Foreign Agent Registration

In updating its 1986 report on lobbyists representing foreign interests (see GAO/NSIAD-86-175BR), GAO identified 82 former high-level federal officials, including Members of Congress, White House officials, congressional staff, and executive agency officials, who left the government between fiscal years 1986 and 1991 and later represented foreign interests before the U.S. government. GAO could not determine whether the lobbyists' activities on behalf of their foreign clients violated any conflict-of-interest laws. The Justice Department has responded to GAO's previous recommendations that it (1) seek legislative authority for additional measures to enforce compliance with foreign agent registration, (2) improve reporting guidance to agents, (3) survey user concerns, and (4) inspect the activities of certain kinds of agents. The Justice Department, however, has not fully implemented some recommendations.

GAO found that: (1) 82 former high-level officials that left the U.S. government between fiscal years 1986 and 1991 represent foreign interests before the U.S. government, but it did not determine if conflict-of-interest laws were violated; and (2) DOJ has taken actions to address previous GAO recommendations concerning seeking legislative authority to enforce compliance, improving reporting requirements to agents, conducting surveys of user concerns, and inspecting the activities of certain types of agents.