Lawmakers reintroduce foreign lobbying disclosure reforms

A group of bipartisan lawmakers on Thursday reintroduced reforms to the Foreign Agents Registration Act that would enhance the penalties for failing to disclose foreign ties and further empower the Justice Department to pursue investigations into violations.

Six senators, among them Republicans Chuck Grassley, Iowa; Marco Rubio, Fla.; Todd Young, Ind.; John Cornyn, Texas; Lindsey Graham, S.C.; and Democrat Rhode Island Sheldon Whitehouse, sponsored the Foreign Agents Disclosure and Registration Enhancement Act.

A press release from Grassley indicated that the legislation is identical to a 2019 initiative that did not become law. The Iowa Republican insisted that the measure was necessary to address concerns of clandestine foreign lobbying efforts.

"If lobbyists or public relations firms are peddling policy preferences at the behest of foreign powers, we ought to know about it. Unfortunately, we’ve seen uneven application of laws designed to shine a light on foreign lobbying," he said. "This bill gives the Justice Department new tools to detect and deter secret foreign lobbying and ensures policymakers and the American public know when influence campaigns are being pushed by foreign interests. The bill is the product of years of negotiations and congressional oversight, and it’s time we get it on the books."

"America is engaged in a clash of civilizations with international kleptocrats and criminals who use secret channels of influence to put their thumb on the scale of American policy," Whitehouse declared. "Sunlight is the best disinfectant, which is why this bipartisan effort to modernize FARA and improve its enforcement is so important.  The Foreign Agents Disclosure and Registration Enhancement Act will shine the light of transparency on foreign lobbying campaigns and help safeguard our democracy."

The press release asserted that "FARA has been used sparingly in criminal prosecutions, and enforcement has been inconsistent." However, the act has been relevant in several recent high-profile prosecutions, including that of former Trump 2016 campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.