Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss is hoping to shape U.S. elections through his work with 501(c)(3) groups – left-wing nonprofit organizations, critics say. While it may not be a check written from Wyss to Kamala Harris's campaign, there may be several written to any number of nonprofits that support Harris and the Democrats.
That's according to J. Christian Adams, president of the Public Interest Legal Foundation, who addressed the issue on Washington Watch Thursday. Wyss, he explained, is taking advantage of a loophole in U.S. campaign finance laws that prohibit foreign nationals from contributing directly to candidates or campaigns – but not to nonprofit groups that may have similar interests.
A multibillion-dollar business
Americans for Public Trust recently released a report showing how nonprofits supported by Wyss have contributed $425 million in recent years – money that has potentially made its way to Democratic causes, Fox News reported. Adams said the money in play more than doubles that figure.
“When it comes to hard dollars, c3 contributions to campaigns – or to shape the country – is about ten times hard-dollar contributions,” Adams told show host Jody Hice. “It runs into the billions of dollars by left-wing c3s. They use these c3 dollars to get around the hard-dollar ban in Congress.”
Wyss and other foreign contributors want America’s values to greater reflect those in Europe, said the former DOJ attorney.
“They want to reshape America into a European, semi-socialist progressive secular country. That’s their goal. They’re not very shy about it. They want to impose their values through the c3 infrastructure,” Adams said.
And he explained that sometimes it’s not about getting certain candidates across the finish line on Election Night but making it much easier for them at earlier stages in the race.
NV ballots mailed to vacant lots, casinos
Money from these nonprofits has helped to strike down election integrity laws in Kansas, Arizona and Ohio, Adams said. His group is currently involved in litigation in Nevada in an effort to strengthen voting laws but is facing opposition from a number of 501(c)(3) groups.
The primary issue, he said, is the addresses for a number of registered voters. Many of them are listed as bars, casinos, liquor stores or vacant lots.
“We brought a lawsuit to try to get this cleaned up before the election. Well, what happens? Progressive 501(c)(3) groups, funded by donors, try to intervene in our case to stop the voter roll clean-up. They like it that thousands of ballots in Nevada get automatically mailed to places like bars and casinos,” Adams said.
Under existing Nevada law, ballots are automatically mailed to these addresses.
“These progressive groups are trying to preserve the status quo, trying to make sure the election stays broken. We have to fight them in court. We’re having hearings to try to keep them out of the case,” Adams said. “It’s just one small example of hundreds like it where c3 money from Swiss billionaires is affecting our elections.”
The Nevada case is Kraus, Paulos, PILF v. Portillo. It is currently before the Eighth Judicial District Court of the State of Nevada in and for the County of Clark. Adams' group reports it has been documenting and notifying Nevada election officials about problems on the state's voter roll since before the 2020 presidential election.
