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 LawLDA exemption
Senate 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 BillsDOJ Solicits Comments for Potential Major Changes to FARA Regulations
Posted in Foreign Agents Registration Act
Last week, the Department of Justice published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM), the first step toward a major rulemaking that DOJ says would “modernize” the current regulations, including by clarifying certain exemptions and definitions.
In a client alert today, we review key portions of the ANPRM and the…
Continue Reading DOJ Solicits Comments for Potential Major Changes to FARA Regulations
New Department of Justice FARA Opinion May Narrow the “LDA Exemption”
By Robert Kelner & Brian D. Smith on
Posted in Foreign Agents Registration Act
The Department of Justice’s FARA Unit appears to have signaled a significant narrowing in the scope of a major FARA exemption that is especially important to private sector companies, including U.S. subsidiaries of foreign corporations. The apparent narrowing of FARA’s exemption for those who register under the Lobbying Disclosure Act…
Continue Reading New Department of Justice FARA Opinion May Narrow the “LDA Exemption”