Over the past several months, several states have introduced bills that mirror the federal Foreign Agents Registration Act (“FARA”). There has been a trend in the states to propose so-called “baby FARA” laws that apply to foreign-influenced political activity in the states, though the proposals vary in the scope of
Continue Reading Arkansas Governor Signs Baby FARA LawForeign Agents Registration Act
Attorney General Issues Memorandum Regarding FARA Criminal Enforcement
By Robert Kelner, Brian D. Smith & Alex Langton on
Posted in Enforcement, Foreign Agents Registration Act
On her first day in office, Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a significant memorandum to all Department of Justice employees regarding the Department’s criminal enforcement policies, including a notable directive related to the Foreign Agents Registration Act (“FARA”). The memorandum provides that “[r]ecourse to criminal charges under the Foreign Agents…
Continue Reading Attorney General Issues Memorandum Regarding FARA Criminal EnforcementDepartment of Justice Proposes Major Changes to FARA Regulations, Including Sweeping Changes Affecting Multinational Companies
On January 2, 2025, the Department of Justice published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
(“NPRM”) soliciting public comments on potential amendments to the Department’s regulations
regarding the Foreign Agents Registration Act (“FARA”). The regulatory amendments proposed
by the Department are significant, and they would take the statute in a substantially…
Avoiding Pitfalls on the Path to Election Day: Common Political Law Risks for Corporations in Election Season
With Election Day fast approaching, corporations face increasing pressure from both internal and external forces to make legal decisions about political activities. This can be a fraught area of law, with little understood, highly technical regulatory issues that vary significantly across jurisdictions. Corporate counsel should be mindful of common—and sometimes…
Continue Reading Avoiding Pitfalls on the Path to Election Day: Common Political Law Risks for Corporations in Election SeasonGeorgia Governor Vetoes “Baby” FARA Bill
By Robert Kelner on
Posted in Foreign Agents Registration Act, State Law
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has vetoed Georgia Senate Bill 368, which would have created a requirement in state law for certain “agents of foreign principals” to register and report certain lobbying and political activities in Georgia. This is the first of the wave of recently proposed baby FARA bills at…
Continue Reading Georgia Governor Vetoes “Baby” FARA BillStates Introduce More “Baby” FARA Bills
By Robert Kelner & Alex Langton on
Posted in Foreign Agents Registration Act, State Law
Over the past several weeks, legislatures in Arizona, California, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Tennessee have introduced bills that mirror the federal Foreign Agents Registration Act (“FARA”). There has been a trend in the states to enact so-called “baby FARA” laws that apply to foreign influenced political activity…
Continue Reading States Introduce More “Baby” FARA BillsDOJ Officials Signal New Trends in Enforcement and Interpretation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act
Posted in Foreign Agents Registration Act
On December 1, 2023, three top U.S. government officials responsible for enforcing the Foreign Agents Registration Act (“FARA”) gave remarks at the American Conference Institute’s 5th National Forum on FARA. In their remarks, each of the speakers – Deputy Assistant Attorney General Eun Young Choi, the Acting Chief of the…
Continue Reading DOJ Officials Signal New Trends in Enforcement and Interpretation of the Foreign Agents Registration ActCongress Removes Foreign Agents Registration Act (“FARA”)-Related Provisions from Final NDAA
By Brian D. Smith & Alex Langton on
Posted in Foreign Agents Registration Act
Today, Congress announced the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act (“NDAA”) for Fiscal Year 2024. The NDAA is an annual bill that contains important provisions related to the Department of Defense and international security, among other things. An earlier version of the bill contained two key provisions related…
Continue Reading Congress Removes Foreign Agents Registration Act (“FARA”)-Related Provisions from Final NDAACongress Introduces Retroactive Foreign Agents Registration Act in Response to Wynn Decision
By Robert Kelner, Brian D. Smith & Alex Langton on
Posted in Foreign Agents Registration Act
Last week, a bipartisan, bicameral group of legislators introduced the Retroactive Foreign Agents Registration Act (“RFARA”) in the U.S. Congress. Led by Chairman Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) of the U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, the bill would amend the Foreign Agents…
Continue Reading Congress Introduces Retroactive Foreign Agents Registration Act in Response to Wynn DecisionSenate Passes Two FARA-Related Bills
By Derek Lawlor & Alex Langton on
On Thursday, the Senate passed two bills — The Lobbying Disclosure Improvement Act (S. 264) and Disclosing Foreign Influence in Lobbying Act (S. 289) — that attempt to increase disclosure of Foreign Agents Registration Act (“FARA”) activity through amendments to the Lobbying Disclosure Act (“LDA”). The…
Continue Reading Senate Passes Two FARA-Related Bills