|
The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings, Torture and Big Money |
|
January 9th,
2008 - Blackwater Ramped Up Lobbying Effort |
|
Blackwater Ramped Up
Lobbying Effort By Dibya Sarkar Associated Press January 9, 2008 Washington -
Private-security contractor Blackwater Worldwide, which protects U.S.
diplomats in Iraq and faces scrutiny over its role in the shooting deaths of
Iraqi civilians, has ramped up its lobbying representation on Capitol Hill. Law firm Womble Carlyle
Sandridge & Rice was tapped by the company to lobby the government on
contracting and other issues, according to the form posted online Tuesday by
the Senate's public records office. Womble Carlyle is the third
lobbying firm to be hired by Moyock, N.C.-based Blackwater since October. The company has attracted
considerable congressional scrutiny and criticism from the Iraqi government
and human rights groups for its involvement in several dozen shooting
incidents. Federal prosecutors are investigating the Sept. 16 shooting deaths
of 17 Iraqi civilians involving several Blackwater security guards. The
company has maintained that its guards have always acted appropriately. In December, the Pentagon
and State Department signed an agreement to give the military more control
over Blackwater and other private security contractors, spelling out tighter
rules, standards and guidelines. Blackwater previously hired
lobbyists Richard Cockrum and Gregory Hahn, according to disclosure forms.
However, their forms did not indicate specific lobbying issues. A phone call and e-mail to
Blackwater spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell were not immediately returned. Since 2006, Blackwater has
been represented by C&M Capitolink LLC, a public affairs affiliate of
Crowell & Moring LLP. The firm, which has been paid $300,000 from 2006
through the first half of 2007, has lobbied on ways Blackwater could help in
border security efforts, among other issues, according to a disclosure
report. Blackwater has received
federal contracts worth more than $1 billion, with the bulk of its earnings
coming from the State Department, according to the House Oversight and
Government Reform Committee. Other military contractors -
such as DynCorp International Inc., which has a $4.6 billion U.S. military
translation services contract in Iraq - have also hired lobbyists to identify
federal contracting opportunities. Among the Womble Carlyle
lobbyists representing Blackwater are: John Mashburn, former general counsel
and policy director for Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., who is the top Republican on
the Senate Budget Committee; and Mark Harkins, who was chief of staff to Rep.
Brad Miller, D-N.C., chairman of the Investigations and Oversight
subcommittee of the House Science and Technology Committee. © 2008 The Associated Press External link: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/5440678.html |