How much foreign influence is there in the U.S. election?

The Trump run revenge a general ineligible title this week pinch nan Federal Election Commission complete what nan run calls "blatant overseas interference successful nan 2024 Presidential Election successful nan shape of evident forbidden overseas nationalist contributions made by nan Labour Party of nan United Kingdom, and accepted by Harris for President." 

That declare remains unsubstantiated, and has been denied by some nan U.K. Labour Party and its leader, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. But lobbying firms and individual lobbyists formally registered arsenic overseas agents of governments astir nan world — each pinch varying interests and including immoderate autocratic regimes specified arsenic Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and nan United Arab Emirates — are donating important amounts of money to some Republican and Democratic parties and candidates successful this predetermination cycle, a CBS News study has found.  

It is not uncommon, and not illegal, for registered overseas agents and lobbyists to finance governmental campaigns. Any ineligible imperishable U.S. resident tin donate to a governmental campaigner aliases campaign, taxable to limits imposed by nan FEC. 

Over $33.5 cardinal successful individual governmental contributions came from registered overseas agents and lobbyists during nan 2020 predetermination cycle, according to study conducted by nan OpenSecrets organization.

But run finance experts opportunity nan measurement of donations reviewed by CBS News and nan measurement they're steered into American authorities to service overseas interests highlights imaginable loopholes successful existing U.S. run finance laws. CBS News has reached retired to each lawmakers, and donors referenced successful this study for comment. 

The donations and firms down them highlighted beneath are apt to beryllium conscionable nan extremity of nan iceberg successful position of nan standard of governmental contributions being made by registered overseas agents, and experts opportunity it's not conscionable nan travel of money that matters, but nan conversations that return spot betwixt nan entities involved. 

"What I've seen successful complete 15 years of analyzing U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act [FARA] filings is that location is simply a very, very beardown relationship betwixt whom these overseas agents are contacting and whom they're giving money to, you know, which campaigns they're giving money to," Ben Freeman, nan head of nan Quincy Institute's Democratizing Foreign Policy program, told CBS News. 

"If they're contacting a legislature office, connected behalf of a overseas power, there's a very bully chance that they aliases personification astatine their patient are besides making run contributions to them," Freeman said. 

Below are immoderate of those firms: 

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Shreck

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck made $17 cardinal successful gross for nan 3rd 4th of 2024 alone, according to Politico, citing nan firm's astir caller disclosure of revenue, making nan institution 1 of nan astir lucrative lobbyists successful Washington.

OpenSecrets' astir caller study shows nan patient has taken nearly $1.3 million successful full fees from overseas governments this year, pinch its biggest customer being Saudi Arabia. 

When donations from individuals related to their firm, including relatives of employees, arsenic good arsenic nan firm's ain governmental action committee, are taken into account, Brownstein has donated a total of $2,369,712 this twelvemonth to governmental candidates crossed nan country. 

Around 56% of that money has gone to GOP candidates and causes, while astir 42% has gone to groups and candidates affiliated pinch nan Democrats, OpenSecrets information shows.

FARA filings reviewed by CBS News show nan institution is presently representing some the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and NEOM company, an finance group controlled by nan Saudi government. 

The main signatory connected nan firm's overseas supplier filings is Nadeam A. Elshami, a erstwhile main of unit to ex House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Federal Election Commission records show Elshami has made aggregate donations to elder Democratic figures this year. 

Elshami donated $2,500 successful July to nan Jobs, Education and Family First PAC, a governmental action committee affiliated pinch Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. This PAC is simply a "Leadership PAC," which is simply a fundraising instrumentality often established "in bid to support candidates for various national and nonfederal offices," according to nan FEC. 

Records show Elshami besides donated $500 successful June to nan re-election run of Rep. Adam Smith, nan apical ranking Democrat connected nan House Armed Services Committee —  nan assemblage responsible for backing and oversight of nan U.S. Department of Defense and nan United States Armed Forces. 

Smith was portion of a congressional delegation that met pinch Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman successful Jeddah successful March of this year. In August, nan Biden management lifted a prohibition connected trading violative weapons to Saudi Arabia, reversing a three-year-old argumentation that had been successful spot to unit nan kingdom to upwind down nan Yemen war.

Smith told CBS News successful a telephone question and reply connected Wednesday that he had not moreover been alert of nan aid but said that it was "a spot of a agelong to return personification who is simply a U.S. national pinch 20 years of Hill experience, dozens of clients and opportunity that he was acting connected behalf of Saudi Arabia." 

"If it's proven that Saudi Arabia aliases immoderate different state for that matter is organizing an effort to get group to springiness money, past that's bundling and overseas countries can't do that," he added. 

Elshami besides donated $1,000 to nan run of Rep. Pete Aguilar, chair of nan House Democratic Caucus, responsible for electing Democratic activity successful nan House, arsenic good arsenic $5,000 to nan Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, an charismatic fundraising limb for House Democrats crossed nan country. 

"These aren't nan biggest contributions that members of Congress are going to beryllium receiving successful position of donations, but $1,000, $5,000, $10,000, particularly successful nan smaller downstream races, that goes a important way, particularly successful nan House of Representatives," Casey Michel, writer of nan book "Foreign Agents: How American Lobbyists and Lawmakers Threaten Democracy Around nan World," told CBS News. 

Ballard Partners 

Lobbying patient Ballard Partners has received astir $375,000 from overseas governments this year. OpenSecrets analysis shows nan Democratic Republic of nan Congo has been its astir lucrative client, but FARA filings show nan patient has lobbied for countries including Japan, Liberia and Guatemala. The patient precocious opened a caller agency successful Saudi Arabia. 

Republican megadonor Brian Ballard is nan main signatory connected these overseas supplier filings 

This twelvemonth alone, Ballard has personally donated astir $250,000 to nan Republican National Committee, and different $250,000 to nan Trump 47 Committee PAC. 

While Ballard has prolifically donated to Republican causes, he did lend $3,300 to Sen. Chris Coons, of Delaware, successful March. The pursuing month, Coons — a apical Democrat connected nan powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a adjacent state of President Biden's — introduced a renewal of nan African Growth and Opportunity Act, aliases AGOA. One of Ballard's clients, nan Democratic Republic of Congo, is simply a beneficiary of this legislation, which grants sub-Saharan African countries duty-free entree to nan U.S. market.

A spokesperson for Coons told CBS News successful a connection that "AGOA has had broad, bipartisan support for astir 25 years, and Senator Coons is 1 of galore successful Congress who person routinely supported AGOA during his tenure successful nan Senate."

"Senator Coons believes that Americans should person assurance their legislators are not unduly influenced by overseas nations, and he would see immoderate FARA betterment that came earlier nan Senate," nan spokesperson said. 

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

The lobbying group Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld has earned $5.5 cardinal dollars from overseas authorities clients this year. 

The United Arab Emirates is down a sizable chunk of those fees, having paid nan institution $1.9 cardinal dollars for its lobbying services connected nan Gulf state's behalf, according to OpenSecrets. The institution has besides received $1.5 cardinal from Saudi Arabia, OpenSecrets records show. 

Political contributions from individuals and their family members related to nan firm, arsenic good arsenic nan firm's ain PAC donations, person totalled astir $2.7 cardinal for 2024 truthful far, according to an OpenSecrets analysis. 

The donations person been distributed connected a reasonably bipartisan basis. Contributions see a full of $121,195 to nan Democratic Senatorial Committee and $100,715 to nan Kamala Harris campaign, and $100,625 to nan National Republican Senatorial Committee.

FARA filings reviewed by CBS News show a existent elder advisor for Akin Gump, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, was lobbying connected behalf of nan UAE arsenic precocious arsenic 2022.

Ros-Lehtinen is simply a erstwhile Florida Republican congresswoman who has made multiple donations to GOP lawmakers successful this predetermination cycle. 

In February, Ros-Lehtinen made a $1,000 aid to Republican Rep. Maria Salazar, a personnel of nan House Foreign Affairs Committee, nan powerful committee pinch jurisdiction complete bills and investigations concerning U.S. overseas affairs, arsenic good arsenic a $500 aid to Rep. Mario Diaz Balart, a congressman who has successful nan past taken a hard-line legislative stance against nan Muslim Brotherhood, pushing for sanctions against nan Sunni Islamist governmental movement. The group is fiercely opposed by nan UAE. 

She besides donated $5,000 to Akin Gump's ain governmental action committee successful February. 

"In nan U.S., by far, nan astir communal business for erstwhile members of Congress is to lobby different members of Congress erstwhile they time off nan House aliases nan Senate — it's much than 50%," Ben Freeman of nan Quincy Institute notes. 

Freeman told CBS News nan cumulative effect of governmental donations tin beryllium sizable successful position of lobbyist influence. 

"Something for illustration $500, you know, it mightiness not look for illustration that overmuch if you look astatine conscionable 1 of these contributions astatine a time, but these contributions don't hap connected an island. One lobbyist astatine nan patient mightiness make a $1,000 contribution, different 1 mightiness make $2,000. The firm's PAC mightiness make, you know, respective $1,000 contributions, too," he said. "When you commencement adding up each nan contributions from each nan lobbyists and nan patient itself, you commencement to get to immoderate superior numbers connected immoderate of these politicians — you know, tens of thousands and moreover hundreds of thousands." 

BGR Group

The patient BGR Group has earned $288,621 this twelvemonth according to OpenSecrets. Most of that money has travel from its apical client, Qatar. 

Individuals and PACs associated pinch nan lobbying patient have, per OpenSecrets records, spent astir $2 cardinal cumulatively successful run contributions successful this predetermination cycle.

Of that money, astir $29,532 successful full contributions from individuals and from nan patient itself has been donated specifically to Republican Sen. Roger Wicker, nan ranking personnel of nan Senate Armed Services Committee, during 2024. It makes Wicker 1 of nan largest individual beneficiaries of BGR contributions this year, per OpenSecrets analysis. 

The Senate Armed Services Committee is presently reviewing Qatar's position arsenic a awesome non-NATO U.S. ally, aft a group of senators introduced authorities to revoke nan Gulf state's position unless it withdraws alleged financial support for violent groups and expels aliases extradites elder Hamas leadership.

Wicker voiced guidance to nan measure erstwhile it was introduced successful April. 

"This strikes maine arsenic a measurement we should beryllium very observant about," Wicker said, according to Jewish Insider. "Qatar has been a friend successful galore ways and location are communal benefits successful our 2 countries continuing to beryllium friends. This is simply a matter that governments should speak to each different about."

In a statement, Nathan Calvert, communications head for Sen. Wicker, said "support from individuals astatine BGR is simply a nonstop consequence of long-standing friendships among chap Mississippians that precede Senator Wicker's clip successful elected office. Senator Wicker regularly meets pinch and considers nan views of a wide assortment of constituents and stakeholders sloppy of their governmental support aliases deficiency thereof."

FEC filings seen by CBS News besides show that BGR Government Affairs CEO Bob Wood has donated more than $42,000 to nan National Republican Senatorial Committee, nan charismatic fundraising limb for nan GOP's efforts to elite candidates to nan U.S. Senate.

Will FARA laws change?

Recent cases involving Democratic lawmakers including former Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey, Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, person exposed nan imaginable frailties successful overseas supplier registry laws that could let for overseas power campaigns. 

All 3 lawmakers were indicted successful abstracted cases connected charges of accepting bribes from overseas governments successful speech for charismatic acts complete nan past year. Both Adams and Cuellar person pleaded not blameworthy to nan charges and denied immoderate wrongdoing. In July, Menendez was recovered blameworthy connected each counts aft being tried connected charges of illegally utilizing his power to use nan governments of Egypt and Qatar. 

Campaign finance master Casey Michel told CBS News that legislative efforts to betterment lobbying rules look improbable to pass, arsenic lawmakers are nan superior beneficiaries of nan existing system.

Michel noted that a full big of legislative efforts — including a bipartisan measure called nan Fighting Foreign Influence Act — person grounded successful Congress. 

"I deliberation nan awesome irony successful nan past fewer years is that location person been each these bills that person been introduced, particularly related to FARA and really to tighten things up, really to amended things, and nary of them person passed," Michel said. "And nan logic was because nan president of nan Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who was, you know, nan astir powerful legislator successful position of crafting American overseas policy, was Bob Menendez, who, arsenic we now know, was moving simultaneously arsenic an supplier of nan Egyptian government." 

Joanne Stocker contributed to this report.

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• United Arab Emirates
• Qatar
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• Saudi Arabia
• Election
• 2024 Elections
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