18 U.S.C. § 219 Officers and Employees Acting As Agents of Foreign Principals

• Library: United States Statutes
• Edition: 2023 Edition
• Currency: Current through P.L. 118-19 (published on www.congress.gov on 10/06/2023)

(a) Whoever, being a public official, is or acts as an agent of a foreign principal required to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 or a lobbyist required to register under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 in connection with the representation of a foreign entity, as defined in section 3(6) of that Act shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than two years, or both.

(b) Nothing in this section shall apply to the employment of any agent of a foreign principal as a special Government employee in any case in which the head of the employing agency certifies that such employment is required in the national interest. A copy of any certification under this paragraph shall be forwarded by the head of such agency to the Attorney General who shall cause the same to be filed with the registration statement and other documents filed by such agent, and made available for public inspection in accordance with section 6 of the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended.

(c) For the purpose of this section "public official" means Member of Congress, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner, either before or after he has qualified, or an officer or employee or person acting for or on behalf of the United States, or any department, agency, or branch of Government thereof, including the District of Columbia, in any official function, under or by authority of any such department, agency, or branch of Government.

Cite as 18 U.S.C. § 219

Source: Added Pub. L. 89-486, §8(b), July 4, 1966, 80 Stat. 249; amended Pub. L. 98-473, title II, §1116, Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 2149; Pub. L. 99-646, §30, Nov. 10, 1986, 100 Stat. 3598; Pub. L. 101-647, title XXXV, §35113511,, 104 Stat. 4922; Pub. L. 104-65, §12(b), Dec. 19, 1995, 109 Stat. 701.

Notes from the Office of Law Revision Counsel

current through 5/22/2023

EDITORIAL NOTES

REFERENCES IN TEXT

The Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended, referred to in subsec. (a), is act June 8, 1938, ch. 327, 52 Stat. 631, which is classified generally to subchapter II (§611 et seq.) of chapter 11 of Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse. Section 6 of the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 is classified to section 616 of Title 22. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 611 of Title 22 and Tables.