In addition to free elections and independent institutions, the integrity of American democracy depends on transparency, particularly when foreign actors try to sway American policy. The effects of disregarding, weakening, or selectively enforcing those transparency mechanisms extend well beyond Washington. They make it very evident to radical movements and autocratic governments around the world that U.S. laws can be subtly circumvented, delayed, or bent.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a strong Hindu nationalist organisation with its headquarters in India, has started lobbying members of the U.S. Congress through a significant Washington, DC lobbying firm without registering under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), making this risk more apparent in Washington. The legal matters alone create a serious problem, yet the entire situation needs to receive more attention because it affects human rights and democratic control and foreign control of nations.
Prism's allegation: RSS should register under FARA, not LDA. The reality: RSS is neither a foreign government nor political party. AIPAC lobbies on US-Israel relations under LDA. So do American Hellenic Institute and Arab American Institute. This is standard practice.
— Radical Watch (@RadicalWatchOrg) November 20, 2025
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Foreign influence and the purpose of FARA
FARA exists for a reason. Enacted in 1938 amid concerns about Nazi propaganda in the United States, the law was designed to ensure that Americans and their elected representatives know when foreign principals are attempting to shape U.S. public opinion or policy. It does not prohibit lobbying—it mandates disclosure.
Under U.S. law, anyone acting “at the order, request, or direction” of a foreign principal in political or lobbying activities must register under FARA. The statute is intentionally broad, covering indirect arrangements and intermediary structures precisely because foreign influence operations often rely on layers of deniability.
Yet according to public filings and investigative reporting by Prism, the RSS’s lobbying campaign has sidestepped this framework. Squire Patton Boggs (SPB), a well-known lobbying firm, registered to lobby Congress on “U.S.–India bilateral relations” earlier this year and was paid hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, neither the firm’s FARA registration nor the RSS’s status as a foreign entity was mentioned in the filings.
The intermediary question and legal red flags
The RSS lobbying effort was reportedly routed through a U.S.-based intermediary, State Street Strategies (operating as One+ Strategies), which SPB listed as its direct client. Legal experts have noted that such arrangements do not exempt lobbying activity from FARA requirements. On the contrary, intermediary structures often raise additional concerns about deliberate efforts to obscure the true foreign principal.
Choosing to register under the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) rather than FARA significantly limits public insight. LDA filings provide far less detail about strategy, contacts, and objectives. As a result, Congress and the public are left in the dark about who is being targeted, what messages are being conveyed, and whose interests are truly being advanced.
This is not a technical oversight—it is a transparency failure with real democratic costs.
Why the RSS matters beyond India
Understanding the RSS itself is necessary to comprehend why minority communities and human rights advocates have been alarmed by this lobbying effort.
The RSS, established in 1925, receives its historical classification as a right-wing Hindu nationalist paramilitary organisation according to most scholars. The founders of the organisation openly expressed their support for Nazi ideology, together with other European fascist movements. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bases its current Indian government on the core ideological foundation that the RSS has developed since its inception.
The RSS has maintained Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a member throughout his entire life while he worked his way up in the organisation.
The effects of RSS-aligned governance in India have been documented by human rights organisations, academics, and even U.S. government agencies. These include a decline in democracy, a reduction in civic space, religious intolerance, and an increase in violence against minorities.
Concerning RSS affiliates, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has issued numerous warnings about “decades of extreme violence and intolerance.” Concerns about religious freedom, mob violence, and discriminatory policies under BJP rule have also been documented by the U.S. State Department.
A global network, not a local movement
The RSS is not limited to India. According to investigations, it has thousands of affiliated organisations operating in North America, Europe, and other parts of the world. The RSS is now a global ideological movement with the ability to influence foreign governments, mobilise diaspora communities, and shape narratives in addition to being an Indian political actor, thanks to its transnational reach.
The ramifications are extremely personal for Sikh Americans, Muslim Americans, Christian minorities, and others. The RSS wants to create a Hindu Rashtra, which would establish Hindu supremacy in India. This system treats non-Hindus as inferior citizens unless they convert to Hinduism or accept restricted rights.
The anti-Sikh pogroms of November 1984 brought death to thousands as RSS members allegedly participated in or backed the violent attacks. The massacres gained approval from influential RSS leaders, according to reports, which created lasting psychological effects on Sikh communities living outside India.
The role of US lobbying firms
The involvement of Squire Patton Boggs has increased scrutiny even more. The company has previously taken up defence work for international clients who committed severe human rights violations, including their representation of a Saudi media company, which maintained ties to officials who received sanctions after they killed journalist Jamal Khashoggi. SPB terminated their business relationship because of repeated public opposition and congressional resistance.
The historical record presents challenging inquiries that make people wonder whether organisations have absorbed their past lessons or if they continue to value foreign contracts more than safeguarding their reputation.
In Washington, lobbying firms act as gatekeepers to power. They not only influence policy but also give legitimacy when they decide to represent contentious foreign interests in an opaque manner.
A test for America institutions
Beyond legal compliance, this case poses a fundamental test for U.S. institutions. Will the Department of Justice conduct a thorough evaluation to determine whether FARA applies in this situation? Will members of Congress exercise due diligence before engaging with lobbyists tied to extremist or sectarian movements?
Transparency exists beyond political boundaries. The system needs transparency to function properly as a basic standard of democracy. The warning signs are painfully familiar to Sikh Americans and other affected communities. The historical record demonstrates the consequences that occur when exclusionary ideologies become accepted while their accountability remains unchallenged.
The United States still has a choice. It can reaffirm that transparency laws apply equally to all foreign actors, regardless of geopolitical convenience. Or it can allow silence and inaction to set a precedent that democracy itself is negotiable. The cost of looking away, as history repeatedly shows, is always higher than the cost of enforcement.
