WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a senior member of the House Committees on Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Budget, released this statement on the introduction of the Duty to Refuse and Report Foreign Interference in American Elections Act of 2019:

“As the Mueller Report and the unanimous Intelligence Community Assessment of the United States indicated, Russia conducted a sophisticated campaign to subvert our democracy with the goal of electing Donald Trump and defeating Hillary Clinton. The Mueller Report revealed that the Russians effectuated their goals by selectively disseminating stolen emails, with the end of maximizing the adverse impact this would have on Secretary Clinton’s electoral prospects. The Mueller Report further indicated that Russia’s misinformation efforts also included the proliferation fake online profiles on social media platforms, with the goal of echoing and amplifying politically divisive messages, so as to sow discord within the electorate and suppress the vote for Secretary Clinton. As the Mueller Report lays bare, the Trump Campaign knew what Russia was doing and welcomed that assistance, did nothing to discourage it, did not report it, denied its existence and knowingly and happily accepted the benefits of the hostile foreign interference. While some may tolerate this as awful but lawful conduct, I do not because it is deeply corrosive and injurious to our democracy.

“That is why I have introduced H.R. 2353, the “Duty to Refuse and Report Foreign Interference in American Elections Act of 2019.” Upon enactment, this legislation imposes an affirmative duty: (1) to refuse any offer of election campaign assistance from any agent or entity acting on behalf or in the interest of a foreign government; and (2) to report to the Federal Bureau of Investigation any such offer of assistance from an agent or entity acting on behalf or in the interest of a foreign government. This duty to refuse and report applies to candidates and any person working for, or volunteering with, a candidate for election to federal office. The Act also requires the Federal Election Commission to require that a candidate for election to federal office must certify quarterly that he or she is compliance with the above requirements. Violation of the Act carries a penalty of not more than 5 years in prison and a fine of not more than $250,000.

“The threat to our country is real, as documented in detail in the Mueller Report and confirmed by the unanimous assessment of our nation’s Intelligence Community. And we currently face ongoing threats to our electoral apparatus by malicious state actors. Just this week, for example, the New York Times reported that the President’s Chief of Staff discouraged former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristjen Nielsen from sharing with the President intelligence about the serious threats Russia poses to the 2020 elections. Together with our nation’s shared experience during the 2016 election, it is clear that the time to write into the statute books the sensible notion that American elections are to be decided by American citizens, not foreign adversaries. I encourage my colleagues in the House to support this legislation, and look forward to working towards final passage and enactment into law.”