David Laufman Weighs in on DOJ’s Stance Toward FARA Enforcement in New York Times

On February 5, 2025 new Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the DOJ will be taking a more restricted approach to criminal enforcement of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. 

In a formal memorandum the Attorney General stated that criminal enforcement that FARA will now be limited to cases where the conduct at issue relates to espionage, a major departure from recent enforcement policy. 

David Laufman, [Senior Counsel at Caplin & Drysdale] a former senior Justice Department official who oversaw such cases, warned that Ms. Bondi would hobble the department’s work in that area. The move, he added, “has now substantially eroded D.O.J.’s options by severely limiting the option to bring criminal prosecutions.”

For the full article, please visit The New York Times’ website.