November 1, 2017 •
Legislation Introduced in U.S. Congress to Strengthen FARA Enforcement
On October 31, identical bills were introduced in both houses of the U.S. Congress to strengthen the laws and penalties concerning lobbyists serving as the agents of foreign principals.
Senate Bill 2039 and House Bill 4170 amend the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 (FARA) in order to provide the U.S. Attorney General with greater authority to investigate alleged violations of FARA and bring increased criminal and civil actions against persons committing such violations.
If the legislation passes, an exemption from registering and filing disclosure reports under FARA established in Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 would be eliminated. Additionally, the Department of Justice would be empowered to demand documents and testimony when investigating alleged violations of compliance.
The pair of bills were introduced by Sen. Chuck Grassley and Rep. Mike Johnson.
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