(WNY News Now) – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24), co-chair of the Election Integrity Caucus, has reintroduced the End Zuckerbucks Act to restrict tax-exempt organizations from directly funding official election activities, amid concerns over the influence of private donors in elections.
In a bid to address concerns over the influence of private donors in elections, Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) has reintroduced the End Zuckerbucks Act. The proposed legislation aims to amend the Internal Revenue Code, prohibiting 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations from directly funding official election organizations through donations or donated services.
The move comes after scrutiny of the 2020 election, where Mark Zuckerberg utilized a non-profit organization, the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL), to allocate $350 million to local boards of elections. This funding, purportedly for pandemic-related safety measures, primarily flowed to left-leaning county governments across several states. However, reports suggest that a minimal portion of these funds were allocated for their intended purpose, with the majority directed towards activities unrelated to election safety, such as advertising and vehicle purchases.
CTCL’s subsidiary, the Alliance for Election Excellence, has further raised concerns by providing discounted services to select jurisdictions, potentially influencing the voting process without democratic input.
Congresswoman Tenney emphasized the need to restore public trust in elections, asserting that private billionaire donors with political agendas undermine the democratic process. She highlighted that 28 states have already banned similar funding practices, underscoring the urgency for federal action.
“Allowing private, billionaire donors with corrupt political agendas to fund our elections undermines public trust in our elections and threatens our self-governing Constitutional Republic,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “So far, 28 states have banned Zuckerbucks, reiterating the urgent need to do so on the federal level. We must ban billionaires and corrupt special interest groups from spending millions to influence our election administration and voting policies.”
The End Zuckerbucks Act aims to curb the influence of wealthy donors and special interest groups in election administration and voting policies, thereby safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process.
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