WV Senate passes bill to keep employer info for political donors off public campaign finance reports

The West Virginia Senate approved a bill Monday that will stop the public from accessing certain information about people who donate to political candidates and campaigns.

Senate Bill 640 passed the body 31-2, with one member absent and not voting. Sens. Joey Garcia, D-Marion, and Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell — the only two Democrats in the body — were the only members to vote against the bill.

As it’s written, SB 640 would stop the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office or any other government agency from publicly posting information that some lawmakers say could be used by advocates to target political donors.

Information that would be redacted includes the donor’s street address — including the house number and street name — and their employer or “major business affiliation.” Major business affiliation is defined in the proposed code to be the “entity” from which someone “derives the majority” of their income. Current law requires that all of this information is filed and made public on campaign contribution forms when a donor gives more than $250 during a single election cycle.




https://westvirginiawatch.com/2026/02/16/wv-senate-passes-bill-to-keep-employer-info-for-political-donors-off-public-campaign-finance-reports/