U.S. Congressional Hearing on FARA

APRIL 2022

After the 2016 Presidential election, there was understandable concern about foreign influence in U.S. politics. In response, some policymakers turned to the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) as a potential answer. However, as enforcement has ramped up, FARA’s notoriously sweeping provisions have also interfered with the operations of nonprofits, businesses, religious institutions, and others with limited or no connection to a foreign government and in a manner that Congress never intended.

On April 5, 2022, the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary’s subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties held a hearing on enhancing the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938. ICNL Senior Legal Advisor Nick Robinson testified, highlighting these issues and outlining recommendations.