Is There Any Foreign Influence In The US Election?

This week, the Trump campaign submitted an official legal complaint to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), alleging that there had been “blatant foreign interference” in the 2024 Presidential Election. According to the complaint, the interference involved illegal contributions from the United Kingdom’s Labour Party, which were allegedly accepted by the Harris for President campaign.

Unproven allegations

These allegations remain unproven and have been denied by both the U.K. Labour Party and its leader, Prime Minister Keir Starmer. However, analysts state that registered foreign agents and lobbying firms, representing various countries, including some autocratic regimes such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, have contributed significant amounts of money to both Republican and Democratic candidates during this election cycle.

It is legal for registered foreign agents and lobbyists to donate to political campaigns as long as they are permanent U.S. residents and comply with Federal Election Commission limits. During the 2020 election, more than $33.5 million was donated by such individuals, according to a study by OpenSecrets.

Loopholes in the finance laws exploited by foreign interests

Experts in campaign finance have raised concerns about the volume of donations and the influence they may exert on American politics. There are potential loopholes in the campaign finance laws that could be exploited by foreign interests. While the contributions are legal, experts point out that the relationships and discussions occurring between these entities may present deeper concerns than the money itself.

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, for instance, reported $17 million in revenue during the third quarter of 2024. Its largest foreign client this year has been Saudi Arabia, and the firm has contributed over $2.3 million to political candidates, with most of the funds going to Republican campaigns. Nadeam Elshami, a former chief of staff to Nancy Pelosi, is one of the key figures at Brownstein. He has made significant donations to Democratic candidates, although he has denied acting on behalf of Saudi interests.

Other notable firms include Ballard Partners, which has received around $375,000 from foreign governments in 2024, with its most lucrative client being the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The firm’s founder, Brian Ballard, has personally donated large sums to Republican causes. Meanwhile, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP has earned $5.5 million from foreign governments this year, including significant sums from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

Foreign agent registration laws

Finally, BGR Group, which has received $288,621 so far this year, has made substantial contributions to Republican campaigns, including $29,532 to Senator Roger Wicker, who has voiced support for maintaining strong ties with Qatar.

Several high-profile cases involving lawmakers, such as Robert Menendez, Henry Cuellar, and Eric Adams, have underscored the potential vulnerabilities in current foreign agent registration laws. Recent legislative efforts to reform the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), aimed at curbing foreign influence, have largely failed to pass in Congress, partly due to the influence of those benefiting from the current system.

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