The specter of any foreign government meddling in U.S. elections is an issue that we, like all Americans, take very seriously. Contributions and expenditures by foreign nationals in connection with U.S. elections are prohibited by the Federal Election Campaign Act and Commission regulations. 52 U.S.C. § 30121; 11 C.F.R. § 110.20. For decades, the Commission has enforced the foreign national prohibition and we have voted to punish violations in several matters. 1 The Commission has committed to expedite pending enforcement matters that raise issues about foreign nationals’ potential involvement in U.S. elections, and we have done so.
We believe that this agency’s enforcement process is the proper mechanism for addressing any allegations about foreign interference in the 2016 presidential election.