Foreigners would be barred from making political donations to Georgia candidates, campaigns and political action committees under a bill that won final approval in the state House on Thursday.
The bill would help prevent the potential for outside influence on Georgia elections, said state Rep. Matt Reeves, a Republican from Duluth.
“What we want to do is make sure that the ballot box in Georgia is sacred and it is there for citizens and it is not cheapened by foreign influence and money on our elections,” Reeves said.
Foreign financing has rarely surfaced in Georgia campaigns, but supporters of the bill say they want to preclude it.
Federal law prohibits foreigners from donating to campaigns, but international money given to political action committees and other organizations is more difficult to track.
Senate Bill 368 also would bar campaigns and political organizations from accepting foreign funding, and it would require lobbyists and political consultants to disclose whether they’re agents of foreign entities.
“This is a commonsense measure to safeguard Georgia elections against foreign interference,” Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said. “Georgia voters need to know that their elections are free of foreign interference and that representatives of foreign entities register and disclose their activities.”
The legislation passed the House 161-2, and it now goes to Gov. Brian Kemp for his signature or veto.
This story has been updated to remove the name of an individual cited by Rep. Matt Reeves because that individual does not contribute to candidates or political parties.
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