Senator Collins Cosponsors Bill to Require Presidential Campaigns to Report Foreign Contacts
Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), a member of the Intelligence Committee, announced today that she signed on as a cosponsor to the Foreign Influence Reporting in Elections (FIRE) Act, legislation introduced by Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) that would require presidential campaigns to report attempts at foreign elections influence to the appropriate federal authorities at the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
“Russia’s efforts to interfere in our elections remain relentless,” said Senator Collins. “I’m proud to join Senator Mark Warner in cosponsoring the bipartisan FIRE Act to require presidential candidates to immediately call the FBI if they are contacted by a foreign power attempting to target our elections.”
The FIRE Act would require all presidential campaign officials to report any contacts with foreign nationals attempting to make campaign donations or otherwise coordinate with the campaign by offering information or services. Campaigns would be required to implement a compliance system to monitor reportable foreign contacts with campaign representatives and to train all onboarding employees and other associates on their legal obligations. The candidate must certify that this compliance system is in place. The campaign would also be responsible for reporting applicable foreign contacts to the FEC and FBI, preserving relevant records.
Click HERE for the full bill text.
As a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senator Collins has worked to protect the United States from foreign interference in our elections. Last week, the Committee released the first volume of its report investigating Russia’s attempts to interfere in U.S. elections.
Senator Collins supported the inclusion of $380 million in the fiscal year 2018 funding bill to improve states’ election infrastructure and help protect states from future attacks by foreign adversaries.
Other recent actions Senator Collins has taken include introducing the Invest in Our Democracy Act with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), which would help provide training and support to election officials who are on the frontlines to ensure elections are safe and secure; introducing the Protect Our Elections Act with Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Cardin (D-MD), which would prohibit foreign adversaries from owning and controlling the companies supporting American elections; and cosponsoring the Defending Elections from Threats by Establishing Redlines Act of 2019, introduced by Senators Van Hollen and Marco Rubio (R-FL), which would swiftly impose harsh sanctions on a foreign country if the Director of National Intelligence determines that it has attempted to influence or undermine faith in our electoral process.
