The Justice Department in Washington, United States, has made a significant decision to scale back policing of foreign interests operating in the country. This includes ending criminal enforcement of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), a law that has been used to investigate and prosecute individuals seeking to influence politics and elections on behalf of foreign governments.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced in a memo to staff that the Foreign Influence Task Force, which was dedicated to investigating FARA violations, has been disbanded. The rationale behind this decision was to reallocate resources to more pressing priorities and to prevent the potential weaponization and abuse of prosecutorial discretion.
Ms. Bondi did not provide specific details on the reasoning behind disbanding the task force, but there have been accusations from some quarters, particularly from the Republican Party’s far-right, that FARA has been unfairly used to target political operatives. This includes high-profile cases like that of Paul Manafort, who was indicted in connection with Russian influence in the 2016 US election.
In addition to disbanding the Foreign Influence Task Force, Ms. Bondi also terminated Task Force KleptoCapture, an initiative aimed at enforcing sanctions on Russia. This move comes amidst ongoing allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election, a claim that Moscow has consistently denied despite findings from US intelligence agencies.
Notable figures like Manafort and Mike Flynn, Trump’s former national security advisor, have been targeted using FARA. Manafort faced charges for acting as an unregistered foreign agent, while Flynn was prosecuted for lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia.
Ms. Bondi, who herself registered under FARA for work done with Qatar, specified that criminal enforcement of the law will now focus on conduct that is akin to traditional espionage by foreign government actors.
On her first day as Attorney General, Ms. Bondi also announced the establishment of a unit to address the 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel, the discontinuation of targeted diversity programs, and the resumption of federal death penalty enforcement, which had been halted during the previous administration.
These developments mark a significant shift in the Justice Department’s approach to handling foreign influence and related matters. It remains to be seen how these changes will impact future investigations and prosecutions in this domain.
