www.FARA.us

On July 17, 2024, the Department of Justice announced charges against Sue Mi Terry for violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act.  Ms. Terry was a former CIA analyst and U.S. National Security Council official who is alleged to have acted as an unregistered “agent” of the South Korean government following her federal service.  

On July 26, 2024, a jury convicted U.S. Senator Robert Menendez of 16 counts of bribery, honest services fraud, extortion, conspiracy, and acting as a foreign agent for the Government of Egypt. 

Last week, the Department of Justice’s FARA Unit released 15 new Advisory Opinions.  Here are our main takeaways 

Late last week, a D.C. Circuit Court panel affirmed a prior District Court dismissal of a civil suit brought in 2021 by the Department of Justice that had sought to compel casino magnate Steve Wynn to register retroactively as a FARA “agent” for the People’s Republic of China. 

Earlier this month, an indictment was unsealed in the Southern District of Texas charging Congressman Henry Cuellar and his wife, Imelda, with participating in schemes involving bribery, unlawful foreign influence, and money laundering.

On January 3, 2024, the Department of Justice announced that Barry Bennett and Douglas Watts entered into Deferred Prosecution Agreements. 

The United States Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York announced last week charges against Gal Luft, a dual U.S.-Israeli Citizen, for willfully failing to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act

Assistant U.S. Attorney General of Legislative Affairs Carlos Uriarte recently sent a letter to members of Congress on the Foreign Relations and Judiciary committees discussing S. 1724, a proposed bill on improving the Foreign Agents Registration Act (“FARA”).

A federal jury on November 4 found investor and former Trump associate Thomas Barrack not guilty of criminal charges that included violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act (“FARA”) by acting of a foreign agent of the United Arab Emirates.

Steve Wynn, a casino magnate and associate of former President Trump, won dismissal of the government’s civil suit against him seeking to compel him to retroactively register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (“FARA”).