(The Center Square) – A watchdog group filed a complaint with Missouri Attorney General Hanaway against the ACLU Foundation and Protect Majority Rule Missouri accusing them of violating Missouri’s Foreign Influence in Ballot Measures Act that prohibits foreign money from funding ballot issue campaigns.
Executive director of the filing watchdog Americans for Public Trust Caitlin Sutherland told The Center Square that “Missouri law clearly prohibits Protect Majority Rule Missouri from receiving money from foreign-backed groups like the ACLU Foundation.”
“As the recipient of millions in foreign money, the ACLU Foundation cannot bankroll Missouri ballot measures,” Sutherland said.
“Given the repeated violations and Attorney General Hanaway’s work to end foreign influence in Missouri, we trust swift action will be taken to protect Missourians from foreign influence,” Sutherland said.
Neither ACLU media relations nor Protect Majority Rule Missouri responded to The Center Square’s individual request for comment.
A spokesman from Hanaway’s office told The Center Square that “Missouri law relating to foreign influence in state ballot measure elections imposes strong confidentiality requirements under §130.185 and §105.1500.”
“The Attorney General is prohibited from revealing the identity of any entity or tax-exempt donor under investigation unless a final determination confirms a violation,” the spokesman said. “Unlawful disclosure of such information constitutes a violation of Missouri’s Personal Privacy Protection Act (§105.1500).”
“With that being said, the law does establish clear requirements for contributions in ballot measure elections, and Hanaway is committed to upholding the integrity of our elections,” Hanaway’s spokesman said.
Americans for Public Trust (APT) wrote in its complaint to Hanaway that it alleges the ACLU Foundation “is the recipient of foreign donations and has, in turn, contributed to a Missouri ballot measure committee, Protect Majority Rule Missouri,” in violation of state law.
The complaint said that the ACLU Foundation has received millions in foreign donations over the years, with one recent 2-year grant spanning from 2025 to 2026 equalling $2 million and coming from foreign donor The Oak Foundation.
According to APT’s complaint, the Oak Foundation stated it made its grant “[t]o provide core support to the ACLU Foundation, which works to protect civil rights, civil liberties, and the rule of law in the United States.”
In July 2026, ballot measure committee Protect Majority Rule Missouri “accepted contributions totaling $500,000 from the foreign-funded ACLU Foundation.”
As The Center Square previously reported, Missouri banned foreign donations from funding ballot issue campaigns in 2025.
APT’s complaint also noted that “additionally under the Act, the ACLU Foundation is required to file a ‘Contributor Information Card,’ collected by Protect Majority Rule Missouri, which includes an attestation that the contributor (here the ACLU Foundation) is neither a foreign national nor received more than $10,000 in foreign funding.”
“The [sheer] amounts of foreign money taken in by the ACLU Foundation alone make the degree of influence proliferated by foreign actors truly immeasurable,” the complaint said.
APT requests that Hanaway “commence an investigation pursuant to § 130.188 RSMo to determine whether, and to what extent, the ACLU Foundation and Protect Majority Rule Missouri may have evaded Missouri’s Foreign Influence in Ballot Measures Act.”
APT also requests that “if so determined,” Hanaway “pursue all available and appropriate penalties.”
In June, APT filed a complaint with Hanaway against the ACLU Foundation for donating to ballot measure committee Stop the Ban while also receiving foreign donations at the same time, The Center Square reported.
