Longtime GOP Operatives Charged for Illegal Lobbying Activities

The two admitted to lobbying on behalf of Qatar without being registered under the FARA and lying to the Justice Department.

As Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas (L), and FBI Director Christopher Wray (R), looks on Attorney General Merrick Garland (C) speaks with reporters during a news conference at the Department of Justice in Washington on Dec. 6, 2023. Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo

Barry Bennett, a longtime Republican political consultant, and his associate Douglas Watts were charged on Tuesday with violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

Mr. Bennett’s company, Avenue Strategies, signed a contract with Yemen Watch, also known as Yemen Crisis Watch, in September 2017 to help a Middle East country with a campaign against its rival countries, the indictment shows.