On February 26, 2025, Americans for Public Trust Executive Director Caitlin Sutherland testified before the Kansas Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee on the dangers of foreign money in ballot initiatives. Sutherland testified in favor of House Bill 2106, which would ban foreign nationals from contributing to ballot measures. She highlighted Swiss Billionaire Hansjörg Wyss who has funneled just under $280 million to the Sixteen Thirty Fund. The Sixteen Thirty Fund has spent $130 million on ballot measures, including $1.6 million in Kansas.
Read excerpts from Caitlin’s testimony below:
On Support For House Bill 2016 …
“I thank you for the opportunity to testify in support of House Bill 2106 because enacting this legislation is a crucial step to ensure your politics are free from foreign meddling. Despite a federal ban on foreign nationals influencing elections, they can still exploit loopholes on the state and federal level that still allow foreign money to flow into important policy fights and electoral tools. And that’s because there is no federal or Kansas prohibition on foreign nationals contributing to organizations that spend for or against ballot measures.”
On Swiss Billionaire Hansjörg Wyss And His Recent Spending…
“This foreign influence loophole must be closed, especially because earlier this month, important tax records were released that revealed a Swiss billionaire named Hansjörg Wyss funneled an additional $59 million in a single year to liberal dark money groups. Mr. Wyss is not a U.S. citizen, but his goal is to ‘(re)interpret the American Constitution in the light of progressive politics.’ According to the New York Times, Mr. Wyss’ ‘political activism is channeled through a daisy chain of opaque organizations that mask the ultimate recipients of his money.’ One of those opaque organizations is a Washington, D.C.-based group called the Sixteen Thirty Fund, and they are largest beneficiary of Mr. Wyss’ foreign money, receiving almost $280 million over many years.”
On Sixteen Thirty Fund Spending In Kansas…
“In 2022, Sixteen Thirty Fund was the number one donor to Kansans for Constitutional Freedom, an organization that formed to oppose a legislatively referred amendment to protect life in Kansas. That amendment was defeated, in part by almost $1.6 million in foreign-backed funds contributed by Sixteen Thirty Fund. We must also remember that as Mr. Wyss’ money flows through the Sixteen Thirty Fund, there is absolutely nothing stopping China or Qatar from taking advantage of these same loopholes.”
