With Daniel Lippman FARA & FAUNA: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) and House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) are requesting that the Department of Justice review whether a number of environmental rights groups are violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act. — The two claim that some environmental groups are likely acting as foreign agents, although they are not registered with the DOJ. It’s part of a yearslong effort by the GOP to tie environmental groups to foreign adversaries. — In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland dated Thursday, the two lawmakers are requesting documents related to the financial relationships between various environmental groups and those associated with Chinese interests. — Although for other reasons, nonprofits have criticized the DOJ's current interpretation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, for fear that they could be deemed foreign agents. It’s not all that uncommon for nonprofits to receive foreign government aid. And in one example of that, the Department of Justice asked the National Wildlife Federation to register after it received funding from a Norwegian government agency. — David Laufman, a partner at Wiggin and Dana who once oversaw enforcement of FARA, said more often than not these kinds of congressional overtures are politically driven. He would not be surprised if the DOJ was receiving more FARA investigation requests than usual these days. — A spokesperson for the Department of Justice said it had received the letter but declined to comment further. — In a statement, one of the groups cited in the letter, Rocky Mountain Institute, said it has worked alongside governments for four decades on a clean energy transition. — “We share our research and analysis routinely with governments, policymakers of both parties, fellow non-profit organizations, and corporations — including those in the fossil fuel business,” the statement read. “RMI works in China because reducing emissions in China is critical to preventing the worst consequences of climate change.” Happy FARA Friday, and welcome to PI! My name is Hailey Fuchs, and I’m taking the helm of PI this week while Caitlin is away. Our healthcare influence reporter Megan Wilson will take over for the beginning of next week. Her email is mwilson@politico.com. You can still reach me at hfuchs@politico.com or the platform formerly known as Twitter @Hailey_Fuchs. GRASSROOTS STRUGGLES: Democrats are struggling with grassroots donations, my colleague Jessica Piper reports for POLITICO. — “One of the best online fundraising days for Democrats this year was the day of Joe Biden’s campaign launch — but even that day’s haul was meager compared to his campaign kickoff four years ago.” — “That’s among the findings of an analysis of fundraising for the first half of the year through ActBlue, the party’s primary donation processor. Small-dollar giving at the federal level totaled $312 million in the first half of 2023 — a drop-off of more than $30 million compared to this point in the 2020 cycle. The platform also had 32 percent fewer donors in the second quarter this year compared to four years prior, although its total fundraising increased slightly due to several factors, including more recurring donors and greater giving to non-federal groups.” WEED WITHDRAWS FROM WASHINGTON: “The cannabis industry is dramatically scaling back its presence in Washington,” Nicholas Florko reports for STAT. — “Curaleaf, one the largest cannabis companies in the world, spent nearly 40% less on lobbying in the first half of 2023 than it did at its peak in 2019. Others like Columbia Care and Pax Labs got rid of their entire lobbying teams. Of the four major cannabis industry coalitions that have been pushing for federal legalization of marijuana the longest, one has seen its revenue cut in half; two others appear to have folded completely. Together, their spending on advocacy has dipped by more than 50% since 2019, back when federal weed lobbying was at its height.” — “The pullback is the clearest signal of the turbulence facing the cannabis industry. Cannabis companies are losing money, even as marijuana’s acceptance is higher than ever before. The financial woes are, in large part, a consequence of cannabis remaining illegal at the federal level. As a result, cannabis companies are ineligible for tax breaks, and often cannot even access business loans or open bank accounts.” ZOOM OUT?: Eli Stokols, Lauren Egan, and I report on Zoom’s campaign to get back in the White House for West Wing Playbook. — “The White House’s decision to switch from Zoom to Webex as the primary video call application earlier this year prompted frustration among staff. But for those Zoom lovers inside the walls of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., fret not: The company says the fight is not over yet.” — “Zoom, which became a mainstay of the Covid-19 pandemic, is now arguing that the White House has not given it the chance to make its case. It maintains its platform is secure, and that even President JOE BIDEN himself uses it.” — “Zoom’s head of public sector, MATT MANDRGOC, emphasized in an interview that the company’s current contract is not up until the end of January. He said Zoom was open to negotiations, given that the administration had claimed cost was the reason for the switch. But further clarity from the White House about its decision has been hard to get.”
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