Ron DeSantis attack dog Christina Pushaw had a major oopsie this week. The DoJ forced her to register as a foreign agent of a former president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, for her past work after they contacted her.
She began her work in 2018 as a volunteer in the post-Soviet country, her attorney said, and was ultimately paid $25,000 over the course of two years. Isn't it funny, how many of these Republican true believers adore Soviet-bloc authoritarian regimes? Via the Washington Post:
“Her efforts included writing op-eds, reaching out to supporters and officials, and advocating on his behalf in Georgia and in the United States,” Sherwin said. “The work ended in 2020. Ms. Pushaw was notified recently by the DOJ that her work on behalf of Mr. Saakashvilli likely required FARA registration. Ms. Pushaw filed for the registration retroactively as soon as she was made aware.” The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment.
The episode reflects standard enforcement practices under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), said Joshua Ian Rosenstein, an expert on the 1938 law at D.C.-based Sandler Reiff Lamb Rosenstein and Birkenstock. A letter of inquiry may prompt a voluntary registration, he said, to “short-circuit a more formal determination of a failure to comply.” Enforcement can take place years after the activity in question if authorities receive a complaint or simply act on a public news item, he said. Though the methods are standard, Rosenstein added, there is an increased willingness to use them.
She's kind of the Laura Ingraham of Twitter:
