Hey, Is that Legal?

Homepage > Politics Magazine > December 2008 > Hey, Is that Legal?

A guide for foreigners working on U.S. campaigns...

By Doug Daniels

In the summer of 2004, Rep. Jerry Weller (R-Ill.), who had just announced his engagement to a Guatemalan politician, posed an interesting question to the Federal Elections Commission: Could his fiancée, as a foreign national, participate in campaign-related activities surrounding his reelection efforts?

The laws regulating foreign involvement with campaigns are quite broad, prohibiting non-citizens from engaging in any form of decision-making or fund allocation relating to U.S. elections—federal, state or local. And that goes for working with unions, 527’s, or any other entity that might impact a political race. While Congress has tightened restrictions in recent years, the FEC is the lone agency tasked with implementing and enforcing these laws.

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