House Republicans on Wednesday took a step toward blocking private funding for the administration of elections, pejoratively termed “Zuckerbucks,” despite the protests of Democrats.
In a hearing last week and again in a markup Wednesday, House Administration Committee Republicans decried private money flowing into elections, from groups like the Center for Tech and Civic Life. Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, provided more than $300 million to CTCL in 2020 to offset the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and promote voter access.
“Zuckerbucks, or private funding of elections, is election interference plain and simple,” House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil said. The panel voted on party lines, 6-3, to advance legislation that would amend the federal tax code to bar nonprofits from providing direct funding to election organizations. It would also prohibit Washington, D.C., from accepting or using private funds for elections.
