April 15, 11

NEWS / National Security Division Announces FARA eFile for Foreign Agents Registration Act Electronic Filin

New Online Portal for FARA Registration and Payment Process

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department’s National Security Division today announced the launch of a system for the electronic filing of registration statements and supplements with the Justice Department under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). Called FARA eFile, the system enables FARA registrants to electronically file documents with the FARA Registration Unit, which is part of the Counterespionage Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.



Under FARA, which was amended by the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007, FARA registrants shall file registration statements and supplements in electronic form. FARA eFile is an intuitive online shopping cart process that allows registrants to register and pay the required registration fees online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, demonstrating another enhancement to the department’s FARA website. FARA eFile will result in more timely public disclosure and transparency while promoting more efficient practices.



Passed by Congress in 1938, FARA is a public disclosure statute that requires all persons acting as agents of foreign principals in a political or quasi-political capacity to make periodic public disclosure of their relationship with the foreign principal, as well as activities, receipts and disbursements in support of those activities.



The purpose of FARA is to protect the national defense, internal security and foreign

relations of the United States by requiring public disclosure by persons engaged in certain activities on behalf of foreign principals to ensure the American public and its lawmakers know the source of the information intended to sway public opinion, policy and laws. The law facilitates evaluation by the government and the American people of the statements and activities of such persons in light of their associations.



FARA eFile can be accessed at www.fara.gov and is linked through the home page of the National Security Division at www.usdoj.gov/nsd/ . Additional information about FARA eFile can also be found at www.fara.gov/efile-faq.html.

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/April/11-nsd-484.html

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