Investigative journalist Peter Schweizer's latest book, "The Invisible Coup: How American Elites and Foreign Powers Use Immigration as a Weapon," has brought to light a decades-old visa program that appears to have been a conduit for significant foreign funds into American political campaigns. The Employment-Based Fifth Preference visa, or EB-5, was introduced in the 1990 Immigration Act to attract foreign capital and create jobs in the U.S. However, Schweizer's findings suggest that the program's lenient structure has been manipulated to channel millions of dollars into the election process, primarily benefiting Democratic candidates.
The EB-5 program allows foreign nationals to gain green cards and permanent residency by investing a minimum of $1.05 million, or $800,000 in economically distressed areas, and generating at least ten jobs. Despite the program's investment goals, Schweizer alleges that the fast-track nature of the application process, which requires minimal vetting, has been exploited for political fundraising.
Key figures tied to the EB-5 program's inception include Maria Hsia and John Huang, who later became central to the fundraising controversies of the 1996 election cycle. The Senate investigation identified Hsia as an "agent of the Chinese government," and both Hsia and Huang faced legal repercussions for their involvement in campaign finance law violations. James Riady, another figure linked to the program, pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges related to illegal contributions.
Schweizer's research suggests that the EB-5 program was deliberately designed to facilitate foreign financial contributions to U.S. campaigns. Foreign nationals, after obtaining permanent residency, could then legally donate to political campaigns despite not being eligible to vote. In one case, Danhong "Jean" Chen, a Chinese citizen, and her firm assisted investors in securing EB-5 visas while directing considerable sums to Democratic campaigns.
The book also highlights firms specializing in EB-5 applications that blatantly advertised to potential clients the ability to make political donations and arrange meetings with high-ranking U.S. officials. The predominance of Chinese applicants raises alarm over potential influence exerted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), given its interest in influencing Western politics.
An example of the potential reach of this influence was seen during Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential primary campaign, where numerous donations traced back to New York City's Chinatown and "neighborhood associations" with alleged ties to Beijing's United Front Work Department.
Schweizer calls attention to the discrepancy between China's official policy, which limits citizens to transferring no more than $50,000 abroad annually, and the freedom EB-5 recruiting firms operate with inside China, despite investment thresholds far exceeding this cap. The book underscores the national security concerns posed by allowing foreign nationals, potentially with CCP connections, to invest in sensitive U.S. infrastructure projects.
In conclusion, "The Invisible Coup" sheds light on how the EB-5 visa system, ostensibly created to stimulate economic growth, may have been designed and used by individuals with ties to the Chinese Communist Party to funnel untraceable political contributions into American elections over multiple decades.
