Sen. Dan Roberts, R-Mountain Brook, speaks to colleagues on the floor of the Alabama Senate on Feb. 12, 2026 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. The Senate on Thursday passed a bill prohibiting foreign nationals from directly or indirectly contributing to Alabama campaigns. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector)
The Alabama Senate on Thursday passed a bill that would prohibit foreign nationals from donating to Alabama candidates’ campaigns.
HB 214, sponsored by Rep. James Lomax, R-Huntsville, mirrors a federal law and intends to keep foreign influence from Alabama elections. Sen. Dan Roberts, R-Mountain Brook, carried the bill in the Senate.
“Under current federal law, foreign nationals are banned from donating to political candidates and committees. Loopholes in the law have led to millions of foreign dollars being funneled to influence ballot issue campaigns like constitutional amendment referendums across the United States,” Roberts said.
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A 2021 analysis by OpenSecrets, a nonprofit organization that gathers data on money used in American politics, found that $33.5 million in individual political contributions came from foreign agents and lobbyists during the 2020 election despite a federal law prohibiting foreign national involvement. Foreign nationals can hire U.S. citizens to lobby and donate on their behalf, the analysis found.
Roberts did not say if money from foreign nationals had been contributed to state campaigns.
The bill prohibits foreign nationals from donating “directly or indirectly” to state or local political parties, political action committees, election advertisements or promising to donate to campaigns. Candidates and noncandidate offices are also prohibited from soliciting donations from foreign nationals. Violations of both are Class C felonies, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
“Currently, Alabama does not have a matching state law. Therefore, state and local prosecutors do not have the ability to pursue instances of criminal foreign influence on our elections,” Roberts said.
The bill passed 30-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.
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Author: Anna Barrett