# Plain Language Summary: Preventing Foreign Interference in American Elections Act

This bill tightens restrictions on foreign money flowing into American elections by expanding what counts as illegal foreign contributions and closing loopholes that allow money to slip through indirectly. Currently, federal law already bans foreign nationals from directly donating to campaigns, but this bill goes further by prohibiting foreign money from funding voter registration drives, ballot collection efforts, get-out-the-vote campaigns, and other election administration activities. It also makes it illegal for anyone to knowingly help a foreign national violate these rules, even indirectly through intermediaries or shell organizations. The key innovation is treating indirect contributions the same as direct ones—so if a foreign entity gives money to an American person with instructions (spoken, written, or implied) that it eventually funds election activities, that's now explicitly prohibited.

The bill also requires political committees, independent groups, and anyone running election-related ads to certify under penalty of perjury that they haven't accepted foreign money. This creates a paper trail and legal accountability. If someone is accused of violating these rules, they can submit a sworn statement denying it, which the Federal Election Commission must consider. The bill also limits investigations to focus only on whether a violation actually occurred, preventing broader fishing expeditions into unrelated activities.

Additionally, the bill includes a separate provision protecting donor privacy by preventing federal agencies from collecting or publicly releasing information about who donates to tax-exempt organizations like charities and nonprofits. This protects donors' identities from government disclosure, though it includes exceptions for the IRS, Congress, and the Federal Election Commission when they're acting within their legal authority. Violating this privacy protection is made a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and fines up to $250,000.