U.S. Congress: Pass the Fighting Foreign Influence Act

(Washington D.C., May 1, 2024) – Members of Congress should co-sponsor the Fighting Foreign Influence Act introduced this week as a vital step towards safeguarding American democracy, said DAWN and DAWN Action in a joint letter to Congress today.

Key provisions in the bill, such as prohibiting former senior officials from working as lobbyists or propagandists for foreign governments, are critical to curbing the conflicts of interest and outright corruption that have become endemic among elected officials.

"This legislation is crucial to safeguarding the integrity of America's government and democracy against malign influence from authoritarian regimes, who are using billions of dollars to buy off our elected officials," said Sarah Leah Whitson, DAWN Action's executive director. "By curbing the ability of oppressive regimes, particularly the petro-dollar dictatorships in the Gulf, to manipulate U.S. policy, the bill helps ensure American officials are working in the service ofAmerican values and interests, not rich tyrants abroad." 

The Fighting Foreign Influence Act, which is part of a larger 15-bill Government Integrity & Anti-Corruption Plan introduced by Congressman Golden, includes several important provisions aimed at curbing foreign influence in U.S. politics:

1. It imposes a lifetime ban on former presidents, vice presidents, and senior military officials from lobbying on behalf of foreign interests to prevent officials from cashing in on their influence and connections. Between 2000 and 2022, at least 90 former members of Congress registered as foreign agents, with a majority having worked on behalf of authoritarian regimes.
2. It requires tax-exempt organizations, including think tanks, to disclose high-dollar gifts from foreign governments or political parties. 
3. It requires political campaigns to verify that online donors have a valid U.S. address, to prevent illegal foreign donations. This aims to close loopholes that allow foreign money to secretly flow into U.S. elections.

"We urge Congress to swiftly pass the Fighting Foreign Influence Act and send a clear message that the United States stands firmly on the side of democracy and the rule of law, both at home and around the world," said Raed Jarrar, DAWN Action's advocacy director. "By disrupting the revolving door and shining a light on how abusive regimes manipulate U.S. policy against democratic values, the Act will be a game-changer."

The legislation follows extensive advocacy by DAWN to urge Congress to introduce legislation to prohibit former officials from lobbying for abusive foreign governments and to ban former officials from doing business or seeking employment with foreign governments for three years after leaving office, similar to existing legislation that restricts former intelligence officials. DAWN has extensively documented how abusive governments, like Saudi Arabia, have used their state funds to pay off former government officials in the Trump administration with billions in "investments" or "consulting jobs." This includes payments from the Saudi Public Investment Fund to former President Trump's golf resorts, laundered through the now defunct LIV Golf entity.

The author of the new bill, Congressman Jared Golden, has introduced a comprehensive legislative package designed to strengthen government integrity and combat corruption. The six new bills he introduced also aim to reduce the ability of elected officials to leverage their existing positions for personal profit, minimize the influence of foreign actors in American politics, close dark money loopholes, and increase transparency in political spending, reform campaign finance laws, prevent corruption by public officials, and curb the influence of special interests in the political and electoral system. The bills also propose term limits for members of Congress, prohibiting them from owning or trading stocks while in office and advocating for a constitutional amendment to overturn the Citizens United decision.