Democrats' HR1 election bill boosted by liberal dark money group financed by foreign national

A liberal dark money group bankrolled by a Swiss foreign national is spending big on lobbying for Democrats’ election overhauls that include H.R. 1, filings show.

H.R. 1 is the largest overhaul of the U.S. election law in at least a generation and covers many aspects of the voting process, including requiring states to automatically register eligible voters and offer same-day voter registration. The bill also requires states to offer 15 days of early voting and allows no-excuse absentee balloting, which 14 states would have to implement and the states that already allow it would have to conform to H.R. 1’s standards.  As part of the efforts, the Sixteen Thirty Fund has spent $1.3 million on internal lobbyists to push the reforms while dishing out $480,000 to outside firm Keefe Singiser Partners between 2019 and 2020, according to disclosures. Maura Keefe, the former chief of staff for Democratic New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, heads up the shop. Over the past year, the Sixteen Thirty Fund also paid $100,000 to Kountoupes Denham Carr & Reid to advocate on democracy reform and election integrity, including H.R.1.