{"id":2383077,"date":"2024-12-23T13:52:02","date_gmt":"2024-12-23T18:52:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kansas-gop-plots-wyss-inspired-foreign-money-ban-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-12-23T13:55:13","modified_gmt":"2024-12-23T18:55:13","slug":"kansas-gop-plots-wyss-inspired-foreign-money-ban-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kansas-gop-plots-wyss-inspired-foreign-money-ban-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Kansas GOP plots Wyss-inspired foreign money ban &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fkansas-gop-plots-wyss-inspired-foreign-money-ban-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2383077&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Kansas\u200d Republicans\u2062 are planning to introduce a proposal aimed at closing a loophole that permits foreign funding of \u2064state ballot measures. This\u200d initiative\u2063 is reportedly inspired by \u200cconcerns \u2062over the financial influence of Swiss billionaire Hansj\u00f6rg Wyss, whose contributions have raised alarms regarding foreign interference in U.S. elections.\u2062 Kansas GOP \u200dRep. Pat \u2064Proctor stated that \u200bthe legislation coudl be introduced \u2062as early as\u200d January 2025, as part \u200dof broader efforts to\u200c ensure that elections\u2063 are decided by Kansans \u200drather than foreign entities. This legislative move follows similar legislation \u2064passed in Ohio,\u200c which prohibited foreign\u200c nationals from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fec-allows-foreigners-to-fund-us-ballot-measures\/\" title=\"FEC Allows Foreigners To Fund US Ballot Measures\">funding ballot measures<\/a>. \u2063The issue gained prominence due to significant \u2062spending by the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a Democratic dark money \u2064group, which has been\u2064 linked to Wyss and has \u2062reportedly spent considerable amounts against conservative initiatives in Kansas and \u200bOhio. Proctor emphasized the\u200c need to eliminate foreign financial\u2064 influence from Kansas elections, making it\u200c a top priority for the state\u2019s\u200d Republicans.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Kansas Republicans plot Hansj&ouml;rg Wyss-inspired ban on foreign funding<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1917736\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>EXCLUSIVE <\/strong>&mdash; Republicans in Kansas plan to back a proposal to close an alleged <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/in_focus\/3265218\/billionaire-hansjorg-wyss-gop-foreign-influence-loophole-fight\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">loophole<\/a> allowing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/3242291\/billionaire-hansjorg-wyss-ups-giving-democratic-dark-money-tied-news-network\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">foreign money<\/a> to fund statewide ballot measures, the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> has learned.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The introduction of the bill could come as early as January 2025, said GOP state Rep. Pat Proctor, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kslegislature.gov\/li\/b2023_24\/committees\/ctte_h_electns_1\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">chairman<\/a> of the Elections Committee and an assistant professor in the homeland security program at Wichita State University. It grew out of Republican-led concerns over the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2809693\/sixteen-thirty-fund-haley-aide-liberal-dark-money-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Sixteen Thirty Fund<\/a>, a Democratic dark money group based in Washington, D.C., spending around $1.5 million in 2022 to oppose an abortion-related amendment to the state&rsquo;s constitution.<\/p>\n<p>The Sixteen Thirty Fund, which is part of a constellation of nonprofit organizations managed by a consulting firm called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2804931\/news-washington-examiners-gabe-kaminsky-explains-investigating-dark-money\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Arabella Advisors<\/a>, has received hundreds of millions of dollars since 2016 from the Berger Action Fund, tax records show. Based in Washington, the Berger Action Fund is bankrolled by Hansj&ouml;rg Wyss, a Swiss billionaire <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/in_focus\/3265218\/billionaire-hansjorg-wyss-gop-foreign-influence-loophole-fight\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">whose donations have landed him<\/a> in the crosshairs of congressional and state investigations into foreign influence in the United States.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/in_focus\/3265218\/billionaire-hansjorg-wyss-gop-foreign-influence-loophole-fight\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"BILLIONAIRE HANSJ&Ouml;RG WYSS AT CENTER OF GOP&rsquo;S FOREIGN INFLUENCE &lsquo;LOOPHOLE&rsquo; FIGHT\"><strong>BILLIONAIRE HANSJ&Ouml;RG WYSS AT CENTER OF GOP&rsquo;S FOREIGN INFLUENCE &lsquo;LOOPHOLE&rsquo; FIGHT<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There is nothing to prevent these <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/schumer-and-pelosi-affiliated-groups-funnel-millions-in-anonymous-cash-into-midterms\/\" title=\"Schumer and Pelosi-Affiliated Groups Funnel Millions in Anonymous Cash Into Midterms\">dark money nonprofits<\/a> from using foreign money to influence Kansas elections,&rdquo; Proctor told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;I am of the mind that Kansas elections should be decided by Kansans and not some foreign billionaire.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to get foreign money out of our elections,&rdquo; Proctor said. &ldquo;This is one of my top priorities.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>News of the GOP-led plans to thwart foreign influence comes after Republicans successfully passed a law in Ohio that banned foreign nationals from funding ballot measures. The Sixteen Thirty Fund routed more than $8 million last year to two political action committees behind a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">successful effort enshrining abortion rights<\/a> in the state&rsquo;s constitution, according to tax <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sixteenthirtyfund.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/2023-Sixteen-Thirty-Fund-Form-990-Public-Disclosure-Copy-bnJAVgQYKTxcQpgdwdYN.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">records<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kansas state Rep. Pat Proctor makes a point as chairman of the House Elections Committee about a bill that would overhaul the state Governmental Ethics Commission and rewrite campaign finance laws on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023, at the statehouse in Topeka, Kansas. (AP Photo\/John Hanna)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Following the passage of the Ohio ban, the Sixteen Thirty Fund stopped funding a redistricting ballot <a href=\"https:\/\/ohiocapitaljournal.com\/2024\/08\/05\/who-is-funding-ohios-redistricting-amendment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">amendment<\/a> that failed in November. In Ohio, Republicans <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohiosos.gov\/media-center\/press-releases\/2024\/2024--5-09\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">zeroed in<\/a> on Wyss&rsquo;s giving as a key example of the alleged funding loophole. His wealth is also routed through a private foundation in Washington that supports left-leaning organizations and conservation causes.<\/p>\n<p>Wyss, 89, lives in Wyoming and founded the medical device manufacturer Synthes. Republicans in Congress, led by the House Administration Committee, have also increasingly scrutinized the Swiss billionaire&rsquo;s influence and put forth a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/118th-congress\/house-bill\/8399\/text\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">proposal<\/a> earlier this year that would amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to further restrict donations from foreign nationals.<\/p>\n<p>Wyss, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/in_focus\/3265218\/billionaire-hansjorg-wyss-gop-foreign-influence-loophole-fight\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">a former member<\/a> of the secretive Democracy Alliance club for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/perspective-stop-whining-plebs-the-dc-elite-are-also-suffering\/\" title=\"Perspective: Stop Whining, Plebs, the DC \u00c9lite Are Also Suffering\">left-wing billionaires<\/a>, made six figures&rsquo; worth of illegal political donations from 1990 to 2006, which the Federal Election Commission declined to take action on because the statute of limitations had passed. The billionaire once told a newspaper he &ldquo;never felt the need to become an American,&rdquo; though, according to Wyss&rsquo;s sister, Hedi, his goal is to &ldquo;(re)interpret the American Constitution in the light of progressive politics.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We 100% need to stop this in our state,&rdquo; Proctor said. <\/p>\n<p>The Republican said he is working with Heritage Action for America, a conservative advocacy group connected to the Heritage Foundation think tank, on introducing the Kansas bill. Heritage Action notably <a href=\"https:\/\/heritageaction.com\/press\/heritage-action-applauds-ohios-overdue-ban-of-foreign-interference-in-state-elections\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">supported<\/a> the foreign influence ban in Ohio that became law. Its state advocacy director, Catherine Gunsalus, is the former Kansas assistant secretary of state and lives in Johnson County, Kansas. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;They&rsquo;ve got a model policy that addresses this,&rdquo; Proctor said. <\/p>\n<p>The plans in Kansas underscore how more states are aiming to follow Ohio&rsquo;s playbook and use Wyss as an example of how to clamp down on the alleged foreign funding loophole. Wyss&rsquo;s influence is felt in other ways in Kansas, because the billionaire&rsquo;s foundation <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/3242291\/billionaire-hansjorg-wyss-ups-giving-democratic-dark-money-tied-news-network\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">helps fund the umbrella group<\/a> for the left-leaning <em>Kansas Reflector<\/em> news outlet.<\/p>\n<p>A 2023 poll sponsored by Honest Elections Project Action, a conservative advocacy group, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.honestelections.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/July_2023_HEP-_Polling_Memo.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">found<\/a> that 78% of people think foreign nationals should not be influencing elections.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Sixteen Thirty Fund did not respond to a request for comment. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The Wyss Foundation and Berger Action Fund support organizations and policies that lower the cost of healthcare, promote economic opportunity, and conserve and expand access to our public lands,&rdquo; said Marne&eacute; Banks, a spokeswoman for the Wyss-backed nonprofit groups. &ldquo;Both organizations comply with laws and rules governing their activities and prohibit grants from being used to support or oppose political candidates or parties.&rdquo; <\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1917736\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1917736\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kansas Republicans aim to ban foreign funding for ballot measures<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":381,"featured_media":2383078,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/GettyImages-468292694.jpg.optimal.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[47306,6203,6133],"class_list":["post-2383077","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-foreign-money-ban","tag-gop","tag-kansas"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/GettyImages-468292694.jpg.optimal.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2383077","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/381"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2383077"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2383077\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2383081,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2383077\/revisions\/2383081"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2383078"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2383077"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2383077"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2383077"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}