U.S. lobbyists representing foreign governments don’t have much reason to fear the U.S. Department of Justice if they skirt a federal law requiring them to report certain details about their advocacy, according to a report a watchdog group released Tuesday.
The Justice Department has shown a “pattern of lax enforcement” with the Foreign Agents Registration Act, the study from the Project on Government Oversight says. Under the 1938 statute, lobbyists for foreign government entities must register with the DOJ and send the agency periodical reports on their advocacy and how much money they receive for the work. The Justice Department’s FARA unit, which handles agency work related to the statute, puts that information on a public website.
