Alexandria, VA – Today, Americans for Public Trust released the following statement after a judge denied Marc Elias and the foreign-funded “Kansans for Constitutional Freedom” request to block a Kansas law that bans foreign money in ballot issues.
“Marc Elias’ loss is a huge win for Kansans and all Americans who want to end foreign influence in our politics. This is the second time a court has made clear that states have every right to pass laws preventing foreign nationals from directly or indirectly dumping money into ballot issue campaigns. These important campaigns can change a state’s constitution and influence other races up and down the ballot, and we will continue to support all efforts to safeguard our elections from foreign influence.” – Caitlin Sutherland, Executive Director, Americans for Public Trust
Click here to read the judge’s order.
HB 2106 is now set to take effect July 1, 2025. The court found that the state “has identified a compelling interest in preventing foreign influence in Kansans’ decisions about its foundational governing document,” and groups seeking to influence it still can — they “just can’t use foreign money to do so.”
Caitlin Sutherland’s testimony in favor of HB 2106 can be found here.
American for Public Trust and Honest Elections Project’s joint amicus brief defending HB 2106 can be found here.
