Preventing Foreign Interference in American Elections Act

This bill significantly amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 by expanding the prohibition on foreign money in U.S. elections to include funds used for activities such as voter registration , ballot collection , voter identification , and get-out-the-vote efforts . The legislation also explicitly bans foreign money for public communications referring to political parties and for the administration of federal, state, or local elections. Furthermore, it makes it unlawful to knowingly aid or facilitate such violations and clarifies that indirect contributions, made through intermediaries or with specific instructions, are also prohibited. To enhance enforcement, the bill allows individuals accused of violations to submit a certification under penalty of perjury as a defense, which the Federal Election Commission (FEC) must consider. It also limits the scope of FEC investigations to only the factual matter necessary to determine if a violation occurred, allowing petitions to quash subpoenas that exceed this scope. Additionally, political committees and other entities making independent expenditures or electioneering communications must now certify, under penalty of perjury, that their activities comply with the foreign money ban. Beyond election finance, the legislation introduces new protections for the privacy of donors to tax-exempt organizations . It restricts federal government entities from collecting or publicly disclosing donor identification information, with specific exceptions for agencies like the IRS, FEC, and congressional clerks acting lawfully, or pursuant to court orders. Unauthorized disclosure of donor information by federal officers or employees is made a felony, punishable by significant fines, imprisonment, and dismissal from office.