Nebraska sues Swiss billionaire for illegal funding of ballot initiatives

According to WOWT in Nebraska, the state is suing a Swiss national, alleging that he has funded six Nebraska ballot initiatives in violation of state law.

Key Takeaways:

• Nebraska AG Mike Hilgers announced during a press conference that the state has filed a lawsuit against Hansjörg Wyss of Switzerland, along with six "Wyss-backed entities."

• Wyss has alleged funneled millions of dollars into Nebraska to fund ballot initiatives, including one to expand abortion.

• Nebraska has a state law barring foreign nationals from contributing to state ballot initiatives.

The Details:

On Wednesday morning, Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers announced during a press conference that the state has filed a lawsuit against Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss and six "Wyss-backed entities" over "dark money" contributions allegedly made to five state campaigns and a local campaign in Lincoln in violation of state law.

Hilgers is asking the court for an injunction to stop Wyss from illegally contributing foreign funds to Nebraska ballot question committees in the future.

The "Wyss-backed entities" sued alongside Wyss are:

• Wyss Foundation

• Berger Action Fund Inc.

• Sixteen Thirty Fund

• New Venture Fund

• Hopewell Fund

• The Fairness Project

“They’re explicitly and frankly brazenly violating the law, and so we have filed a lawsuit to stop them going forward,” said Hilgers. A flow chart provided by the AG office shows how the money was moved.

Spokespersons for the Wyss Foundation and the Berger Action Fund have denied the accusations. "These allegations are false," they said. "We are confident the facts will demonstrate that the Wyss Foundation and Berger Action Fund have always complied with the law."

Abortion is winning at the ballot box, primarily because of deception

In addition, New Venture Fund said its "charitable work is nonpartisan and fully compliant with the law," and the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a nationwide self-described “progressive” organization with over $191 million in total revenue for 2022, said it "complies with all laws and regulations governing social welfare organizations in Nebraska...." It added that it is "proud to have supported local organizers who fought to secure paid leave, fair housing, and reproductive freedom in Nebraska." As Live Action News previously reported, the Hopewell Fund is a group that "primarily exists to sponsor a number of 'fake' groups: websites designed to look like standalone nonprofits," according to InfluenceWatch. 

The campaigns that received the funding are:

• Raise the Wage Nebraska

• Nebraskans for Paid Sick Leave

• Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana

• Protect Our Rights

• Support Our Schools

• Lincoln for Fair Housing

In 2022, Nebraska passed LB843, prohibiting foreign nationals from directly or indirectly funding ballot questions in the state. According to reports, many of the Wyss-backed donations were given after LB843 had become law.

The lawsuit alleges that since that law took effect, Wyss funneled $10 million through four nonprofits, Wyss Foundation, Berger Action Fund, New Venture Fund, and Sixteen Thirty Fund to Nebraska Appleseed, Civic Nebraska, Nebraska Abortion, and Reproductive Justice Fund Inc. In all, $17 million has allegedly been contributed by Wyss-backed organizations over five election cycles.

“Nebraskans are under an unprecedented assault of foreign money, flowing unlawfully into our state’s elections, which seeks to radically remake Nebraska’s laws and constitution. This billionaire and his dark-money allies have flaunted the law in Nebraska, and we filed suit to put a stop to these groups who seek to violate Nebraska law while pushing their radical agenda on the People,” said Hilgers. 

According to the Nebraska Examiner, "Wyss has been considered a major force in Democratic politics nationally, donating to numerous causes." It donated to States Newsroom, a network of nonprofit news outlets and the parent organization of the Nebraska Examiner, which reports abortion-related news from a pro-abortion angle.

Thirteen states, including Nebraska, prohibit direct and indirect contributions from foreign nationals to ballot campaigns. Six other states prohibit them from direct contributions only.

Why It Matters:

In November 2024, Nebraska voted on two abortion-related ballots: one seeking to protect preborn children and the other seeking to protect abortion.

Wyss' money went to support the ballot initiative that would have established a "fundamental right" in the state constitution to end human lives in the womb throughout pregnancy. It ultimately failed to pass and voters opted to keep the state's law protecting preborn children after 12 weeks in place.

The Bottom Line:

Pro-abortion ballot measures are generally proposed and funded by groups that appear to be local grassroots organizations, however, behind the scenes, these groups are actually Big Abortion and its allies.