In a quiet yet profound manner, Hansjrg Wyss, a Swiss billionaire, has been steadily influencing the American political landscape.
With an estimated net worth of approximately five billion dollars, the 89-year-old has funneled over $800 million into various left-wing causes across the United States.
His financial contributions have bolstered climate change groups, abortion activists, and the Clinton Foundation, among others. Wyss's sister once revealed his ambition to "(re)interpret the American Constitution in the light of progressive politics."
Despite being a foreign national, a status that prohibits him from directly contributing to candidates or Political Action Committees (PACs) under federal law, Wyss has found a way to navigate the system. He has become a "leading source of difficult-to-trace money to groups associated with Democrats," as reported by the New York Times.
According to a report by the election watchdog group, Americans for Public Trust (APT), Wyss established two nonprofitsthe Wyss Foundation and the Berger Action Fund. These organizations have channeled nearly $500 million into a vast network of Democratic-aligned dark money groups. A significant portion of this funding has been directed to organizations managed by Arabella Advisors, a major player in left-wing dark money.
The Sixteen Thirty Fund (1630), an Arabella-affiliated group, has been the primary recipient of these funds. The Atlantic described 1630 as the "indisputable heavyweight of Democratic dark money." The Berger Action Fund alone has donated over $200 million to 1630, which has subsequently distributed it to hundreds of progressive organizations.
While foreign nationals are forbidden from directly supporting candidates or super PACs, Wyss's organizations have exploited a loophole that allows foreign money to finance state ballot initiatives. Specifically, 1630 has spent over $130 million on ballot campaigns in 25 states, embedding policies such as late-term abortion and drug decriminalization directly into state constitutions. These policies can only be reversed by another constitutional amendment.
In Michigan, 1630 invested over $33 million, resulting in ballot initiatives that enshrined a right to abortion and a right to no-excuse absentee voting in the state constitution. The group also channeled nearly $13 million into Missouri, where marijuana legalization and Medicaid expansion were recently incorporated into the state constitution through ballot initiatives.
Foreign money also supports Democratic candidates at the state level. APT discovered that 1630 donated $1 million to a "progressive communications hub" that spent $9 million promoting the Democratic candidate in Wisconsin's Supreme Court race.
In response to this influx of foreign money, several states have enacted legislation to prevent foreign funding of local ballot campaigns. Janae Stracke, Vice President of Outreach and Advocacy at Heritage Action for America, noted that the interest in this issue has been bipartisan. Five statesKansas, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, and Wyominghave already passed bans, and several others are considering similar legislation.
Wyoming's Republican Governor, Mark Gordon, recently signed one such ban, House Bill 0337, into law. The Wyoming Secretary of State's Office hailed the bill as a "landmark piece of legislation and pivotal to ensuring foreign nationals are banned from meddling in Wyoming elections."
Stracke emphasized the importance of this issue, stating, "Foreign money in state ballot initiatives thwarts the American voice. This is an 80/20 issue." She suggested that the primary opposition to such legislation stems from financial interests.
When asked for a comment, a representative for the Wyss Foundation confirmed the Berger Action Fund's contributions to 1630 but declined to comment on whether Wyss supports legislation that bans foreign funding of state ballot initiatives.
While Wyss's actions have primarily exploited the foreign funding loophole, it's worth noting that Chinese entities have also contributed millions of dollars to groups promoting progressive climate policies.
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