Alexandria, VA – Today, Americans for Public Trust filed a complaint with the Missouri Attorney General against the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Foundation and “Stop the Ban” for violating Missouri’s Foreign Influence in Ballot Measures Act. The complaint alleges the ACLU Foundation knowingly received foreign donations and, in turn, contributed to a Missouri ballot measure committee, Stop the Ban — the exact pattern of giving the law was designed to stop.
“As the recipient of millions in foreign money, ACLU Foundation is prohibited from spending in ballot issue campaigns in Missouri. Yet, in reckless disregard for Missouri’s law, the foundation took foreign money and then funneled half a million dollars to Stop the Ban. Missouri’s law is clear: foreign money is banned from directly or indirectly influencing ballot measure campaigns. Given the substantial evidence in our complaint, and Attorney General Hanaway’s work to end foreign interference in Missouri, we have full confidence the state will take swift action against both organizations. This is yet another illustration of why every state should have laws on the books banning foreign money in ballot campaigns.” – Caitlin Sutherland, Executive Director, Americans for Public Trust
Click HERE to read the full complaint.
Fast Facts:
- Effective August 28, 2025, the Foreign Influence in Ballot Measures Act comprehensively prohibits foreign funding of Missouri ballot measure campaigns.
- As part of the new law’s rollout, “affirmations of compliance” with the ban on foreign money were added to reporting forms that must be filed by both the organization contributing to a ballot measure committee and the committee receiving the contribution.
- These forms make it clear that a ballot issue committee must acknowledge that it has “not knowingly or willfully” received foreign funding, “whether directly or indirectly.”
- The forms also make it clear that a contributor, here the ACLU Foundation, would have to file a form collected by Stop the Ban which would attest that the ACLU Foundation is neither a foreign national nor has received more than $10,000 in foreign funding.
- However, ACLU Foundation has taken millions in foreign funding over many years. And according to the Switzerland-based Oak Foundation’s recently released annual report, ACLU Foundation just received a new, two-year $2 million grant.
- The grant was made to provide “core support” to the ACLU Foundation, which the Oak Foundation identifies as a grant meaning “unrestricted funding.
- Since receiving this $2 million foreign grant, the ACLU Foundation has made multiple contributions totaling $500,000 to the Missouri ballot measure committee, Stop the Ban.
- Stop the Ban is a Missouri ballot issue committee that organized to oppose Amendment 3, a legislatively referred constitutional amendment to protect life.
- Stop the Ban would have to affirm on its reports that it had “not knowingly or willfully” received foreign funding “whether directly or indirectly.”
- APT is asking the Missouri Attorney General to commence an investigation into whether the ACLU Foundation and Stop the Ban violated the Foreign Influence in Ballot Measures Act by receiving foreign money, and turning around and bankrolling a Missouri ballot measure campaign.
