Protecting Our Courts from Foreign Manipulation Act of 2025

Key Points

• This bill, introduced by Representative Cline, aims to stop foreign governments and their investment funds from paying for lawsuits in U.S. federal courts. It would make it illegal for any party in a civil case to accept money from a foreign state or a government-owned investment fund to help pay for their legal battle.
• If an outside foreign person who is not part of a government provides money for a lawsuit, the people involved in the case must tell the court and the Department of Justice. They have to share the funder's name, address, and country, and they must provide a copy of the actual funding agreement to the other side.
• The goal is to prevent foreign countries from using the American legal system to influence U.S. interests or manipulate court outcomes. By requiring transparency, the bill ensures that judges and the government know who is really behind a lawsuit and who stands to profit from the result.
• The Attorney General would be required to send a report to Congress every year detailing how much foreign money is flowing into U.S. courts. This report would include which countries the money is coming from and what types of lawsuits are being funded.
• Any legal funding agreement that breaks these rules would be considered null and void, meaning it would not be legally binding. Additionally, lawyers or parties who fail to report this information could face penalties or sanctions from the judge.