Georgia Senate passes measure to bar contributions from foreign nationals

(The Center Square) — The Georgia Senate has passed a measure that bars foreign nationals from donating to state candidates or campaign committees.

The state Senate voted 52-0 in favor of Senate Bill 368. The measure also requires foreign agents doing business in the Peach State to register with the state ethics commission.

"With President Joe Biden's open borders and failed policies, the number one issue facing our Nation is foreign interference in our campaigns and elections," Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, said in a statement. "That is why I am calling on the General Assembly to immediately pass legislation banning foreign funding in elections and campaigns and to require political consultants and lobbyists who are agents of foreign entities to register and disclose their work to the state.

"Georgia's elections are the safest in the nation and I work every day to keep it that way," Raffensperger added.

The measure would levy a $500,000 fine for each violation, state Sen. Rick Williams, R-Milledgeville, said during a discussion on the bill on the Senate floor.

Elections have been a hot-button issue following 2020's election. Raffensperger, who has drawn the ire of former President Donald Trump and some Republicans for his response to the 2020 election, has been vocal on election issues and has taken aim at fellow Republicans for some of their legislative pushes, such as a move to eliminate QR codes from ballots.