Marc Elias, the left’s legal sharpshooter, is at it again, suing Kansas to dismantle a law shielding ballot measures from foreign cash, as the Washington Free Beacon reports. His firm, Elias Law Group, represents Kansans for Constitutional Freedom, a pro-abortion group bankrolled by shadowy funds. This isn’t about free speech -- it’s about who gets to pull the strings.
The lawsuit, filed last week, targets Kansas’s HB 2106, a law designed to curb organizations with foreign donations from meddling in ballot initiatives and referenda. Elias’s client, Kansans for Constitutional Freedom, pushed a 2022 ballot measure cementing abortion protections in Kansas’s constitution. Now, they’re crying foul over rules that dare to limit their foreign-backed influence.
HB 2106, Kansas’s attempt to keep elections homegrown, restricts groups from taking big money from foreign nationals or corporations. Elias’s lawsuit claims it’s “overly broad” and stomps on free speech. Funny how “free speech” always seems to need a foreign billionaire’s checkbook.
Enter Hansjörg Wyss, a Swiss billionaire who’s funneled over $650 million to liberal causes since 2002. His Wyss Foundation and Berger Action Group poured nearly $280 million into the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a dark money group that handed $1.5 million to Kansans for Constitutional Freedom. Follow the money, and it smells like foreign influence.
Wyss’s charities also gave $9 million to the ACLU and $6 million to Planned Parenthood. Oh, and his foundation paid Elias Law Group $61,251 for “consulting” in 2022. Cozy, isn’t it?
Kansans for Constitutional Freedom whines that HB 2106’s donor disclosure rules are “unnecessary.” “There is no reason why a donor should have to provide detailed and confidential information,” their lawsuit gripes. Transparency, apparently, is only for the little guy.
Elias formed his law firm in 2021, but his legal activism rap sheet goes back further. As Hillary Clinton’s lawyer, he bankrolled the debunked Steele dossier alleging Trump-Russia ties. His former partner, Michael Sussmann, even caught an FBI lying charge over that fiasco.
In 2021, Elias sued New York election officials, claiming voting machines robbed his client, Rep. Anthony Brindisi, of victory. Yet, when Republicans raised voting machine concerns in 2020, Elias scoffed. Principles, it seems, are flexible when you’re on the payroll.
Last year, Elias’ firm tried the same stunt in Ohio, challenging a law banning foreign cash in ballot measures. “The measures in the bill constitute unconstitutional attacks on First Amendment rights,” Kansans for Constitutional Freedom’s lawsuit bleats. Funny how the First Amendment always gets dragged out when foreign wallets are at stake.
The Sixteen Thirty Fund, a Wyss-funded dark money group, has been a cash pipeline for Elias’ clients. It's $1.5 million to Kansans for Constitutional Freedom in 2021 and 2022 fueled their abortion ballot push. Kansans deserve to know who’s bankrolling their elections, not just trust Elias’ word.
Americans for Public Trust nails it: “Truth is, foreign nationals shouldn’t have a say in shaping our laws or policies through large-scale financial influence.” Elias’ lawsuit pretends it’s about free speech, but it’s about keeping the foreign spigot flowing. Actions, as they say, have consequences.
Elias’ history shows he’s no stranger to playing dirty. Last year, his firm’s Evidence for Impact group spent millions propping up Libertarian Chase Oliver to siphon votes from Trump. Kansas’s law is just the latest obstacle in his quest to tilt the playing field.
Elias even worked for Kamala Harris’ campaign last year, proving he’s a go-to for Democrats desperate to cling to power. His 2021 push to overturn Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks’ electoral win for his client Rita Hart was another flop. Consistency isn’t his strong suit, but persistence is.
Wyss, meanwhile, isn’t just a check-writer -- he’s got his baggage. Sued for sexual battery by a former employee last month, he’s hardly the saintly philanthropist Elias might want you to believe. Money doesn’t buy morality.
Kansas’s HB 2106 is a common-sense guardrail: keep foreign money out of our elections. Elias’ lawsuit, cloaked in “free speech” rhetoric, is a desperate bid to let global elites buy influence over American voters. Kansans deserve better than a system where the highest bidder calls the shots.
