H.R. 2675, known as the Protecting Our Courts from Foreign Manipulation Act and sponsored by Congressman Ben Cline (VA-06), has advanced out of the House Judiciary Committee. The legislation aims to address concerns about foreign influence in U.S. legal proceedings.
The bill proposes several measures. It would require any foreign person or entity acting as a third-party litigation funder in federal civil cases to disclose their involvement. In addition, it seeks to prohibit sovereign wealth funds and foreign governments from directly or indirectly participating in litigation finance as third-party funders. The legislation also calls for the Department of Justice’s National Security Division to submit a report on the extent of foreign third-party litigation funding throughout the federal judiciary.
“Foreign adversaries like the CCP have no business secretly influencing America’s courts. My bill safeguards the integrity of our judicial system and ensures that the decisions made in U.S. courtrooms are driven by justice, not by hidden foreign interests. I am proud to see it pass out of the House Judiciary Committee today,” said Rep. Ben Cline.
Ben Cline has represented Virginia’s 6th Congressional District since 2019, after succeeding Bob Goodlatte in Congress (https://cline.house.gov/about). He previously served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2002 to 2018 (https://ballotpedia.org/Ben_Cline). Before his congressional service, Cline worked as an attorney and assistant prosecutor.
Cline was born in Stillwater, Oklahoma, in 1972 and currently lives in Fincastle with his wife Elizabeth and their two children. He holds a BA from Bates College and a JD from the University of Richmond.
