[EL] Let’s Put Citizens United to the Test: Pakistani Agent $ in U.S. Elections

Tue Jul 19 10:11:59 PDT 2011

Here is a DoJ press release about the case. Mr. Kelner is correct that the prosecution is under FARA: 

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/July/11-nsd-937.html

I would also add that Mr. Fai is a U.S. citizen, so a ban on contributions by foreign nationals would not apply to him. 

________________________________________
From: law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu [law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu] on behalf of Kelner, Robert [rkelner at cov.com]
Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2011 12:38 PM
To: 'rhasen at law.uci.edu'; 'law-election at uci.edu'
Subject: Re: [EL] Let’s Put Citizens United to the Test: Pakistani Agent $ in U.S. Elections

Either way, there would be a violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which is more likely the basis for the Government's investigation.

From: Rick Hasen [mailto:rhasen at law.uci.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2011 12:06 PM
To: law-election at UCI.EDU <law-election at uci.edu>
Subject: [EL] Let’s Put Citizens United to the Test: Pakistani Agent $ in U.S. Elections

Let’s Put Citizens United to the Test: Pakistani Agent $ in U.S. Elections<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=20587>
Posted on July 19, 2011<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=20587> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

NBC’s Pete Williams reports<http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/07/19/7112067-fbi-arrests-pakistani-agent-for-making-political-contributions-in-us> “Law enforcement sources say the FBI has arrested an agent of Pakistan’s official state intelligence service, accusing him of making thousands of dollars in political contributions in the United States without disclosing his connections to the Pakistani government.”

The conduct, if proven, is clearly illegal<http://us-code.vlex.com/vid/contributions-donations-foreign-nationals-19137877> under federal law.  But is that federal law unconstitutional?  Citizens United has told us that in the First Amendment independent spending context, the identity of the speaker does not matter for First Amendment purposes.  And further that independent spending cannot corrupt.  Some anti-campaign finance regulation folks have claimed that Citizens United should be extended to allow unlimited contributions, from whatever source, to candidates (and some even claim that it is unconstitutional to require even disclosure of such contributions).  That’s Justice Thomas’s position<http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/analysis.aspx?id=18958> too.

So let’s hear from these anti-regulatory folks.  If this activity is proven against the Pakistani agent, would prosecution of the agent be unconstitutional under the First Amendment?  (For my thoughts on the foreign national question, see my recent Michigan piece<http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1620576>.)

[Share]<http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D20587&title=Let%E2%80%99s%20Put%20Citizens%20United%20to%20the%20Test%3A%20Pakistani%20Agent%20%24%20in%20U.S.%20Elections&description=Let%E2%80%99s%20Put%20Citizens%20United%20to%20the%20Test%3A%20Pakistani%20Agent%20%24%20in%20U.S.%20Elections%0D%0APosted%20on%20July%2019%2C%202011%20by%20Rick%20Hasen%0D%0A%0D%0ANBC%E2%80%99s%20Pete%20Williams%20reports%20%E2%80%9CLaw%20enforcement%20sources%20say%20the%20FBI%20has%20arrested%20an%20agent%20of%20Pakistan%E2%80%99s%20official%20state%20intelligence%20service%2C%20accusing%20him%20of%20making%20thousands%20of%20dollars%20in%20political%20contributions%20in%20the%20United%20States%20without%20disclosing%20his%20connections%20to%20the%20Pakistani%20government.%E2%80%9D%0D%0A%0D%0AThe%20conduct%2C%20if%20proven%2C%20is%20clearly%20illegal%20under%20federal%20law.%20%20But%20is%20that%20federal%20law%20unconstitutional%3F%20%20Citizens
%20United%20has%20told%20us%20that%20in%20the%20First%20Amendment%20independent%20spending%20context%2C%20the%20identity%20of%20the%20speaker%20does%20not%20matter%20for%20First%20Amendment%20purposes.%20%20And%20further%20that%20independent%20spending%20cannot%20corrupt.%20%20Some%20anti-campaign%20finance%20regulation%20folks%20have%20claimed%20that%20Citizens%20United%20should%20be%20extended%20to%20allow%20unlimited%20contributions%2C%20from%20whatever%20source%2C%20to%20candidates%20%28and%20some%20even%20claim%20that%20it%20is%20unconstitutional%20to%20require%20even%20disclosure%20of%20such%20contributions%29.%20%20That%E2%80%99s%20Justice%20Thomas%E2%80%99s%20position%20too.%0D%0A%0D%0ASo%20let%E2%80%99s%20hear%20from%20these%20anti-regulatory%20folks.%20%20If%20this%20activity%20is%20proven%20against%20the%20Pakistani%20agent%2C%20would%20prosecution%20of%20the%20agent%20be%20unconstitutional%20under%20the%20First%20Amendment%3F%20%20%28For%20my%20thoughts%20on%20the
%20foreign%20national%20question%2C%20see%20my%20recent%20Michigan%20piece.%29%0D%0AShare%0D%0APosted%20in%20campaign%20finance%09%7C%20Comments%20Off>
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Rick Hasen
Professor of Law and Political Science
UC Irvine School of Law
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