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Title 52, Voting and ElectionsRelease 119-110

§30121 Contributions and Donations by Foreign Nationals

Title 52 › Subtitle III — Federal Campaign Finance › CHAPTER 301 — FEDERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGNS › SUBCHAPTER I — DISCLOSURE OF FEDERAL CAMPAIGN FUNDS › § 30121

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Foreign nationals are banned from giving money, goods, or promises of money or goods to influence federal, state, or local elections. They also may not give money to a political party committee or pay for independent campaign spending or election-related ads (see section 30104(f)(3) for that term). No one may ask for, take, or accept those kinds of election contributions or donations from a foreign national. "Foreign national" means either (1) a "foreign principal" as defined in 22 U.S.C. 611(b), except U.S. citizens, or (2) a person who is not a U.S. citizen or U.S. national and who is not lawfully admitted for permanent residence under 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(20).

Full Legal Text

Title 52, §30121

Voting and Elections, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Prohibition
It shall be unlawful for
(1)
(2)a person to solicit, accept, or receive a contribution or donation described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1) from a foreign national.
(b)“Foreign national” defined
As used in this section, the term “foreign national” means—
(1)a foreign principal, as such term is defined by section 611(b) of title 22, except that the term “foreign national” shall not include any individual who is a citizen of the United States; or
(2)an individual who is not a citizen of the United States or a national of the United States (as defined in section 1101(a)(22) of title 8) and who is not lawfully admitted for permanent residence, as defined by section 1101(a)(20) of title 8.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was formerly classified to section 441e of Title 2, The Congress, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 319 of Pub. L. 92–225 was renumbered section 314, and is classified to section 30115 of this title. Another prior section 319 of Pub. L. 92–225 was renumbered section 318, and was classified to section 439b of Title 2, The Congress, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 96–187.

Amendments

2002—Pub. L. 107–155, § 303(1), substituted “Contributions and donations by foreign nationals” for “Contributions by foreign nationals” in section catchline. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 107–155, § 303(2), added subsec. (a) and struck out former subsec. (a) which read as follows: “It shall be unlawful for a foreign national directly or through any other person to make any contribution of money or other thing of value, or to promise expressly or impliedly to make any such contribution, in connection with an election to any political office or in connection with any primary election, convention, or caucus held to select candidates for any political office; or for any person to solicit, accept, or receive any such contribution from a foreign national.” Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 107–155, § 317, inserted “or a national of the United States (as defined in section 1101(a)(22) of title 8)” after “United States”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2002 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 107–155 effective Nov. 6, 2002, see section 402 of Pub. L. 107–155, set out as an

Effective Date

of 2002 Amendment;

Regulations

note under section 30101 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

52 U.S.C. § 30121

Title 52, Voting and Elections

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110