Accepting foreign electoral help

Accepting foreign electoral help is the solicitation or acceptance, by US campaigns or officials, of foreign-source assistance prohibited by federal election law — money, opposition research, organized media operations, or other things of value. Concrete forms include direct contributions or in-kind support from foreign nationals or governments, the cultivation of foreign-state media operations friendly to a campaign, and the laundering of foreign assistance through US shell entities. Lawful interactions with foreign nationals and lawful disclosures of foreign contacts are ordinary; the abuse is the prohibited assistance.