U.S. Seeking Use of Funds to Aid Russian Democracy

[Igel]

8. Depends.

On the law and the group's structure and the activity.

"Civil society" has a fairly broad range of meanings. If DU or Greenpeace or some Canadian-American Cultural Association were to money from a Canadian donor, that's a Canadian citizen sponsoring civil society in the US.

I once was marginally involved in organizating a conference on the evolution of US/European Union relations immediately preceding as well as after the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was co-funded with the German Embassy. US government folk and people with an impact on US/European policy making (whether direct or through agitating in academic journals) would be present and participate. That would make it a portion of civil society funded by a foreign government. Hardly illegal. The US embassy decided to support the event by sending some sort of junior vice associate official 3rd grade.

It wouldn't be espionage, in any event. Sedition, perhaps, but not espionage.

BTW, after 9/11 there were Saudi-sponsored public service spots bought up in the US media.