Tag

Fara

All articles tagged with #fara

politicslaw2 years ago•2 min saved

"Ex-Trump Associates to Plead Guilty to Concealed Foreign Lobbying Charges"

The Justice Department has charged political consultants Barry P. Bennett and Douglas Watts with providing false information about their lobbying efforts for Qatar during the Trump administration. Bennett, a former Trump campaign adviser, led a covert campaign to advance Qatari interests and denigrate a rival nation through a company called Yemen Crisis Watch, which was not disclosed in FARA filings. Both consultants have reached deferred prosecution agreements, with Bennett agreeing to pay a $100,000 fine. The case is part of broader investigations into Qatar's influence campaign during the Trump era.

via Yahoo News|

##fara #foreignlobbying

politicslegal2 years ago•2 min saved

"Former Trump Associates Plead Guilty to Illegal Foreign Lobbying Activities"

Two GOP operatives, Barry Bennett and Douglas Watts, are set to admit to attempting to circumvent foreign lobbying laws, with a focus on their undisclosed activities on behalf of Qatar. Instead of pleading guilty, they will enter deferred prosecution agreements, admitting their conduct, paying fines, and potentially having charges removed after a year. The case is part of a broader Justice Department initiative to enforce the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) more rigorously.

via The Washington Post|

##deferredprosecutionagreement #fara

legalcriminal-justice2 years ago•2 min saved

DOJ Drops Case Against Michael Flynn's Business Partner

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is dropping its criminal case against Bijan Rafiekian, a former business partner of Michael Flynn, who was accused of illegally lobbying for the Turkish government. Rafiekian was previously convicted but had his conviction overturned and was granted a new trial. However, a recent decision by the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals criticized the approval of a new trial. The DOJ now believes it is not in the public interest to pursue the case further. Rafiekian was accused of conspiring to influence U.S. politicians against Turkish cleric Fethullah Gülen. Flynn, who admitted to making false statements in Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) filings, was expected to testify but withdrew from the trial.

via The Hill|

#bijan-rafiekian #doj #fara

politics2 years ago•5 min saved

"Republican Lawmakers Target Environmentalists with FARA Legislation"

GOP lawmakers, including Sen. Ted Cruz and House Oversight Chair James Comer, are urging the Department of Justice to investigate whether certain environmental rights groups are violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). They claim that these groups may be acting as foreign agents without registering with the DOJ. This move is part of a broader effort by Republicans to link environmental organizations to foreign adversaries. Nonprofits have expressed concerns about the DOJ's interpretation of FARA, as it could potentially label them as foreign agents. The DOJ has received the lawmakers' letter but has not commented further.

via POLITICO|

#department-of-justice #environmentalists #fara

politics2 years ago•5 min saved

Biden aides silent as DOJ charges whistleblower who accused family of corruption

The White House declined to comment on the potential legal implications for President Biden, Hunter Biden, and James Biden after a US citizen was charged for working as an unregistered agent of the same Chinese firm that paid the Biden family. The individual, Gal Luft, allegedly violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) by accepting money from CEFC China Energy in exchange for hosting conferences and attempting to influence a 2016 Trump campaign adviser. CEFC had provided the Biden family with a significant foreign income stream, and both congressional Republicans and legal experts believe Hunter Biden likely violated FARA by failing to register as an agent of CEFC and other foreign employers. The investigation into the Biden family's business dealings in China is ongoing.

via New York Post |

#biden-family #cefc #china