Joe Birkenstock spoke with Politico’s Josh Gerstein about campaign finance disclosure:
“I think it’s significant. The earth moved when the district court opinion came out,” said Joe Birkenstock of Sandler Reiff, a firm that advises Democratic-leaning political groups. “That district court opinion called for much broader disclosure than had previously been the case.”
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Partner Josh Rosenstein discusses FARA on the Corporate Business Journal podcast “In House Warrior.”
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Josh Rosenstein comments on charges brought against lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Unlike some other potential unregistered lobbyists, Abramoff can’t argue he’s not familiar with the law, said Josh Rosentein, another lawyer who’s an expert in lobbying law.
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Joe Birkenstock Comments on the Push to Reform US Foreign Influence Law Stalls.
Joe Birkenstock at Sandler Reiff Lamb Rosenstein & Birkenstock in Washington, DC, also does not expect it to be considered in the near future, but added that the issue of reforming the 80-year-old law won’t go away and it could well be picked up again by the legislative branch of the US government at some stage.
“The odds of some FARA reform passing eventually are good in the long term, but it won’t happen in this Congress as far as I can see,” he said.
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Partner Josh Rosenstein comments on Rudy Guiliani’s efforts to fundraise $10 million to help produce a Biden-Ukraine documentary.
“If Giuliani accepts foreign funding to conduct a PR campaign aimed at influencing the US public with regard to the national policies of the US or with reference to Ukrainian national interests then there may be a FARA problem,”
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Partner Josh Rosenstein shares thoughts on German Ambassador Richard Grenell with the Washington Post.
“If you have a domestic organization, particularly a domestic nonprofit, which receives funding from a foreign government, it is certainly possible that you would have a registration obligation — even if your client is incorporated in the U.S.,” Rosenstein said. “In very similar situations, the Department of Justice has required registration by consultants working on behalf of U.S. nonprofits which were funded in part by foreign governments, where the purpose of the efforts in the U.S. were to strengthen ties between the U.S. and the foreign government.”
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Joshua Rosenstein, partner, comments on the legality of Washington State Senator lobbying for Cambodia with The Diplomat.
“The legislator can’t take on a job that is impacted by his or her official duties in Washington [state]. It has to be a legitimate arms-length contract. It can’t count as a prohibited gift, and it generally can’t involve a contract with the state,” explains Joshua Rosenstein, a lawyer who focuses on the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
“In most places, ethics restrictions only apply to lobbying representatives of their own chambers.”
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Senior Associate David Mitanri shared his thoughts on what campaign finance enforcement might look like in 2020 with Campaigns and Elections.
“The takeaway that I’ll always give to clients is that even before the FEC lost a quorum, the Department of Justice has really been watching this space more closely than they have in a very long time,” said David Mitrani, a senior associate at Sandler Reiff Lamb Rosenstein & Birkenstock, P.C.
As a result, campaign finance attorneys like Mitrani are working to guard clients against violations at a more granular level. “Things that might not have entered into our heads to flag for clients are right at the forefront,” he said. “The well-prepared candidate has not only counsel but also a compliance firm, in addition to that.”
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Partner Josh Rosenstein shares his thoughts on the legal troubles of Rudy Giuliani with local NYC news.
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The Ukranian scandal has been getting a lot of attention lately and partners Joe Sandler and Josh Rosenstein share their expert thoughts.
If Livingston was working for Ukrainian clients he disclosed, “he should have reported those contacts … no question about that,” said Joseph Sandler, an expert on the law that governs U.S. lobbying for foreign clients. Sandler is a partner at the Sandler Reiff Lamb Rosenstein & Birkenstock law firm in Washington, D.C., and a former general counsel for the Democratic National Committee.
“If it was for another foreign entity, then he needed to register for them” and disclose the lobbying, Sandler said.
“This would seem to be a case that would be ripe for the DOJ to at least ask questions,” said Josh Rosenstein, a Washington, D.C., lawyer who advises clients on FARA.
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