Fighting Foreign-Corporate Political Access: Applying Corporate Veil-Piercing Doctrine to Domestic-Subsidiary Contributions

Authors

Ryan Rott, University of Michigan Law School

Abstract

Campaign finance regulations limit speech. The laws preclude foreign nationals, including foreign corporations, from participating in U.S. politics via campaign contributions. The unusual characteristics of corporations, however, may allow foreign corporations to exploit a loophole in the regulatory regime. A foreign corporation may contribute to political campaigns by acquiring a domestic subsidiary and dominating it. This Note addresses how these unusual corporate behaviors enable foreign corporations to illegally corrupt the political process. This Note concludes that to close the loophole without violating the free speech rights of domestic subsidiaries, Congress should enact legislation which would apply corporate veil-piercing theory to the campaign finance system, reinforcing its legislation with qui tam provisions.

Recommended Citation

Ryan Rott, Fighting Foreign-Corporate Political Access: Applying Corporate Veil-Piercing Doctrine to Domestic-Subsidiary Contributions, 114 Mich. L. Rev. 481 (2015).
Available at: https://repository.law.umich.edu/mlr/vol114/iss3/4