US Cuts Task Forces On Foreign Influence, Russian Sanctions

The Justice Department is scaling back its efforts to combat foreign influence within the U.S., particularly by disbanding the Foreign Influence Task Force, which was responsible for investigating violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). FARA requires foreign agents to register with U.S. authorities if they are working to influence U.S. politics or elections on behalf of foreign governments. Attorney General Pam Bondi, in a memo to staff, explained that the disbanding of the task force would allow for resources to be redirected to more urgent priorities and address concerns about potential abuses of prosecutorial discretion.

Bondi’s move comes after criticism from figures on the Republican far right, who have accused the government of using FARA to target political operatives unfairly. Notably, Paul Manafort, Trump’s 2016 campaign manager, was indicted in connection with the law during the investigation into Russian interference in the election. Bondi also ended Task Force KleptoCapture, which was created in 2022 to enforce sanctions against Russia for its alleged interference in the 2016 election.

Bondi, who previously registered under FARA for her work with Qatar, said criminal enforcement would now focus on more traditional espionage-like activities by foreign government actors. On her first day in office, Bondi also announced the formation of a unit to address the 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel, as well as efforts to eliminate diversity programs and resume federal death penalty enforcement, which had been paused under President Joe Biden.