lobbyists

EXCLUSIVE: Capitol Media Group Didn’t Tell Vets They Were Lobbying for Saudi Arabia

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Army vet: Scott Wheeler “never told me Saudi Arabia was behind it, nor would I have agreed to do it had I known”

Other veterans, still convinced by flawed argument used to lobby against anti-terror law, at peace with Saudi sponsorship

By Brian P. McGlinchey

Scott Wheeler with Veterans on Capitol Hill (Facebook photo)

Veterans who were brought to Washington to lobby for changes to legislation that enabled 9/11 lawsuits against the government of Saudi Arabia say they didn’t know their trip had been organized and financed by the kingdom.

The veterans are among dozens recruited by conservative political consulting firm Capitol Media Group to lobby for changes to the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA). Continue reading →

Saudi Arabia Paid Conservative PR Firm $90,000 to Bring Vets to DC to Lobby Against JASTA

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Firm owned by National Republican Trust PAC director Scott Wheeler months late in registering with the Department of Justice

By Brian P. McGlinchey

Saudi Arabia paid a conservative political consulting firm $90,000 to bring three groups of 25 to 35 military veterans to Washington to lobby for changes to the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), according to disclosure documents recently filed with the U.S. Department of Justice.

Enacted in September 2016, JASTA cleared the way for 9/11 families and survivors to sue Saudi Arabia for its alleged support of the attacks. Action in the lawsuit resumed last month. Continue reading →

DOJ Complaint Filed Over Saudi Lobbying Campaign That Exploited Military Veterans

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Legal action follows 28Pages.org’s revelation that veterans were tricked into unwittingly lobbying for Saudi Arabia

By Brian P. McGlinchey

A group of 9/11 families and survivors has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice, suggesting broad misconduct in a lobbying campaign the firm has conducted on behalf of Saudi Arabia.

According to the 17-page complaint, individuals associated with Qorvis MSLGroup violated several provisions of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) as they worked to weaken a law that cleared the way for 9/11 families and victims to sue the kingdom for its alleged role in the September 11 attacks. Continue reading →

Meet 70 Americans Working for Saudi Arabia Against 9/11 Justice

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Brian McGlinchey’s journalism has moved to a Substack newsletter—Stark Realities with Brian McGlinchey. Come on over: https://starkrealities.substack.com/

Update: See our subsequent story that details how much money Saudi Arabia ended up paying to these and other Qorvis-affiliated firms and individuals. In many cases, the amounts are far higher than indicated below. The newer story also identifies more of the people listed below. 

How much would Saudi lobbyists have to pay you to help undermine a new law that enables 9/11 families and survivors to present evidence against the kingdom for its alleged assistance to the 9/11 hijackers?

According to filings with the Department of Justice mandated by the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), some of your fellow citizens have done so for as little as $5,000; others are cashing in on a much bigger scale. They’ll say they’re doing it for different, baseless reasons, but there’s no doubting the aim of their faraway masters. Continue reading →

Saudi Lobbyists Recruiting Veterans to Kill 9/11 Lawsuit

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Veterans told they’re shielding the U.S. military—in reality, they’re only protecting the Saudi monarchy

By Brian P. McGlinchey

Trawling for Veterans at a Reno Gun Show
Trawling for Veterans at a Reno Gun Show

Using misinformation and a big budget, Saudi Arabia is recruiting well-meaning U.S. military veterans into its campaign to eviscerate a recently-passed law allowing 9/11 families to sue the monarchy for its alleged role in facilitating the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. Continue reading →