veterans

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 →

Four More Vets Say They Were Tricked into Lobbying for Saudis

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Qorvis-led initiative targeting a law enabling 9/11 suits against Saudi Arabia is the focus of a Department of Justice complaint

By Brian P. McGlinchey

More veterans are coming forward to spotlight misconduct by lobbyists working for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Last week, a group of 9/11 families and survivors filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice alleging broad misconduct by Qorvis MSLGROUP and other firms and individuals Qorvis engaged to work against the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA). 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 →

EXCLUSIVE: Veterans Say Organizers Concealed Saudi Sponsorship of Their Trip to DC to Lobby for Changes to 9/11 Lawsuit Legislation

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“The Evidence Was Overwhelming That We Were Being Used As Pawns,” Says Iraq Vet

Lobbyists May Be Planning to Kill 9/11 Suits Against Kingdom by Restricting Lawyers’ Compensation

Senior Leader of Military Order of the Purple Heart Working for Saudi Lobbyists for $100,000 Fee

By Brian P. McGlinchey

Three veterans who were flown to Washington as part of a Saudi-sponsored campaign to lobby for changes to the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) say organizers of the event concealed the Saudi role in the initiative. Continue reading →