Swordsmyth
07-28-2017, 03:16 PM
FARA relies on voluntary compliance. If a person fails to register for work done on behalf or influenced by a foreign government, they can avoid punishment as long as they eventually file the paperwork.
“Why would DOJ expect people to register and to be transparent, when they aren’t really punished for failing to register?” asked Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (http://thehill.com/people/chuck-grassley) (R-Iowa).
In the last decade, only four FARA cases have been prosecuted.
Officials from the DOJ and FBI also testified that there has been a drop in foreign agent registration since the 1990s.
More than half of FARA documents studied by the Justice Department’s inspector general had been filed late.
The FARA unit at DOJ also lacks subpoena powers and must primarily rely on news reports, public information or referrals from other agencies to help identify those who may be violating the law. Officials also must prove a “willful” violation to register under FARA to prosecute — something Adam Hickey, head of the DOJ's National Security Division, called a challenging bar.
More at: http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/business-a-lobbying/344018-lawmakers-push-to-toughen-foreign-lobbying-rules
“Why would DOJ expect people to register and to be transparent, when they aren’t really punished for failing to register?” asked Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (http://thehill.com/people/chuck-grassley) (R-Iowa).
In the last decade, only four FARA cases have been prosecuted.
Officials from the DOJ and FBI also testified that there has been a drop in foreign agent registration since the 1990s.
More than half of FARA documents studied by the Justice Department’s inspector general had been filed late.
The FARA unit at DOJ also lacks subpoena powers and must primarily rely on news reports, public information or referrals from other agencies to help identify those who may be violating the law. Officials also must prove a “willful” violation to register under FARA to prosecute — something Adam Hickey, head of the DOJ's National Security Division, called a challenging bar.
More at: http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/business-a-lobbying/344018-lawmakers-push-to-toughen-foreign-lobbying-rules