Matthew Sanderson Talks to Axios on Proposed FARA Reforms

An odd group of congressional bedfellows will introduce a bill Thursday to fully standardize and digitize the process of registering foreign agents — making it far easier for the public to search and enforce the federal database.

Why it matters: The Foreign Agents Registration Modernization (FARM) Act would add significant transparency and scrutiny to foreign lobbying and propaganda, just as authorities are stepping up civil and, in some cases, criminal enforcement of foreign influence laws.

. . .

Between the lines: The FARM Act is more modest than other FARA reform proposals, yet advocates say it would have a positive impact.

"I would say that this legislation is an incremental but important step in the right direction," said Matt Sanderson, an attorney at Caplin & Drysdale and co-chair of a new American Bar Association FARA task force.

"There's much more to be done, but I would imagine that the sponsors of the bill share that same mind-set — that this is a helpful step, but not the end all be all of FARA reform."

For the full article, please visit Axios' website.