States and Localities Take on Foreign-Influenced Political Spending

Partner Ki Hong and associate Sam Rothbloom discuss "foreign-influence" bans on political spending recently adopted by a number of states and localities. Mr. Hong and Mr. Rothbloom describe how these new laws often go well beyond the prohibition of political spending by foreign nationals established in 1974 by amendments to the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA), as well as how they raise significant First Amendment and FECA preemption concerns.