- Release of Khashoggi report sparks new push to punish Saudi crown prince
- Japan’s Sumitomo lobbies on US tire tariffs
- Ros-Lehtinen reps UK’s Aon
- Qatar hires Dem lobbyist Crowe’s new Florida firm for $312,0000
Release of Khashoggi report sparks new push to punish Saudi crown prince
Any hopes the Saudi government and the Joe Biden administration may have had of putting the murder of dissident Jamal Khashoggi behind them after Friday’s release of the long-awaited US intelligence report into his death are proving to be way off the mark.
Far from placating the kingdom’s critics, the release of the official US assessment that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman “approved” of Khashoggi’s murder has emboldened human rights groups that pushed for the report to be made public in the first place. An array of advocacy organizations are working closely with key lawmakers on efforts to sanction the king-in-waiting and press for deep reforms in the kingdom while also pursuing legal action in US courts.
“It’s very clear that this isn’t going away as a priority,” said Sarah Leah Whitson of Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN). “This is going to be an ongoing effort to force the Biden administration to do the right thing.”
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New in lobbying
Americas
Saint Barthelemy: New York public relations firm Lou Hammond & Associates reported receiving $33,000 from the Territorial Committee of The Tourism of Saint Barthelemy through the six months ending Jan. 31. The firm distributed press releases, pitched stories to media and conducted crisis communications for the French island territory whose tourism industry was hard hit by France’s border closures related to COVID-19.
Asia
Japan: Sumitomo Rubber Industries of Kobe has hired Akin Gump to lobby on “US trade measures on imported tires.” Lobbying on the account include Steve Kho, a former associate general counsel with the Office of the US Trade Representative and former legal adviser to the US mission to the World Trade Organization, and John Gilliland, a former International trade counsel on the Senate Finance Committee. The
Europe
Ireland: IDA Ireland, the country’s foreign investment agency, has registered three employees as foreign agents. Executive Vice President Brian Conroy and Vice Presidents Gavin O’Loughlin and Michael Anthony Hayes will attend industry related conferences and trade shows in the US, work with manufacturing, business services and research and development opportunities and, when appropriate, “with companies to help execute such projects in Ireland.”
Jersey: Peregrine Communications reported receiving $41,400 from Jersey Finance Limited for public relations and communications services for the island’s investment nonprofit through the last six months of 2020. The firm also terminated media relations specialist Kalli Vertrano from the account.
United Kingdom: The Chicago-based subsidiary of Anglo-Irish risk mitigation services firm Aon has hired Akin Gump to lobby on “issues related to insurance products and services.” Five lobbyists are registered on the account for the Aon Service Corporation including former House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.).
Middle East
Qatar: Veteran Democratic lobbyist Robert Crowe has signed his first foreign lobbying contract after starting his own firm. The year-long contract with the with the Embassy of Qatar is for $26,000 per month, or $312,000 through February 2022. Crowe launched Palm Beach, Florida-based RB Crowe LLC last month after leaving Nelson, Mullins, Riley & Scarborough, where he had represented Qatar since 2017. Crowe will provide strategic communications and government relations counsel to the embassy, which may include “communications with members of Congress and congressional staff, executive branch officials, and with other individuals and organizations involved in governmental and public policy matters.”