Investigative journalist Peter Schweizer, in his book The Invisible Coup: How American Elites and Foreign Powers Use Immigration as a Weapon, claims that a longstanding U.S. visa program may have enabled foreign money to flow into Democratic political campaigns, particularly during the 1990s.
Schweizer focuses on the Employment-Based Fifth Preference (EB-5) visa, established by Congress in 1990 to encourage foreign investment and job creation in the United States. Under EB-5, foreign nationals who invest at least $1.05 million—or $800,000 in targeted employment areas—and create ten or more American jobs may qualify for lawful permanent residency.
According to Schweizer, figures such as Maria Hsia and John Huang, both involved in promoting EB-5, later became central to campaign finance controversies in the 1996 election cycle supporting President Bill Clinton. A Senate investigation identified Hsia as an agent of the Chinese government who concealed her affiliations while facilitating political contributions, and Huang pleaded guilty in 1999 to conspiracy charges related to campaign finance violations. The report also references James Riady, whose family financial interests were implicated in similar contributions; the Democratic Party returned over $1 million in contributions deemed improper.
Schweizer asserts that the EB-5 program provided foreign investors—particularly from China—indirect access to U.S. campaigns. Foreign nationals are prohibited from contributing to elections, but permanent residents created through EB-5 were able to make donations. One cited case involves Danhong “Jean” Chen, a Chinese citizen and EB-5 facilitator whose business directed hundreds of thousands of dollars to Democratic campaigns; she and her husband were later indicted on visa fraud and identity theft charges, though Chen reportedly fled before arrest.
The book highlights broader concerns, including firms advertising political access to attract EB-5 investors, national security implications from foreign investments in U.S. infrastructure, and discrepancies between Chinese policy restricting capital transfers and the operation of EB-5 recruiting firms. Schweizer claims some community organizations linked to the United Front Work Department instructed donations to Democratic campaigns, including Hillary Clinton’s 2008 primary efforts.
Separately, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee voted to advance contempt resolutions against former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for failing to comply with subpoenas regarding Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal network. The subpoenas, issued in July 2025, aimed to determine whether federal agencies neglected to pursue leads connected to Epstein and his associates, marking a major escalation in the ongoing investigation.
