February 12, 2025 •
District Court Permanently Blocks Implementation of Minnesota’s 2023 Foreign Influence

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The U.S. District Court permanently enjoined a statute passed by the Minnesota Legislature in 2023 that prevented entities who had a single foreign investor with a 1% interest or an aggregate of foreign investors holding 5% interest from making any independent expenditures or contributions. The court determined in its final ruling in Minnesota Chamber of Commerce v. Choi the statute violated the First Amendment right to free speech. Specifically, the court acknowledged the state has a compelling interest to prevent foreign influence in its elections but concluded the statute was not narrowly tailored to accomplish that interest.
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