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 NDAA

This week, the Department of Justice (DOJ) released a new memorandum from Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco updating its policies and procedures for criminal investigations involving Members of Congress and congressional staff.  

DOJ emphasized that investigations reaching Congress are important and “sensitive matters,” and explained that the additional guidance would

Continue Reading Newly Issued DOJ Guidance Adds Significant New Requirements for Criminal Investigations Relating to Congress

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) officially dipped its toes into the ongoing national debate around artificial intelligence (AI) regulation, publishing a Federal Register notice seeking comment on a petition submitted by Public Citizen to initiate a rulemaking to clarify that the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) prohibits deceptive AI-generated campaign

Continue Reading FEC Seeks Comment on AI Petition After Earlier Deadlock, But New Rules Remain Elusive

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 Decision

California recently passed a series of new regulations affecting its “pay-to-play” laws that limit political contributions by state and local government contractors and others involved in proceedings on contracts, licenses, permits, and other “entitlements for use” in the state.  These regulations implement changes to the law that took effect this

Continue Reading California Passes New Pay-to-Play Regulations for Contributions by Government Contractors and Others

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

The Department of Justice’s FARA Unit released several new advisory opinions in recent weeks that interpret the Foreign Agents Registration Act (“FARA”) and its regulations.  While the newly published opinions addressed a number of topics, the FARA Unit’s broad reading of the FARA triggers and the jurisdictional scope of the

Continue Reading DOJ Releases New FARA Advisory Opinions Affecting Digital Media Platforms

Late last week, the Committee on Oversight and Accountability published the House of Representative’s “Authorization and Oversight Plans.” The massive 241-page report is required by the House rules, and the Oversight Committee’s report collects the individual oversight plans that each standing committee of the House is required to create at

Continue Reading Newly Published “Oversight Plan” Outlines the House’s Investigative Priorities

At the start of a new Congress, the House and Senate, and their committees, adopt internal rules that govern their operations, including rules that affect congressional investigations. These rules are often revised from Congress to Congress. To assist our clients responding to congressional investigations, this alert summarizes the rules for

Continue Reading Congressional Investigations and the Rules of the 118th Congress

Covington annually publishes a detailed survey of state campaign finance, lobbying, and gift rules.  Now, for the first time, Covington is releasing an updated survey that details federal campaign finance, lobbying, and gift rules, in addition to those of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Corporations, trade associations, non-profits

Continue Reading Covington Releases Updated Survey of Federal and State Campaign Finance, Lobbying, and Gift Rules (2023 Edition)