WASHINGTON – Heritage Action, a conservative grassroots organization with two million grassroots activists, including thousands of Georgians, released the following statement from Janae Stracke, Vice President of Field Operations, supporting SB 222, legislation that would close the loophole in current law and ensure that no outside money is being used to fund state elections. This comes after reports revealed that the Center for Civic Tech and Civic Life (CTCL) skirted pre-existing Georgia laws and funneled $2 million into the DeKalb County Board of Elections through the so-called U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence.
“CTCL’s attempts to violate the spirit of Georgia laws with their recent DeKalb County funding scheme proves that states all across the country need new legislation to close loopholes and secure state elections. Now that the legislation has cleared the Senate Ethics Committee, the Georgia General Assembly is one step closer to passing SB 222. The legislation would both prohibit local governments and officials from soliciting or accepting donations earmarked for election administration, and also require donations from outside organizations be returned. This legislation should be a blueprint for other states looking to close the ‘ZuckBucks 2.0’ loophole and ensure their elections are free from outside, partisan influence.
Elections are the bedrock of our republic, and citizens must be able to trust their votes will be counted at the ballot box. States cannot continue to allow bad actors to manipulate and undermine state laws and voting processes. Heritage Action commends the Georgia General Assembly for their swift response to the CTCL county funding project and thanks Senator Max Burns for introducing this important legislation. We look forward to working alongside Georgians to build on the progress from previous years and make sure it is easy to vote and hard to cheat in the Peach State."
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