South Dakota Governor Signs Bill Banning Outside Funding for Elections, Citing Mark Zuckerberg’s Spree

Contact Your Elected Officials
The Epoch Times Header

South Dakota’s governor on March 16 signed legislation into law that bans government entities from accepting outside funding to run elections.

Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, said the bill was necessary because of how Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife donated some $350 million ahead of the 2020 election to various organizations, which funneled the money to state and local officials to run the election in certain ways.

Wisconsin Special Counsel Michael Gableman asserted in a recent report that what unfolded in his state amounted to “election bribery” because cities that accepted the grants were forced to abide by conditions set by the grantee, an intermediary for Zuckerberg’s money called the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL).

South Dakota Senate Bill 122 takes aim at such outside spending, mandating all costs relating to an election be paid by the county through appropriated funds that come only from the government, except for gifts of a “nominal and intrinsic value.”

The legislation bans “situations like we saw with ‘Zuck Bucks’ that came in, and a billionaire gave millions of dollars into our election system, which we believe tainted the integrity of it,” Noem said after signing the bill.

“In South Dakota, we recognize the important work of protecting our election laws, that we don’t want outside private dollars influencing that, and it’s incredibly important that we pass laws like this to make sure that’s upheld,” she added.

Counties in South Dakota received over $250,000 from CTCL “to support the safe administration of public elections during the COVID-19 pandemic” ahead of the 2020 election, according to a tax filing.

A spokesman for Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, told The Epoch Times in an email, “When our nation’s election infrastructure faced unprecedented challenges due to the pandemic, Mark and Priscilla stepped up to close a funding gap and granted $350 million to the Center for Tech and Civic Life and $69.5 million to the Center for Election Innovation and Research, non-partisan, 501 (c)(3) organizations.”

By Zachary Stieber

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

Obama Floats ‘New Forms of [State-Controlled] Journalism’

Notorious nemesis of civil liberties one and all, Barack Obama, ]apparently endorses a heavy state hand in the “regulation” of information.

Privilege Is Financial, Not Racial

If we stay divided by race, we’ll keep fighting each other while the true elites of all races thrive unseen, counting their wealth in comfort.

California Repeats Illinois’ History, PROSECUTE Newsom!

California may have improperly licensed 62,000 illegal aliens as Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) truck drivers.

The Stage Is Set For A US-Instigated Security Dilemma Between The Eurasian Rimland & Heartland

The US sends mixed signals on the Sino-Russo alliance after Trump downplayed concerns while Hegseth said he was ordered to “re-establish deterrence.”

Chambers of Horror

Using a shutdown to legislate is like using a flame thrower to light a candle, it provides light momentarily but destroys everything in its path.

Federal Judge Weighs Forcing USDA to Pay SNAP Benefits Despite Shutdown

A judge weighed forcing the USDA to use a $5 billion fund to prevent a lapse in the national food stamp program amid looming funding shortfalls.

About 80 Missing Children Rescued, 1,700 People Arrested in Memphis: Bondi

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said federal operations in Memphis this month recovered 80 missing children and arrested 1,700 people, including 126 gang members.

San Jose Proclaims ‘Republic of China Day,’ Honors Taiwanese Community’s Contributions

San Jose declared Oct. 25 “Republic of China Day,” honoring the Taiwanese American community’s cultural and economic contributions to the city.

US Tightens Ban on Chinese Tech Gears

The United States has extended its ban on Chinese electronics to cover products partly made by companies blacklisted on national security grounds.

US, South Korea Finalize Trade Deal Reducing Tariffs, Boosting American Investment

The U.S. and South Korea finalized a major trade deal on Oct. 29 as President Trump wrapped up the final hours of his Asian tour on the Korean Peninsula.

Trump, Japanese PM Sign Critical Minerals, Rare Earths Deal

The U.S. president visited Tokyo on the second leg...

Trump Hikes Canada’s Tariffs by 10 Percent for Not Pulling Anti-Tariff Ad Immediately

Trump announced he will increase tariffs on Canada by 10% after ad by provincial government of Ontario misrepresented President Reagan’s speech on tariffs.

Trump Rolls Back Emissions Rules on Copper Smelters

President Trump issued a proclamation aimed at reversing a Biden-era environmental rule that enforced stricter air emission standards on copper smelters.
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

MAGA Business Central