Biden Foreign Agent Rule Gives Trump Attorney General Final Say

A new Justice Department proposal to impose potentially far stricter transparency standards for multinational corporations lobbying in the US will now give Trump appointees a chance to reshape the outcome.

Business lobbyists and white-collar lawyers are criticizing how DOJ’s Dec. 20 regulatory update would effectively narrow a long-dependable carveout from onerous and stigmatizing public disclosures as a “foreign agent.” Releasing the proposal, under consideration since early in Biden’s presidency, in the administration’s final month, means corporate concerns could find a more receptive audience under President-elect Donald Trump as the department determines how or whether to finalize the rule.

In evaluating ...