22 USC 611 - Definitions

Collapse to view only § 611. Definitions

§ 611. Definitions
§ 612. Registration statement
§ 613. Exemptions
§ 614. Filing and labeling of political propaganda
§ 615. Books and records
§ 616. Public examination of official records; transmittal of records and information
§ 617. Liability of officers
§ 618. Enforcement and penalties
§ 619. Territorial applicability of subchapter
§ 620. Rules and regulations
§ 621. Reports to Congress

§ 611. DefinitionsAs used in and for the purposes of this subchapter—

(a) The term “person” includes an individual, partnership, association, corporation, organization, or any other combination of individuals;

(b) The term “foreign principal” includes—

(1) a government of a foreign country and a foreign political party;

(2) a person outside of the United States, unless it is established that such person is an individual and a citizen of and domiciled within the United States, or that such person is not an individual and is organized under or created by the laws of the United States or of any State or other place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and has its principal place of business within the United States; and

(3) a partnership, association, corporation, organization, or other combination of persons organized under the laws of or having its principal place of business in a foreign country.

1 So in original. Probably should be “Except”.

as provided in subsection (d) of this section, the term “agent of a foreign principal” means—

(1) any person who acts as an agent, representative, employee, or servant, or any person who acts in any other capacity at the order, request, or under the direction or control, of a foreign principal or of a person any of whose activities are directly or indirectly supervised, directed, controlled, financed, or subsidized in whole or in major part by a foreign principal, and who directly or through any other person—

(i) engages within the United States in political activities for or in the interests of such foreign principal;

(ii) acts within the United States as a public relations counsel, publicity agent, information-service employee or political consultant for or in the interests of such foreign principal;

(iii) within the United States solicits, collects, disburses, or dispenses contributions, loans, money, or other things of value for or in the interest of such foreign principal; or

(iv) within the United States represents the interests of such foreign principal before any agency or official of the Government of the United States; and

(2) any person who agrees, consents, assumes or purports to act as, or who is or holds himself out to be, whether or not pursuant to contractual relationship, an agent of a foreign principal as defined in clause (1) of this subsection.

(d) The term “agent of a foreign principal” does not include any news or press service or association organized under the laws of the United States or of any State or other place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, or any newspaper, magazine, periodical, or other publication for which there is on file with the United States Postal Service information in compliance with section 3611 2

2 So in original. Probably should be section “3685”.

of title 39, published in the United States, solely by virtue of any bona fide news or journalistic activities, including the solicitation or acceptance of advertisements, subscriptions, or other compensation therefor, so long as it is at least 80 per centum beneficially owned by, and its officers and directors, if any, are citizens of the United States, and such news or press service or association, newspaper, magazine, periodical, or other publication, is not owned, directed, supervised, controlled, subsidized, or financed, and none of its policies are determined by any foreign principal defined in subsection (b) of this section, or by any agent of a foreign principal required to register under this subchapter;

(e) The term “government of a foreign country” includes any person or group of persons exercising sovereign de facto or de jure political jurisdiction over any country, other than the United States, or over any part of such country, and includes any subdivision of any such group and any group or agency to which such sovereign de facto or de jure authority or functions are directly or indirectly delegated. Such term shall include any faction or body of insurgents within a country assuming to exercise governmental authority whether such faction or body of insurgents has or has not been recognized by the United States;

(f) The term “foreign political party” includes any organization or any other combination of individuals in a country other than the United States, or any unit or branch thereof, having for an aim or purpose, or which is engaged in any activity devoted in whole or in part to, the establishment, administration, control, or acquisition of administration or control, of a government of a foreign country or a subdivision thereof, or the furtherance or influencing of the political or public interests, policies, or relations of a government of a foreign country or a subdivision thereof;

(g) The term “public-relations counsel” includes any person who engages directly or indirectly in informing, advising, or in any way representing a principal in any public relations matter pertaining to political or public interests, policies, or relations of such principal;

(h) The term “publicity agent” includes any person who engages directly or indirectly in the publication or dissemination of oral, visual, graphic, written, or pictorial information or matter of any kind, including publication by means of advertising, books, periodicals, newspapers, lectures, broadcasts, motion pictures, or otherwise;

(i) The term “information-service employee” includes any person who is engaged in furnishing, disseminating, or publishing accounts, descriptions, information, or data with respect to the political, industrial, employment, economic, social, cultural, or other benefits, advantages, facts, or conditions of any country other than the United States or of any government of a foreign country or of a foreign political party or of a partnership, association, corporation, organization, or other combination of individuals organized under the laws of, or having its principal place of business in, a foreign country;

(j) Repealed. Pub. L. 104–65, § 9(1)(A), Dec. 19, 1995, 109 Stat. 699.

(k) The term “registration statement” means the registration statement required to be filed with the Attorney General under section 612(a) of this title, and any supplements thereto required to be filed under section 612(b) of this title, and includes all documents and papers required to be filed therewith or amendatory thereof or supplemental thereto, whether attached thereto or incorporated therein by reference;

(l) The term “American republic” includes any of the states which were signatory to the Final Act of the Second Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the American Republics at Habana, Cuba, July 30, 1940;

(m) The term “United States”, when used in a geographical sense, includes the several States, the District of Columbia, the Territories, the Canal Zone, the insular possessions, and all other places now or hereafter subject to the civil or military jurisdiction of the United States;

(n) The term “prints” means newspapers and periodicals, books, pamphlets, sheet music, visiting cards, address cards, printing proofs, engravings, photographs, pictures, drawings, plans, maps, patterns to be cut out, catalogs, prospectuses, advertisements, and printed, engraved, lithographed, or autographed notices of various kinds, and, in general, all impressions or reproductions obtained on paper or other material assimilable to paper, on parchment or on cardboard, by means of printing, engraving, lithography, autography, or any other easily recognizable mechanical process, with the exception of the copying press, stamps with movable or immovable type, and the typewriter;

(o) The term “political activities” means any activity that the person engaging in believes will, or that the person intends to, in any way influence any agency or official of the Government of the United States or any section of the public within the United States with reference to formulating, adopting, or changing the domestic or foreign policies of the United States or with reference to the political or public interests, policies, or relations of a government of a foreign country or a foreign political party;

(p) The term “political consultant” means any person who engages in informing or advising any other person with reference to the domestic or foreign policies of the United States or the political or public interest, policies, or relations of a foreign country or of a foreign political party.

(June 8, 1938, ch. 327, § 1, 52 Stat. 631; Aug. 7, 1939, ch. 521, § 1, 53 Stat. 1244; Apr. 29, 1942, ch. 263, § 1, 56 Stat. 249; Proc. No. 2695, July 4, 1946, 11 F.R. 7517, 60 Stat. 1352; Sept. 23, 1950, ch. 1024, title I, § 20(a), 64 Stat. 1005; Aug. 1, 1956, ch. 849, § 1, 70 Stat. 899; Pub. L. 87–366, § 1, Oct. 4, 1961, 75 Stat. 784; Pub. L. 89–486, § 1, July 4, 1966, 80 Stat. 244; Pub. L. 91–375, § 6(k), Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 782; Pub. L. 104–65, § 9(1), Dec. 19, 1995, 109 Stat. 699.)

§ 612. Registration statement

(a) Filing; contents

No person shall act as an agent of a foreign principal unless he has filed with the Attorney General a true and complete registration statement and supplements thereto as required by subsections (a) and (b) of this section or unless he is exempt from registration under the provisions of this subchapter. Except as hereinafter provided, every person who becomes an agent of a foreign principal shall, within ten days thereafter, file with the Attorney General, in duplicate, a registration statement, under oath on a form prescribed by the Attorney General. The obligation of an agent of a foreign principal to file a registration statement shall, after the tenth day of his becoming such agent, continue from day to day, and termination of such status shall not relieve such agent from his obligation to file a registration statement for the period during which he was an agent of a foreign principal. The registration statement shall include the following, which shall be regarded as material for the purposes of this subchapter:

(1) Registrant’s name, principal business address, and all other business addresses in the United States or elsewhere, and all residence addresses, if any;

(2) Status of the registrant; if an individual, nationality; if a partnership, name, residence addresses, and nationality of each partner and a true and complete copy of its articles of copartnership; if an association, corporation, organization, or any other combination of individuals, the name, residence addresses, and nationality of each director and officer and of each person performing the functions of a director or officer and a true and complete copy of its charter, articles of incorporation, association, constitution, and bylaws, and amendments thereto; a copy of every other instrument or document and a statement of the terms and conditions of every oral agreement relating to its organization, powers, and purposes; and a statement of its ownership and control;

(3) A comprehensive statement of the nature of registrant’s business; a complete list of registrant’s employees and a statement of the nature of the work of each; the name and address of every foreign principal for whom the registrant is acting, assuming or purporting to act or has agreed to act; the character of the business or other activities of every such foreign principal, and, if any such foreign principal be other than a natural person, a statement of the ownership and control of each; and the extent, if any, to which each such foreign principal is supervised, directed, owned, controlled, financed, or subsidized, in whole or in part, by any government of a foreign country or foreign political party, or by any other foreign principal;

(4) Copies of each written agreement and the terms and conditions of each oral agreement, including all modifications of such agreements, or, where no contract exists, a full statement of all the circumstances, by reason of which the registrant is an agent of a foreign principal; a comprehensive statement of the nature and method of performance of each such contract, and of the existing and proposed activity or activities engaged in or to be engaged in by the registrant as agent of a foreign principal for each such foreign principal, including a detailed statement of any such activity which is a political activity;

(5) The nature and amount of contributions, income, money, or thing of value, if any, that the registrant has received within the preceding sixty days from each such foreign principal, either as compensation or for disbursement or otherwise, and the form and time of each such payment and from whom received;

(6) A detailed statement of every activity which the registrant is performing or is assuming or purporting or has agreed to perform for himself or any other person other than a foreign principal and which requires his registration hereunder, including a detailed statement of any such activity which is a political activity;

(7) The name, business, and residence addresses, and if an individual, the nationality, of any person other than a foreign principal for whom the registrant is acting, assuming or purporting to act or has agreed to act under such circumstances as require his registration hereunder; the extent to which each such person is supervised, directed, owned, controlled, financed, or subsidized, in whole or in part, by any government of a foreign country or foreign political party or by any other foreign principal; and the nature and amount of contributions, income, money, or thing of value, if any, that the registrant has received during the preceding sixty days from each such person in connection with any of the activities referred to in clause (6) of this subsection, either as compensation or for disbursement or otherwise, and the form and time of each such payment and from whom received;

(8) A detailed statement of the money and other things of value spent or disposed of by the registrant during the preceding sixty days in furtherance of or in connection with activities which require his registration hereunder and which have been undertaken by him either as an agent of a foreign principal or for himself or any other person or in conection 1

1 So in original. Probably should be “connection”.

with any activities relating to his becoming an agent of such principal, and a detailed statement of any contributions of money or other things of value made by him during the preceding sixty days (other than contributions the making of which is prohibited under the terms of section 613 2

2 See References in Text note below.

of title 18) in connection with an election to any political office or in connection with any primary election, convention, or caucus held to select candidates for any political office;

(9) Copies of each written agreement and the terms and conditions of each oral agreement, including all modifications of such agreements, or, where no contract exists, a full statement of all the circumstances, by reason of which the registrant is performing or assuming or purporting or has agreed to perform for himself or for a foreign principal or for any person other than a foreign principal any activities which require his registration hereunder;

(10) Such other statements, information, or documents pertinent to the purposes of this subchapter as the Attorney General, having due regard for the national security and the public interest, may from time to time require;

(11) Such further statements and such further copies of documents as are necessary to make the statements made in the registration statement and supplements thereto, and the copies of documents furnished therewith, not misleading.

(b) Supplements; filing period

(d) Filing of statement not deemed full compliance nor as preclusion from prosecution

(e) Incorporation of previous statement by reference

(f) Exemption by Attorney General

The Attorney General may, by regulation, provide for the exemption—

(1) from registration, or from the requirement of furnishing any of the information required by this section, of any person who is listed as a partner, officer, director, or employee in the registration statement filed by an agent of a foreign principal under this subchapter, and

(2) from the requirement of furnishing any of the information required by this section of any agent of a foreign principal.

where by reason of the nature of the functions or activities of such person the Attorney General, having due regard for the national security and the public interest, determines that such registration, or the furnishing of such information, as the case may be, is not necessary to carry out the purposes of this subchapter.

(g) Electronic filing of registration statements and supplements

(June 8, 1938, ch. 327, § 2, 52 Stat. 632; Apr. 29, 1942, ch. 263, § 1, 56 Stat. 251; Aug. 3, 1950, ch. 524, § 1, 64 Stat. 399; Pub. L. 89–486, § 2, July 4, 1966, 80 Stat. 245; Pub. L. 110–81, title II, § 212(a), Sept. 14, 2007, 121 Stat. 749.)

§ 613. Exemptions

The requirements of section 612(a) of this title shall not apply to the following agents of foreign principals:

(a) Diplomatic or consular officers

(b) Officials of foreign government

(d) Private and nonpolitical activities; solicitation of funds

(e) Religious, scholastic, or scientific pursuits

(f) Defense of foreign government vital to United States defense

(g) Persons qualified to practice law

(h) Agents of foreign principals

(June 8, 1938, ch. 327, § 3, 52 Stat. 632; Aug. 7, 1939, ch. 521, § 2, 53 Stat. 1245; Apr. 29, 1942, ch. 263, § 1, 56 Stat. 254; Pub. L. 87–366, § 2, Oct. 4, 1961, 75 Stat. 784; Pub. L. 89–486, § 3, July 4, 1966, 80 Stat. 246; Pub. L. 104–65, § 9(2), (3), Dec. 19, 1995, 109 Stat. 700; Pub. L. 105–166, § 5, Apr. 6, 1998, 112 Stat. 39.)

§ 614. Filing and labeling of political propaganda

(a) Copies to Attorney General; statement as to places, times, and extent of transmission

(b) Identification statement

(d) Library of Congress

(e) Information furnished to agency or official of United States Government

(f) Appearances before Congressional committees

(June 8, 1938, ch. 327, § 4, 52 Stat. 632; Aug. 7, 1939, ch. 521, § 3, 53 Stat. 1246; Apr. 29, 1942, ch. 263, § 1, 56 Stat. 255; Pub. L. 89–486, § 4, July 4, 1966, 80 Stat. 246; Pub. L. 91–375, § 4(a), Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 773; Pub. L. 104–65, § 9(4)–(6), Dec. 19, 1995, 109 Stat. 700.)

§ 615. Books and records

Every agent of a foreign principal registered under this subchapter shall keep and preserve while he is an agent of a foreign principal such books of account and other records with respect to all his activities, the disclosure of which is required under the provisions of this subchapter, in accordance with such business and accounting practices, as the Attorney General, having due regard for the national security and the public interest, may by regulation prescribe as necessary or appropriate for the enforcement of the provisions of this subchapter and shall preserve the same for a period of three years following the termination of such status. Until regulations are in effect under this section every agent of a foreign principal shall keep books of account and shall preserve all written records with respect to his activities. Such books and records shall be open at all reasonable times to the inspection of any official charged with the enforcement of this subchapter. It shall be unlawful for any person willfully to conceal, destroy, obliterate, mutilate, or falsify, or to attempt to conceal, destroy, obliterate, mutilate, or falsify, or to cause to be concealed, destroyed, obliterated, mutilated, or falsified, any books or records required to be kept under the provisions of this section.

(June 8, 1938, ch. 327, § 5, 52 Stat. 633; Apr. 29, 1942, ch. 263, § 1, 56 Stat. 256; Pub. L. 89–486, § 5, July 4, 1966, 80 Stat. 247.)

§ 616. Public examination of official records; transmittal of records and information

(a) Permanent copy of statement; inspection; withdrawal

(b) Secretary of State

(d) Public database of registration statements and updates

(1) In general

The Attorney General shall maintain, and make available to the public over the Internet, without a fee or other access charge, in a searchable, sortable, and downloadable manner, to the extent technically practicable, an electronic database that—

(A) includes the information contained in registration statements and updates filed under this subchapter; and

(B) is searchable and sortable, at a minimum, by each of the categories of information described in section 612(a) of this title.

(2) Accountability

(June 8, 1938, ch. 327, § 6, 52 Stat. 633; Apr. 29, 1942, ch. 263, § 1, 56 Stat. 256; Pub. L. 89–486, § 6, July 4, 1966, 80 Stat. 247; Pub. L. 104–65, § 9(7), Dec. 19, 1995, 109 Stat. 700; Pub. L. 110–81, title II, § 212(b), Sept. 14, 2007, 121 Stat. 749.)

§ 617. Liability of officers

Each officer, or person performing the functions of an officer, and each director, or person performing the functions of a director, of an agent of a foreign principal which is not an individual shall be under obligation to cause such agent to execute and file a registration statement and supplements thereto as and when such filing is required under subsections (a) and (b) of section 612 of this title and shall also be under obligation to cause such agent to comply with all the requirements of sections 614(a) and (b) and 615 of this title and all other requirements of this subchapter. Dissolution of any organization acting as an agent of a foreign principal shall not relieve any officer, or person performing the functions of an officer, or any director, or person performing the functions of a director, from complying with the provisions of this section. In case of failure of any such agent of a foreign principal to comply with any of the requirements of this subchapter, each of its officers, or persons performing the functions of officers, and each of its directors, or persons performing the functions of directors, shall be subject to prosecution therefor.

(June 8, 1938, ch. 327, § 7, 52 Stat. 633; Apr. 29, 1942, ch. 263, § 1, 56 Stat. 256; Aug. 3, 1950, ch. 524, § 2, 64 Stat. 400.)

§ 618. Enforcement and penalties

(a) Violations; false statements and willful omissions

Any person who—

(1) willfully violates any provision of this subchapter or any regulation thereunder, or

(2) in any registration statement or supplement thereto or in any other document filed with or furnished to the Attorney General under the provisions of this subchapter willfully makes a false statement of a material fact or willfully omits any material fact required to be stated therein or willfully omits a material fact or a copy of a material document necessary to make the statements therein and the copies of documents furnished therewith not misleading, shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine of not more than $10,000 or by imprisonment for not more than five years, or both, except that in the case of a violation of subsection (b), (e), or (f) of section 614 of this title or of subsection (g) or (h) of this section the punishment shall be a fine of not more than $5,000 or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both.

(b) Proof of identity of foreign principal

(d) Repealed. Pub. L. 104–65, § 9(8)(B), Dec. 19, 1995, 109 Stat. 700

(e) Continuing offense

(f) Injunctive remedy; jurisdiction of district court

(g) Deficient registration statement

(h) Contingent fee arrangement

(June 8, 1938, ch. 327, § 8, as added Apr. 29, 1942, ch. 263, § 1, 56 Stat. 257; amended Sept. 23, 1950, ch. 1024, title I, § 20(b), 64 Stat. 1005; June 27, 1952, ch. 477, title IV, § 402(d), 66 Stat. 276; Aug. 1, 1956, ch. 849, § 1, 70 Stat. 899; Pub. L. 89–486, § 7, July 4, 1966, 80 Stat. 248; Pub. L. 98–620, title IV, § 402(26), Nov. 8, 1984, 98 Stat. 3359; Pub. L. 104–65, § 9(8), Dec. 19, 1995, 109 Stat. 700; Pub. L. 104–208, div. C, title III, § 308(e)(19), Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009–621.)

§ 619. Territorial applicability of subchapter

This subchapter shall be applicable in the several States, the District of Columbia, the Territories, the Canal Zone, the insular possessions, and all other places now or hereafter subject to the civil or military jurisdiction of the United States.

(June 8, 1938, ch. 327, § 9, as added Apr. 29, 1942, ch. 263, § 1, 56 Stat. 257; amended Proc. No. 2695, July 4, 1946, 11 F.R. 7517, 60 Stat. 1352.)

§ 620. Rules and regulations

The Attorney General may at any time make, prescribe, amend, and rescind such rules, regulations, and forms as he may deem necessary to carry out the provisions of this subchapter.

(June 8, 1938, ch. 327, § 10, as added Apr. 29, 1942, ch. 263, § 1, 56 Stat. 257.)

§ 621. Reports to Congress

The Attorney General shall every six months report to the Congress concerning administration of this subchapter, including registrations filed pursuant to the subchapter, and the nature, sources and span of political propaganda disseminated and distributed.

(June 8, 1938, ch. 327, § 11, as added Apr. 29, 1942, ch. 263, § 1, 56 Stat. 258; amended Pub. L. 104–65, § 19, Dec. 19, 1995, 109 Stat. 704.)