(NewsGlobal.com)- Little is known about Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss other than he’s one of the wealthiest philanthropic men in the world. He also has deep pockets and deep ties in Washington DC, including the White House, according to reports.
Wyss spends hundreds of millions of dollars on progressive advocacy organizations and has tremendous clout in the Democrat Party. But one question has gone unanswered in the American press. Is Wyss a permanent resident or a citizen of the United States?
The media had no idea, but Wyss’ sister Hedi had written a biography of her brother, and she said no. Hansjörg Wyss is not a US citizen.
In the biography, “Hansjörg Wyss: My Brother,” Hedi Wyss explained that the press referred to him as one of their important citizens, even though he never filed for citizenship. And there is no such thing as an honorary citizen in the United States. Hedi claimed that what was important to her brother was exerting power through his foundations.
Foreign nationals without permanent residency are prohibited from giving directly to federal political candidates or political action organizations, as media reports observed in an article about Wyss a year ago. However, they are not prohibited from making donations to organizations that attempt to influence public policy. Meanwhile, a watchdog organization has filed a lawsuit over the distinction.
News reports show that Americans for Public Trust is suing the Federal Election Commission for neglecting to investigate foreign money in our elections. In April, Caitlin Sutherland, the organization’s executive director, explained to reporters that Mr. Wyss, who is prohibited from directly or indirectly influencing our elections, has done precisely that by potentially funneling hundreds of millions of dollars to liberal and left-wing groups through the Arabella Advisors network. She believes we won’t know the full scope of his foreign influence in our electoral process until the FEC takes action.
A spokesperson for Wyss’s Wyss Foundation and Berger Action Fund, both based in Washington DC, declined to comment to the media about Wyss’ citizenship or the nature of his political spending. They claimed that both organizations expressly prohibit their grant recipients from using grant funds to support or oppose political candidates or parties. Instead, they claim to fund biodiversity and climate crises, income inequality, and health disparity issues.
According to the investigative media reports, Wyss’ gifts have been routed through a network of organizations that conceal the ultimate receivers of his funds. In recent years, the two aforementioned organizations have contributed over $160 million to the New Venture Fund and the Sixteen Thirty Fund. The Sixteen Thirty Fund is a dark-money giant that contributes to progressive and Democrat groups, according to the reports.
When questioned about any interactions between Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss and the Biden administration, the White House did not respond to media requests for comment.
