Latest news with #FARA
JAMnews
01-07-2025
- Politics
- JAMnews
IPI urges the EU to protect journalists in Georgia
IPI urges the EU to protect journalists in Georgia The International Press Institute (IPI) issued a statement on the growing pressure the Georgian government is placing on the media, urging the international community to take immediate and effective action against the ruling party, Georgian Dream. The statement highlights the worsening health of detained journalist Mzia Amaglobeli and notes that the Georgian Dream government has adopted new legislative amendments concerning defamation and bans on media filming inside and outside courtrooms. According to IPI, these amendments pose a threat to the foundations of independent journalism in Georgia, as independent media have extensively covered trials of individuals arrested for their political views. IPI's statement Each day, Georgia moves closer to becoming a fully consolidated authoritarian regime, as the ruling Georgian Dream party intensifies its efforts to erode democracy and silence independent voices. The adoption of repressive, undemocratic and illiberal legislation, along with widespread political persecution, is unfolding at an unprecedented scale in Georgia-an EU candidate country once widely considered as a beacon of democracy in the South Caucasus. These amendments erode fundamental legal protections for journalism by eliminating source confidentiality, fostering self-censorship, and obstructing investigative reporting. These combined changes threaten the very foundations of independent journalism in Georgia. Mzia Amaglobeli's health has further deteriorated in prison. Medical examinations revealed a sharp decline: vision in her right eye had dropped from 30% to 10%, while her left eye retained only about 4% vision. An outspoken regime critic, Amaglobeli faces charges of assaulting a police officer – carrying up to seven years in prison – following an altercation with Batumi Police Chief Irakli Dgebuadze. Amaglobeli's arrest is widely viewed as retaliation for her journalistic work. Media workers have been beaten, harassed, detained, jailed, smeared, fined and still continued their work. Amid explicit hostility and a climate of fear, independent journalism is increasingly unlikely to survive in Georgia. The erosion of civil liberties at an extraordinary pace in Georgia also poses a serious threat to democracy in the region, where far-right and populism are on the rise and illiberal and authoritarian regimes are increasingly gaining ground. We renew our call on the European Union and its member states to step up pressure on Georgia and stem the rapid descent into authoritarianism. The effective pressure must be applied to not only the Georgian Dream officials but every decision maker as well as judges, responsible for this crackdown on media, capture of the public broadcaster and ongoing impunity for crimes against journalists. We also renew our call on the GD party to repeal repressive laws, including the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and recent amendments to the Law on Broadcasting and the Law on Grants. We further urge the Georgian Dream-led parliament to withdraw the recently adopted amendments to the Law on Freedom of Expression, as well as the amendments restricting media coverage of court proceedings. We reiterate our call for the release of unjustly jailed veteran Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli, who has become a symbol of the resilience of Georgian media.' The law on the registration of foreign agents, an exact copy of the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), was passed by the Georgian Dream-controlled parliament on April 1, 2025, and came into force on May 31. Authorities claim its purpose is to limit foreign interference in the country's affairs and in the work of state institutions. The law introduces a broad definition of 'foreign agent,' applying to any legal or natural person receiving funds from abroad and engaging in civic, political, or informational activities. Such individuals or organizations are required to register; failure to comply is punishable by fines and imprisonment of up to five years. Independent legal experts confirm that while the text closely mirrors the U.S. FARA, its purpose has been entirely altered. In the United States, FARA is deliberately not applied to NGOs, media, or organizations serving the public interest. In addition, in April 2025, Georgia's parliament passed a law banning the issuance or receipt of foreign grants without official approval from the Georgian government. News in Georgia
Economic Times
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
'Don't talk to me, insult me publicly': Pam Bondi grilled, left scrambling over sketchy Qatar past
US Attorney General Pam Bondi testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Justice in Washington, D.C. where she was grilled for her sketchy past with Qatar which she did not disclose before the Senate. President Trump recently received a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar which sparked legal concerns as Bondi worked as a foreign lobbyist for the nation of Qatar. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Pam Bondi grilled over Qatar links Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Pam Bondi and Qatar jet plane link Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Attorney General Pam Bondi came under bipartisan pressure Monday from lawmakers during the House Appropriations Subcommittee when she was asked about her past work in Qatar. She was grilled while appearing for the subcommittee and was asked questions about her sketchy past about Qatar, which she didn't disclose before the the hearing, US Capitol Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) asked Bondi she had ever been registered as an agent of a foreign principal under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). "The three hallmarks of this administration are incompetence, corruption, and cruelty," Dean said."Attorney General, have you ever been registered as an agent of a foreign principal under the Foreign Agents Registration Act?"To this, Pam Bondi replied, "I assume you're talking about when I represented the country of Qatar for a very short time." Bondi said she worked on anti-human trafficking for the World Cup. "Hold on," Dean said, to which Bondi, 59, replied, "You can't put words in my mouth! You want to talk about incompetence? You're the one that said Joe Biden on PBS was competent. You had to retract those words."But the Congresswoman hit back at the Attorney General, saying, "Don't talk to me. Don't insult me publicly." She then added, "This is so discourteous. This is so outside the Committee's guidelines. Taking a personal shot at me while swiping at Biden? Very strange and very unprofessional of you."Dean continued, "The answer is yes or no, and the answer is yes. You were registered as a lobbyist for Qatar. Is that correct? Yes. Never mind, don't answer." She then asked, "Did you disclose that when you went before the Senate for confirmation? Yes or no? No, it was not in your documents. The answer is no."After Bondi said her role was "discussed," Dean accused the Attorney General of failing to bring up the "conflict" she had. The Pennsylvania politician continued, "President Trump recently announced he'd accept that $400 million Qatari airplane because it was just prettier than the one he was flying around in."Dean asked, "Is it true that you gave advise that this was legally permissible? Yes or no?" Bondi replied, "I will not discuss any advice that my office of legal counsel gives to the president of the United States on any matter."The Congresswoman continued, "When you spoke before the Senate, you said you would ask for ethical advice. Did you recuse yourself from that issue?" Bondi didn't immediately answer the question but hit back at Dean, saying, "And talking about unprofessional, you say the President wanted the jet because it's pretty? This is a Congressional hearing." Dean pointed out, "He said it himself."Pam Bondi's links to Qatar came under scrutiny again after US President Donald Trump received a luxury jet plane from the Qatar government. According to NewsWeek, Bondi worked as a foreign lobbyist for the nation of Qatar, earning $115,000 a month in the role which she held in 2020 and in the run up to the World Cup in her prior professional roles, Bondi was involved in lobbying efforts representing the interests of the State of Qatar. She worked at Ballard Partners, a prominent lobbying firm based in Washington, D.C., where her portfolio included advocacy on behalf of the Qatari government as well as several major US corporations, among them plan to receive a $400 million luxury Boeing 747-8 from Qatar unleased new waves of legal concerns over the legality and ethics of such foreign government gifts. Bondi's prior history as a lobbyist for Qatar has compounded concerns over foreign influence at the highest level of government. Her ties to Qatar raised concerns whether she will properly pursue whether the acceptance of this luxury jet is legal or Democrat senators even wrote a letter to the Department of Justice asking for an investigation into Pam Bondi's role in Trump administration's decision to accept the free gift from Qatar. The eight Democrats on the Judiciary Committee raised ethical questions over the gifted plane and expressed concern about reports that Bondi provided legal guidance that approved a plan for the plane to eventually be transferred to Trump's library after he leaves US formally accepted the gift, which industry executives estimated to be worth about $200 million. It will require extensive work before it can be considered secure enough to carry Trump.
Time of India
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'Don't talk to me, insult me publicly': Pam Bondi grilled, left scrambling over sketchy Qatar past
Attorney General Pam Bondi came under bipartisan pressure Monday from lawmakers during the House Appropriations Subcommittee when she was asked about her past work in Qatar. She was grilled while appearing for the subcommittee and was asked questions about her sketchy past about Qatar, which she didn't disclose before the Senate. During the hearing, US Capitol Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) asked Bondi she had ever been registered as an agent of a foreign principal under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). "The three hallmarks of this administration are incompetence, corruption, and cruelty," Dean said. ALSO READ: Popular influencer with nearly 8 lakh Instagram followers dead post plastic surgery hours after partying with doctor Pam Bondi grilled over Qatar links "Attorney General, have you ever been registered as an agent of a foreign principal under the Foreign Agents Registration Act?" To this, Pam Bondi replied, "I assume you're talking about when I represented the country of Qatar for a very short time." Bondi said she worked on anti-human trafficking for the World Cup. "Hold on," Dean said, to which Bondi, 59, replied, "You can't put words in my mouth! You want to talk about incompetence? You're the one that said Joe Biden on PBS was competent. You had to retract those words." Live Events But the Congresswoman hit back at the Attorney General, saying, "Don't talk to me. Don't insult me publicly." She then added, "This is so discourteous. This is so outside the Committee's guidelines. Taking a personal shot at me while swiping at Biden? Very strange and very unprofessional of you." Dean continued, "The answer is yes or no, and the answer is yes. You were registered as a lobbyist for Qatar. Is that correct? Yes. Never mind, don't answer." She then asked, "Did you disclose that when you went before the Senate for confirmation? Yes or no? No, it was not in your documents. The answer is no." ALSO READ: 'They don't know what the...': Trump drops 'F bomb' as Iran-Israel ceasefire deal crumbles After Bondi said her role was "discussed," Dean accused the Attorney General of failing to bring up the "conflict" she had. The Pennsylvania politician continued, "President Trump recently announced he'd accept that $400 million Qatari airplane because it was just prettier than the one he was flying around in." Dean asked, "Is it true that you gave advise that this was legally permissible? Yes or no?" Bondi replied, "I will not discuss any advice that my office of legal counsel gives to the president of the United States on any matter." The Congresswoman continued, "When you spoke before the Senate, you said you would ask for ethical advice. Did you recuse yourself from that issue?" Bondi didn't immediately answer the question but hit back at Dean, saying, "And talking about unprofessional, you say the President wanted the jet because it's pretty? This is a Congressional hearing." Dean pointed out, "He said it himself." ALSO READ: 'If you can rent Venice...': Jeff Bezos-Lauren Sanchez's lavish wedding sparks major uproar Pam Bondi and Qatar jet plane link Pam Bondi's links to Qatar came under scrutiny again after US President Donald Trump received a luxury jet plane from the Qatar government. According to NewsWeek, Bondi worked as a foreign lobbyist for the nation of Qatar, earning $115,000 a month in the role which she held in 2020 and in the run up to the World Cup in 2022. In her prior professional roles, Bondi was involved in lobbying efforts representing the interests of the State of Qatar. She worked at Ballard Partners, a prominent lobbying firm based in Washington, D.C., where her portfolio included advocacy on behalf of the Qatari government as well as several major US corporations, among them Amazon. ALSO READ: 'God help us all': Trump's appointment of 22-year-old college grad to terrorism unit amid Iran crisis faces backlash Trump's plan to receive a $400 million luxury Boeing 747-8 from Qatar unleased new waves of legal concerns over the legality and ethics of such foreign government gifts. Bondi's prior history as a lobbyist for Qatar has compounded concerns over foreign influence at the highest level of government. Her ties to Qatar raised concerns whether she will properly pursue whether the acceptance of this luxury jet is legal or not. The Democrat senators even wrote a letter to the Department of Justice asking for an investigation into Pam Bondi's role in Trump administration's decision to accept the free gift from Qatar. The eight Democrats on the Judiciary Committee raised ethical questions over the gifted plane and expressed concern about reports that Bondi provided legal guidance that approved a plan for the plane to eventually be transferred to Trump's library after he leaves office. The US formally accepted the gift, which industry executives estimated to be worth about $200 million. It will require extensive work before it can be considered secure enough to carry Trump.
Daily Mail
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Gloves come off in Steve Bannon's war on Fox News after lunch with Trump
Steve Bannon has taken his war on Fox News over their coverage of the Israel-Iran war to another level, suggesting the network be investigated for helping a foreign agent. The long-time Donald Trump ally, who was spotted having lunch with the president Thursday ahead of his strike on Tehran this past weekend, has been ardently against U.S. involvement and even predicted it would begin World War III. Bannon personalized it even more on Sunday, when he blamed the Murdoch family for pushing to go to war. 'People on the right are now confronting an unpleasant reality, a great unmasking: The Murdochs don't put America's interests first,' he told Semafor. 'There needs to be a thorough FARA investigation into Fox's relationship with a foreign power,' he added. The FARA is the Foreign Agents Registration Act, a law that demands public disclosure obligations on persons representing foreign interests. At the same time, Bannon dismissed the network's true influence, saying its 'audience is geriatrics - it's people 70 and over.' He also suggested they were powerless because 'it's not an activist base' being broadcast to. Bannon also made the statement on his War Room show Monday, saying: 'I think we need to see if they represent a foreign government as an agent.' 'What are they pushing on the American people? Where'd this information come from?' he asked. He clarified that while he agrees that Iran should not get a nuclear weapon, that 'there are many paths to do that' that do not involve bombing. 'None of those paths were going on the path to kinetic warfare!' has reached out to a spokesperson for Fox News for comment. Bannon, who served as Trump's chief White House strategist during his first term and continues to be an influential voice in the MAGA movement, referenced the looming attack on his 'War Room Pandemic' podcast hours before U.S. bombers carried out the strike. 'I'm just reporting what I'm hearing from pretty good sources. The party is on,' Bannon said on his podcast. 'So another big weekend in this unfolding aspect of the Third World War – and no, anyone that's telling you that the Third World War is not here, is absolutely, does not understand the development and evolution of kinetic energy,' he said. Hours later, Trump surprised the world a little before 8 p.m. ET Saturday by announcing on Truth Social that he had given the go-ahead to attack Iran. Trump used six massive 30,000-pound 'bunker buster' bombs and 30 Tomahawk missiles to destroy Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan. Trump addressed the nation, calling the strikes on a trio of Iranian nuclear sites a 'spectacular military success.' 'Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success. Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.' He also gave a stark warning to Tehran that more attacks would be coming if the regime didn't make peace. But his ally Bannon lunched with Trump at the White House on Thursday, and reportedly argued against the U.S. joining in Israel 's attacks on Iran. Bannon connected the dots on his 'party is on' comment, clarifying that it meant the operation was set to go. On Monday, Trump announced that Iran and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire, two weeks after they started exchanging missile strikes and two days after he bombed the Islamic Republic's nuclear labs. The president said the '12 day war' will 'end' in 24 hours, despite both nations warning of future strikes and just hours after Tehran attacked America's largest military base in the Middle East. He announced the ceasefire deal in a Truth Social post, claiming it is set to go into effect into six hours. While Israel and Iran have not confirmed if there is a deal, Trump congratulated everyone involved and said the ceasefire will begin once in-progress missions are completed. Trump broke his silence on Iran's retaliatory strikes on Monday by demanding the end of the conflict in the Middle East and taunting the Ayatollah for his 'very weak response.' The president said on Truth Social that US forces 'effectively countered' Iran's targeting of the Al Udeid Air Base in Doha, Qatar, two days after he bombed three Iranian nuclear sites. Trump said that no Americans were harmed in Iran's retaliatory strikes on Monday and declared, 'they've got it all out of their system', as he thanked Iran for giving early notice to allow the US to evacuate the base beforehand. 'Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same,' he wrote, before adding in a follow-up post: 'CONGRATULATIONS WORLD, IT'S TIME FOR PEACE!' World leaders quickly condemned Iran's strikes and expressed support to Qatar, which said that it has not ruled out retaliatory strikes of its own against Iran.
Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Meet Jason Miller, India's $1.8 million man in Washington
In an effort to bolster its diplomatic outreach to the Trump administration, the Indian government hired lobbying firm SHW Partners LLC last month. The firm –– helmed by former Trump adviser Jason Miller –– will be paid a monthly fee of $150,000 by the Indian government for its services. 'This is not a new practice. This has been in place for several decades and under successive governments since the 1950s. These firms have been regularly engaged by the Embassy as per the requirement of the situation. All such engagements are available in the public domain. In the run up to the Nuclear Deal in 2007 and thereafter, firms were engaged to strengthen India's case. I should also add that such a practice is common among Embassies and other organizations in Washington DC and in other parts of the US,' said Randhir Jaiswal, official spokesperson of the ministry of external affairs at a press briefing on Thursday. 'SHW's representation will encompass providing strategic counsel, tactical planning, and government relations assistance on policy matters before the US Government, the U.S. Congress, state governments, academic institutions, think tanks, and any other relevant stakeholders as required,' the firm disclosed on April 24 about its one-year, $1.8 million contract with the Indian Embassy in Washington DC. Miller is a veteran of Trump's political campaigns and shot to prominence in 2016 when he served as Trump's chief media spokesperson. Known for his acerbic and voluble defence of Trump, Miller was initially slated to assume the powerful role of White House communications director after Trump won the 2016 election. Miller was forced to withdraw from consideration after he was accused of having an extramarital affair with and impregnating another Trump campaign official. He has subsequently been accused of sexual abuse and rape by the concerned official. Despite the scandal, Miller has remained firmly entrenched in Donald Trump's orbit. He returned to assist Trump in both his 2020 and 2024 Presidential campaigns as a key adviser. Along the way, Miller has also served as a political commentator for news networks such as CNN and Newsmax. He also has a long professional history working with top Republican politicians including Senator Ted Cruz, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin. Miller registered as a lobbyist in 2020 through his newly set up firm SHW Partners LLC. Prior to his recent contract with the Indian government, Miller's firm has also worked for real estate and financial services companies. 'In 1949, (the) Embassy hired Rosen & Fred; 1954 GOI hired Schaler, Butler Associates; 1958 GOI hired Moss Edward K; 1969-1974 GOI hired Squire, Sanders & Dempsey LLC; 1981-83 GOI hired Baron / Canning & Co Inc; 1992-93 GOI hired International Development Systems Inc; 2005- till date GOI hired BGR Govt affairs LLC. All such information is available on the US DOJ website - FARA filings,' Jaiswal added on Thursday, detailing a list of other lobbying firms used by India in the past. The development comes even as Pakistan has hired a suite of lobbying firms to assist in its diplomatic outreach. Javelin Advisers, Squire Patton Boggs, Conscience Point Consulting, Seiden Law and Orchid Advisers registered as foreign agents representing the government of Pakistan over just the last two months. According to one filing by Javelin Advisers with the US Department of Justice, the firm will help Pakistan communicate its perspective on India-Pakistan relations and the Kashmir dispute to America's executive branch, Congress and the general public.
