycle. Its focus has been on state ballot initiatives ranging from abortion rights to election reform, according to a report by Americans for Public Trust shared exclusively with The Daily Wire.
Since these ballot initiatives typically center on liberal issues, the voters they draw to the polls are also likely to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris if she appears on the ticket.
The list of donors to the Sixteen Thirty Fund includes prominent Democrat backers like George Soros, billionaire Pierre Omidyar, and Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss.
Wyss, who has reportedly said he’s never felt compelled to become a U.S. citizen, has voiced his desire to “(re)interpret the American Constitution in the light of progressive politics,” according to a biography his sister wrote.
Despite being a foreign national — and therefore prohibited from directly contributing to American political candidates or influencing elections — Wyss has donated $243 million to the Sixteen Thirty Fund. He has been able to do so because there is no law preventing him from funding state ballot initiative campaigns.
Americans for Public Trust revealed that the Sixteen Thirty Fund is actively supporting ballot initiatives in several key swing states, as well as states with tight Senate races this election cycle. In Arizona, for instance, the group contributed $1.25 million to a ballot initiative aiming to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution.
Nevada has a similar initiative on its ballot, to which the Sixteen Thirty Fund has donated $500,000. Democrats are hoping that the presence of abortion-related issues on the ballot will drive voter turnout in their favor.
The Sixteen Thirty Fund’s reach extends beyond these states, with financial backing for ballot initiatives in Ohio, Florida, Nebraska, Montana, Missouri, and Alaska. Since 2014, the organization has poured over $115 million into ballot measures across 25 states, with significant investments in states like Michigan ($34 million), Ohio ($21 million), and Missouri ($10 million), among others.
Americans for Public Trust has urged Congress and state legislatures to close what it calls the “foreign influence loophole,” highlighting the risks of allowing foreign money to influence domestic politics.
“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 her comments to The Daily Wire.
She added that activists behind the Sixteen Thirty Fund are strategically targeting competitive states, not only to pass progressive ballot measures but also to boost liberal candidates. Sutherland noted that in Montana, for example, Democrat Senator Jon Tester is facing a tough re-election campaign, and it’s no coincidence that the state has an abortion initiative on the ballot this year.
She continued, “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.”
Missouri has been a major focus of the Sixteen Thirty Fund’s efforts this cycle. According to Sutherland, at least $8 million has flowed into the state from the group to back two ballot campaigns: one on abortion and another on minimum wage and 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 remarked.
Sutherland pointed to Ohio as a model for addressing this issue. Earlier this year, Ohio became the first state to ban both direct and indirect foreign funding of state ballot measures — though not before the Sixteen Thirty Fund had already pumped millions into a ballot initiative there.
As foreign money flows into American politics through this legal gray area, the Sixteen Thirty Fund’s activities in swing states could have lasting implications for both policy and election outcomes.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
