Several U.S. laws and executive orders prohibit foreign interference in elections, including the ban on foreign nationals making contributions or expenditures in federal elections (52\) U.S.C. (30121\) and laws against voter intimidation (18\) U.S.C. (594\).
The government has also used Executive Order (13848) and acts like the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose sanctions. While existing laws are in place, new legislation is being considered to close loopholes, such as those related to foreign interference through shell companies.
Existing laws and authorities Foreign nationals ban: Foreign nationals are prohibited from participating in U.S. elections by making contributions or expenditures (52\) U.S.C. (30121).
Voter intimidation: Federal law also prohibits threatening, intimidating, or coercing anyone to interfere with their right to vote in a federal election (18\) U.S.C. (594).
Executive Orders: Executive Order \(13848\), issued in \(2018\), allows for sanctions in response to foreign interference in U.S. elections, which is implemented through regulations by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).International Emergency Economic Powers Act: This act is one of the legal authorities that provides the basis for sanctions in response to election interference.
Loopholes and proposed legislation Shell companies: Existing laws may not adequately prevent foreign governments or nationals from using shell companies to secretly fund political activity in U.S. elections.Proposed laws: New bipartisan legislation, such as the Shell Company Abuse Act, aims to close these loopholes by making it a felony to use shell companies to hide foreign interference in elections.
Other bills like the DETER Act and the Foreign Agents Disclosure and Registration Enhancement Act have also been proposed to strengthen protections against foreign influence.
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