Member of the Irish House of Representatives Darra O’Brien proposed to ban political parties from accepting donations in cryptocurrencies due to fears of interference in election campaigns.
Darragh O’Brien has sent a letter to Ireland’s political party leaders asking them to amend the Electoral Reform Bill 2022, according to local media reports. He stated the need to review political funding, in particular financial support for parties or individuals, and prohibit them from accepting digital assets. This will prevent foreign interference in the voting process, the politician believes.
O’Brien stressed the need to tighten rules on all foreign contributions and require parties to report their real estate portfolios in accordance with international accounting standards and best practices. Party leaders will also have to sign declarations that they comply with the new political finance laws.
In addition, a special commission will soon be set up to develop a new “code of conduct” and legal obligations for social media organizations. It will also include technical experts who will advise on real cyber threats during election campaigns. The commission will check the facts published during the election campaigns and provide clarifications for any materials that may be called inaccurate.
In January, O’Brien already approached Attorney General Paul Gallagher about setting up a working group of lawyers and political scientists to pass new election integrity laws. The politician added that comprehensive recommendations are already being developed to create legal and digital protection against malicious interference in elections.
Ireland is pretty tough on cryptocurrencies. In February, the country’s central bank announced that it plans to impose a ban on private investors from trading crypto assets. Unlike Ireland, the US is becoming more “advanced” with regard to cryptocurrencies. For example, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis recently announced that he would be accepting digital asset contributions to advance his political campaign.
