Idaho Gov. Brad Little Follows FGA Reform, Bans Private Money in Public Elections
- BY FGA
Naples, Florida—Last week, Idaho Governor Brad Little signed Senate Bill 1168 into law. The law prohibits private money to be used for the administration of elections. The law states that no county clerk, local elections office, or other local governing body administering or conducting an election may accept or expend any grant, gift, or funding from any private persons, corporations, organizations, business entities, political parties, or any other private entity.
Idaho’s new law is in line with the Foundation for Government Accountability’s (FGA) State Reforms to Safeguard Elections. One of FGA’s state election reforms calls for states to prohibit local governments from accepting funding from private individuals for the administration of elections.
“We at FGA applaud Governor Little’s decision to sign into law election integrity reforms,” said Gregg Pfister, FGA’s Government Affairs Director. “Idaho’s new law banning private money in public elections will protect the vote of every Idahoan. More importantly, it will prevent out-of-state billionaires and other powerful political interest groups from influencing future Idaho elections.”
In the 2020 election, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative funneled more than $740,000 in COVID-19 Response Grants to Idaho’s public elections through a left-leaning non-profit: the Center for Tech and Civic Life. Reports show the private money was primarily spent on get-out-the-vote efforts and other expenses unrelated to the pandemic.
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The Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) is a non–profit, multi–state think tank that specializes in health care, welfare, work, and election reform. To learn more, visit TheFGA.org.
