The U.S. Department of Justice today announced the arrest of an alleged agent of the Iranian government, who has been charged with violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act (“FARA”).  The defendant is an Iranian political scientist, living in the United States as a permanent resident.  The Justice Department alleges that for years he has engaged in advocacy activities in the United States on behalf of the Iranian government, and that he has been paid approximately…

Today Covington released an updated version of its manual for Chiefs of Staff to Members of Congress concerning best practices for responding to government investigations of Members and their staff.  Titled “A How-To Guide for Chiefs of Staff,” the manual describes how government investigations of Members and staff unfold and the steps that Chiefs of Staff need to take during the initial stages of any investigation. Handling Investigations of Members of Congress and Congressional Staff:  …

With the Covid news from the UK (good – vaccine rollout; and bad – high cases and deaths), the impact of the Brexit Deal has been somewhat masked. This note summarises some of the most noticeable of those impacts. Red Tape & Border Delays Cross-Channel trade was slower than normal in the first two weeks of January, due to pre-Brext stockpiling. As those stockpiles unwind, the consequences of the new customs arrangements will become clear.…

Reconciliation is a process under the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (CBA) that allows Congress to implement budget priorities affecting direct spending, revenues, and the debt limit using expedited procedures.  The principal benefit to using reconciliation is that a reconciliation bill cannot be filibustered in the Senate.  As a result, it takes only a simple majority to pass a reconciliation bill in the Senate, rather than the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster. With…

Next week will be plenary week in the European Parliament.  Members of the European Parliament (“MEPs”) will gather virtually and in person in Brussels.  Several interesting votes and debates are scheduled to take place. On Monday, MEPs will debate and vote (Tuesday) on a report on strengthening the EU’s capabilities to enforce its rights under international trade agreements and within WTO context.  The report details the Parliament’s legislative position regarding the revision of Regulation (EU)…

On January 4, 2021, the narrowed Democratic majority in the House of Representatives passed, in a party-line vote, a set of rules governing the House for the 117th Congress.  While the House, unlike the Senate, has to approve its rules every Congress, the rules stay generally consistent from Congress-to-Congress, with more significant amendments often coming with changed majorities.  While Democrats maintain the majority this Congress, the rules package contains some relatively meaningful changes .  The…

On 17 December 2020, the Council of Europe’s* Ad hoc Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAHAI) published a Feasibility Study (the “Study”) on Artificial Intelligence (AI) legal standards. The Study examines the feasibility and potential elements of a legal framework for the development and deployment of AI, based on the Council of Europe’s human rights standards. Its main conclusion is that current regulations do not suffice in creating the necessary legal certainty, trust, and level playing…