A bill authored by Assemblywoman Suzette Martinez Valladares, R-Santa Clarita, which seeks to ban campaign donations from foreign governments and people in California, passed the California State Assembly Thursday.
Assembly Bill 319 (AB 319), written by Valladares and passed through the assembly with no “no” votes Thursday, would allow the Fair Political Practices Commission to enforce federal laws banning campaign donations from foreign entities.
“This bill protects the integrity of California’s elections and helps keep out foreign contributions that undermine our democratic process,” said Valladares. “I thank my colleagues for recognizing that these illegal contributions cannot go unnoticed or unpunished.”
AB 319 has been introduced because the Federal Election Commission (FEC), which enforces rules against foreign campaign donations, has been unable to enforce those laws efficiently, according to the bill’s content.
“Despite federal law prohibiting these contributions, the FEC has largely been unable, unwilling, or unnecessarily slow to prosecute these violations,” read the bill. “In part because of its six-member structure, the FEC often finds itself deadlocked on significant decisions.”
Additionally, the FEC has over 400 cases that have not yet been reviewed, according to Valladares.
AB 319 would allow the Fair Political Practices Commission to take on the role of enforcer of laws against foreign contributions to elections, both state and local.
The bill does this by adding the federal law against the donation or receipt of foregn campaign contributions in state and local elections as amendments to California’s Political Reform Act of 1974.
“The FEC’s inability to enforce existing federal laws has left all elections in the United States, including those in California, vulnerable to interference by foreign entities,” read the bill. “Because of this, the Legislature must take action to ensure that future violations of existing prohibitions on foreign contributions do not go unnoticed nor unpunished.”
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