Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Lobbyist Indicted For Acting As Sudan Agent

Robert J. Cabelly, who owned a firm called C/R International, was indicted Tuesday by the Department of Justice on eight counts, including failing to register himself as a foreign agent.

Cabelly, who was a career diplomat, is charged with working on behalf of the government of Sudan, in violation of U.S. sanctions against that country.

The complaint can be found here.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Foreign Lobbying Easier To Track Through FARA

Tracking foreign influence in Washington is now a bit easier, thanks to new and improved features on the Foreign Agents Registration Act Unit's web site. The FARA unit is part of the Justice Department's National Security Division. The 'quick search' feature on the FARA database is significantly less clunky and more user friendly than the 'document search' interface.

Last March, we reported on FARA, shedding light on the important information collected by this agency about firms that represent foreign parties and governments. Most people don't know about or pay much attention to FARA because the files are not collected or presented in a way that is easy to identify pockets of influence.

But the new features in quick search make it easier to perform basic analysis of lobbying on behalf of foreign entities. Under quick search, a user can search lobbying activity by country in a more comprehensive way than previously. It's also easier to identify firms and PR shops that are working on behalf of foreign clients.

But the real gold that FARA collects is in the supplemental statements that capture financial information, among other data. It's still not possible to search foreign country, principal, or agent by the amount of money they are collecting or spending. However, FARA Bureau Chief Heather Hunt says her office is working on incorporating that feature in the future.

                                                                                                               -- Eliza Krigman

Friday, April 24, 2009

Chevron Seeks Help From USTR

From this week's National Journal: (subscription)

• When you're a company that's trying to turn up the heat on the U.S. Trade Representative's Office, it could pay to have a former head of USTR on legal retainer, writes Peter Stone. That is what Chevron is hoping. The oil giant is using an outside counsel, lawyer and former USTR chief Mickey Kantor, as one of several K Street lawyers and lobbyists pushing the Obama administration for help in a legal battle in Ecuador that could cost Chevron as much as $27 billion in damages.

• From the K Street Corridor: Armenian-Americans and the Turkish government are intensifying their lobbying Washington; Mexico has signed up two major public-affairs firms, APCO Worldwide and Qorvis Communications; Boston public-relations firm Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications is expanding its lobbying practice in the nation's capital.

• Labor leaders are holding their fire against President Obama, despite a series of legislative and other set backs, writes Kirk Victor. That labor lobbyists have muted their usual fierce barking in response to letdowns is noteworthy. "I am amazed that they are giving him a pass right now," said Victor Kamber, a veteran labor strategist. "I think there is a realization that all the pressure in the world -- what good is it going to do?"

• From On The Move: Vanda McMurtry has joined Davis & Harman as a partner in the law firm's legislative practice, where he will lobby primarily on insurance matters; The public-relations firm Rational PR has merged with the GOP advertising outfit Stevens and Schriefer Group to form Rational 360, a full-service strategic communications shop. Among the big names in the new company are partners Patrick Dorton, 40, Don Marshall, 41, and Russ Schriefer, 50.

Friday, January 23, 2009

George Mitchell To Resign From DLA Piper

George Mitchell, the former Senate majority leader tapped by the Obama administration as its special envoy for the Middle East, was chairman of the international law and lobbying firm DLA Piper until the end of 2008. Mitchell, a well known rainmaker for the firm, now holds the title of chairman emeritus of DLA's global board. The firm has considerable international reach: It boasts a fast-growing Middle East practice with some big government and private clients, plus offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Kuwait, Oman, and Saudi Arabia.

Partner William Minor said that Mitchell intends to resign from the firm in several weeks when he begins his new role as envoy. George Salem, a strategic adviser at DLA who helps spearhead much of the Middle East work, said Mitchell was supposed to be part of a DLA Piper delegation to the region that departed today to celebrate the firm's newest offices in Kuwait and Oman. But Mitchell bowed out because of his new assignment from the president.

Salem said several other heavy hitters (and former government officials) did depart on the trip. Among them were three key members of the Cohen Group, which has a strategic alliance with DLA Piper: Secretary of Defense William Cohen; former Supreme Allied Commander, Europe Joe Ralston; and former ambassador to Morocco Marc Grossman.  

DLA has recently represented the Government of Turkey and the Embassy of the UAE in Washington, as well as the executive office of Dubai, one of the leading emirates. According foreign agent registration records on file with the Justice Department, the firm was paid $681,666 by Turkey and $881,691 by the Dubai executive office for the six month period ending August 31, 2008.

                                                                                                              -- Peter H. Stone
See Peter Stone's previous reporting on this subject:

http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/nj_20071201_12.php