Americans for Public Trust Unveils $5 Billion Foreign Nonprofit Funding Database

1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 31

$5 billion in foreign spending is cataloged in a new Americans for Public Trust database covering 523 politically active U.S. nonprofits and 12,090 contribution records.
The searchable tool targets a disclosure gap dating to the 1969 Tax Reform Act, under which nonprofits generally do not have to reveal donor identities even when money can flow into lobbying and election-related activity.
Jason Smith, the Republican chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, said the records support claims that foreign money is moving through shell funds and intermediaries to influence U.S. policymaking and public discourse.
The database traces contributions from 2007 through the past election cycle, while its backers argue the patchwork reporting rules across foreign jurisdictions make the true scale of overseas funding hard for voters to see.
Donor-privacy advocates such as ALEC say broader disclosure could expose contributors to harassment, underscoring the fight between transparency demands and First Amendment concerns.