Countering Malign Foreign Interference in U.S. Democracy: U.S. Intelligence Operations Past, Present, and Future

The Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law (CERL) at the University of Pennsylvania convened a timely symposium on April 11, 2025, at the Union League of Philadelphia, addressing urgent threats to the rule of law and national security in an increasingly volatile political and technological landscape. The public event brought together leading members of CERL’s Affiliated Faculty, Executive Board, and Advisory Council to examine how democratic governance is being reshaped by partisan attacks, foreign interference, and the rapid advancement of technology.

Set against a backdrop of growing hostility toward the judiciary, domestic military deployments, the integration of advanced AI into defense systems, and malign influence campaigns, the discussions focused on how core legal norms are being tested and, in some cases, undermined. As CERL Faculty Director Claire Finkelstein observed, the rule of law in the United States is facing unprecedented strain. This symposium provided a forum for leading experts in national security, military ethics, and democratic institutions to outline a nonpartisan path forward for safeguarding the rule of law during a time of profound uncertainty.

Countering Malign Foreign Interference in U.S. Democracy: U.S. Intelligence Operations Past, Present, and Future

The final panel addressed threats to U.S. democracy posed by malign foreign interference. Speakers discussed environments that breed or enable foreign actors to meddle with U.S. public discourse or policies, tools such as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to identify subversive efforts by foreign actors, and governmental instruments like the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) to counter foreign campaigns in the United States. Panelists were CERL affiliates Robert Kelner, partner at Covington & Burling and expert in FARA; Sean Carter, partner at Cozen O’Connor engaged in cases involving claims under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act and Anti-Terrorism Act; George Croner, non-resident senior fellow in the National Security Program at the Foreign Policy Research Institute; and Jennifer Arbittier Williams, former U.S. attorney in Philadelphia, adjunct professor at Penn Law, and former national security prosecutor in the DOJ, as moderator.

Speakers:

Moderator: Jennifer Arbittier Williams