The Foreign Agents Registration Act Comes to Light amidst Probe into Russian Election Meddling: An Effort to Crack Down on Foreign Lobbyists or a Sign of Corruption

Abstract

This article demonstrates that the Foreign Agents Registration Act (“FARA”), which is the United States law that requires “agents” of “foreign principals” to register with the Department of Justice, is deficient. Thus, I propose an amendment that imposes more severe penalties for violations and eliminates exemptions that have allowed politicians, lobbyists and attorneys to avoid the Act’s registration requirements. Additionally, this article examines the flaws in FARA by highlighting how such flaws opened the door for the events surrounding the investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 United States election.