Senator Guthrie Holds Interim Study on Foreign Agent Registration

OKLAHOMA CITY – Senator Brian Guthrie, R-Bixby, led a Senate Judiciary Committee study this week on strengthening Oklahoma’s protections against foreign influence through state-level Foreign Agent Registration laws. Experts and stakeholders discussed adopting measures similar to the federal Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) to safeguard the state's citizens, land, and interests.

FARA has been in place at the federal level since 1938, requiring individuals acting on behalf of foreign governments or entities to disclose their political activities. However, only four states have enacted similar registration and disclosure requirements.

“Texas, Utah, Louisiana, and Nebraska have enacted registration and disclosure requirements for lobbyists and foreign agents who engage in political activity in their states. It’s time to take action in Oklahoma and ensure that our state is protected from foreign influences like the Chinese Communist Party that seek to undermine our values and economy,” Guthrie said. “I appreciate those who participated in this interim study and offered valuable insight into how we can implement similar protections in Oklahoma.”

 Those who presented include:

• Jan Jekielek, Epoch Times
• Thomas Rawlings, State Shield
• Lee Ann Bruce Boone, Executive Director, Oklahoma Ethics Commission
• Bradley Clark, General Counsel, Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office

To watch the full study or view speaker presentations, visit oksenate.gov.

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For more information, contact: Sen. Brian Guthrie at 405-521-5675 or email Brian.Guthrie@oksenate.gov.