From the People Who Brought California Prop 59, The Overturn Citizens United Act
We have work to do to get foreign money out of California Elections. Can You Help?
Join our Monthly Meetings the 2nd Saturday of every month at 10am PT.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE NO FOREIGN MONEY CAMPAIGN.
You're invited to join our monthly NO FOREIGN MONEY information and organizing ZOOM calls, as we prepare for the reintroduction of the GET FOREIGN MONEY OUT OF CALIFORNIA into the California Legislature in December, so we can get foreign money out of California elections in 2026!
The root problem at the core of our political dysfunction is money in politics. We all know that.
But did you know that when the Supreme Court in Citizens United ruled that U.S. corporations could contribute unlimited amounts of money in U.S elections that our corrupt SCOTUS opened a loophole for foreign money in our elections because there is so much foreign investment in U.S. corporations.
In fact, foreign investors own 42% of all the shares held in US corporations. That's a lot of foreign money!
But US Election Law clearly prohibits foreign money in US elections. (Read 52 US Code Section 30121)
Shockingly, 98% of the S&P 500 US corporations qualify as "foreign influenced" under the thresholds of the model legislation developed by MOVI's partners at the Center For American Progress (CAP), and Free Speech For People.
This model legislation has twice been introduced into the California legislature, AB 1819 in 2022, and AB 83 in 2023. AB 83 got very close to an Assembly floor vote in January, 2024, having passed through the Elections and the Appropriations committees, but did not have the 2/3 majority required to pass. We can't let that happen again.
The bill will be reintroduced in December 2025. We'll need to make sure our legislators know Californians agree there should be NO FOREIGN MONEY in our elections.
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This model legislation is law in:
This model legislation is pending in five states, and was signed into law in Minnesota by Governor Tim Walz,, but a single Trump appointed judge prevented it from going in effect. Read Free Speech For People's response to the ruling.
- Hawaii SB 1032
- Illinois HB 3071
- Massachusetts SD 1152/ HD 984
- New York S 324/A 1258
- Pennsylvania H.R.8988
At the federal level, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and Rep. Jamie Raskin have introduced this same model legislation into their respective chambers
- S.4666
- H.R.8988
You're invited to join our monthly NO FOREIGN MONEY information and organizing ZOOM calls, as we prepare for the reintroduction of the GET FOREIGN MONEY OUT OF CALIFORNIA into the California Legislature in December, so we can get foreign money out of California elections in 2026!
Dates (usually the 2nd Saturday of the month):
- Saturday, July 12th at 10am
- Saturday, August 9th at 10am
- Saturday, September 13th at 10am
- Saturday, October 11th at 10am
- Saturday, November 8th at 10am
- Saturday, December 13th at 10am
Most Americans rightly believe that foreign money is banned from US elections as it is very clearly prohibited 52 U.S. Code § 30121.
Here's what Justice Kavanaugh had to say about foreign money in our elections writing in Bluman v FEC (2012), while he was on the DC Court of Appeals:
“[I]t is fundamental to the definition of our national political community that foreign citizens do not have a constitutional right to participate in, and thus may be excluded from, activities of democratic self-government. It follows, therefore, that the United States has a compelling interest for purposes of First Amendment analysis in limiting the participation of foreign citizens in activities of American democratic self-government, and in thereby preventing foreign influence over the U.S. political process.”
Foreign interests can easily diverge from U.S. interests, for example, in the areas of tax, trade, investment, and labor law. Corporate directors and managers view themselves as accountable to their shareholders, including foreign shareholders. As the former CEO of U.S.-based Exxon Mobil Corp, Lee Raymond, starkly stated, “I’m not a U.S. company and I don’t make decisions based on what’s good for the U.S.”
Pro-democracy groups urge Congress to hold the Supreme Court Accountable
**LISTEN TO MICHELE SUTTER ON "CORPORATIONS AND DEMOCRACY" on KZYX**
Talking points:
- US Election Code prohibits direct and indirect contributions of foreign money into US elections. (52 U.S. Code § 30121)
- Citizens United v FEC (2010) created a loophole for foreign money to slide in anyway. Now it's an avalanche.
- 42% of all shares held in US corporations are owned by foreign investors! 42%!
- The California Legislature must bring California into compliance with US Code and get the foreign money out of our elections.
- Close the loophole! Please co-author AB 83 to Get Foreign Money Out of California Elections.
Did you know that foreign investors currently own 42% of shares of US corporations? And did you know that 98% of the S&P 500 US corporations qualify as "foreign influenced"!?
LEARN MORE ABOUT WHY WE NEED TO BAN FOREIGN CORPORATE INFLUENCE
- Sign the Petition
- Read the Author's Fact Sheet About AB 83
- Read the MOVI Fact Sheet About AB 83
- Read the MOVI Talking Points About AB 83
- See the Sample Organizational Support Letter
- Read the Free Speech For People Comprehensive Case for AB 83
- Read the Center for American Progress Letter of Support for AB 83
- Read US Election Law
- Written Testimony from Laurence H. Tribe (Harvard Law School)
- Written Testimony from John C. Coates IV (Harvard Law School)
- Written Testimony from Federal Election Commissioner Ellen L. Weintraub
- Rep. Raskin's Letter to the SEC about his Federal Version of this Bill HR 6283
Want to know more about AB 83? Click here to request a speaker from MOVI at your organization's next online meeting.
Robert Reich explains the problem of foreign influence in our elections
WE ALSO NEED PEOPLE TO WRITE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR OF YOUR LOCAL PAPERS TO TELL THEM WHY YOU CARE ABOUT THIS. It's not as daunting to write one as it may seem. If your paper has any articles on this issue, a quick response is usually appreciated to show you are reading closely. Here is a simple how to write a letter to the editor.
AB 83 has been endorsed by: Center for American Progress, Courage California, End Citizens United, Free Speech For People, Indivisible CASS, The League of Women Voters of California, Our Revolution, PDA-CA, PFAW, Public Citizen, RepresentUS and over 130 organizations.
US Code clearly prohibits foreign money in US elections. Citizens United v FEC opened our elections to foreign money and influence through foreign investors who now hold over 42% of all shares in US corporations. The result has been precisely what our founders feared.
Watch the Virtual Town Hall with:
- California Assembly Member Alex Lee (author of AB 83)
- Congressman Jamie Raskin (author of HR 6283)
- Free Speech For People's President John Bonifaz
- Former Seattle City Council President Lorena Gonzalez
- San Jose City Council Member David Cohen (San Jose Motion Author)
- MOVI's Michele Sutter
Want to know more about the campaign to get foreign money out of California Elections? Click here to request a speaker from MOVI at your organization's next online meeting.
HR 6283, Get Foreign Money Out of U.S. Elections Act (Rep. Jamie Raskin) HR 6283 would prohibit foreign influenced corporations from participating in US Elections.
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Read Rep. Raskin's letter to the Security and Exchange Commission on why foreign influenced corporations should not participate in US elections.
With the passage of Prop 59 California voters instructed our elected officials “to use all of their constitutional authority” to deliver to the people of California an amendment to the US Constitution which would remove Big Money from our elections.
22 states have passed legislation instructing the US Congress to pass an amendment to overturn Citizens United. Virginia became the 22nd in January, 2021. When the Wyoming legislature introduced a 2017 bill to overturn Citizens United that left only 7 states in the entire country with no formal measures undertaken to overturn Citizens United.
Money Out Voters In, MOVI is an organization of democracy advocates dedicated to ending corporate rule and promoting civic engagement.
Money Out Voters In is a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and donations are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed under the law.
