IPNEWS-Monrovia: What is lobbying and how does it work? Lobbying, any attempt by individuals or private interest groups to influence the decisions of government; in its original meaning it referred to efforts to influence the votes of legislators, generally in the lobby outside the legislative chamber. Lobbying in some form is inevitable in any political system.
Why is lobbying important in government? Lobbying is an important lever for a productive government. Without it, governments would struggle to sort out the many, many competing interests of its citizens. Fortunately, lobbying provides access to government legislators, acts as an educational tool, and allows individual interests to gain power in numbers.
What do lobbyists do why is their job important to the US? Lobbyists are professional advocates that work to influence political decisions on behalf of individuals and organizations. This advocacy could lead to the proposal of new legislation, or the amendment of existing laws and regulations.
Why is lobbying important to democracy? Lobbying is a fact of public life in all countries. It has the potential to promote democratic participation and can provide decision makers with valuable insights and information, as well as facilitate stakeholder access to public policy development and implementation.
What purposes do lobbyists serve today in Washington? A lobbyist does more than simply communicate with government officials. They are skilled at the art of persuasion, but are equally competent at analyzing legislation and proposals for new regulatory changes. Lobbyists also serve to notify and instruct government officials on important matters.
What impact do lobbyists have on public policy? Interest groups employ lobbyists to protect and advance their interests. Lobbyists do this through lobbying: informing, persuading, and pressuring policymakers to support the group’s objectives. The more policies the government proposes, the more lobbyists become involved.
Finance Minister Samuel Tweah Former Foreign Affairs Minister Gbehzohngar Findley
Prior to the governing Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) ascending to state power, it publicly criticized the government of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf that she spent a little 200 million United States dollars to international lobbyists to push Liberia’s interest to Washington and other international partners.
The incumbent Speaker of the House, Dr. Bhofal Chambers, when he was in the opposition, was one of the public critics of the Ellen Sirleaf Johnson-led government who accused her of paying international lobbyists to push Liberia’s interest internationally.
In reaction, President Sirleaf debunk Chambers and others CDCians, saying it was “preposterous” for a government like Liberia coming out of war to pay such amount for lobbying purpose. She however said only KRL lobbied on behalf of Liberia from 2007 to 2013 and was paid a total of a little over $368,000.
Flashback: Weah-led Government Hires Ex-Pres. Sirleaf’s Lobbyist to Strategize Upcoming Visit to the U.S.
Ms. K. Riva Levinson and former Pres. Sirleaf
Fast forward to 2018 when the CDC-led government of President George Weah took state power, despite criticizing former President Sirleaf for hiring international lobbyists to push Liberia’s interest, it decided to hire ex-Pres. Sirleaf’s lobbyists, Ms. K. Riva Levinson, credited for being the engine behind ex-president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s international public relations, branding and global marketing propaganda.
Document obtained by a local daily FrontPageAfrica in 2018 showed that the new administration hired KRL International LLC, a Washington DC-based communications and government relations firm that focuses on the world’s emerging markets. The firm is a top strategist in managing international policy issues. Levinson, the CEO, served as a long-time adviser to former President Sirleaf.
The deal between the government and KRL International was consummated on August 22, 2018 and signed on behalf of the government by Foreign Minister Gbehzohngar Milton Findley while Jeffery Haymaker, the Chief Financial Officer, signed on behalf of his firm.
According to the agreement, Levinson’s work was to design a strategic framework for the visit of the Liberian government to the United States.
How Levinson Helped EJS
Levinson was one of the quiet drivers in Liberia’s progress during her regime. In an interview with Forbes in 2016, Levinson revealed how she first encountered Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Her relationship with Pres. Sirleaf is dated back to July 1996 when she was working at the United Nations, waiting for the political space to open up so she could return home.
Former President Sirleaf never had a better image in her home country, but was internationally acclaimed, wining several international awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 just few months to that year’s presidential election.
In 2014, Madam Sirleaf was accused of spending over US$200 million in lobbying fees to foreign firms in the United States. But Madam Sirleaf refuted the allegation, informing the House of Representatives it is “preposterous” for anyone to believe that her government could spend such an amount.
She said only KRL lobbied on behalf of Liberia from 2007 to 2013 and was paid a total of a little over $368,000.
At the time, Representative Bhofal Chambers of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change, (now Speaker) who called for an official inquiry, said Sirleaf and her government should cooperate fully.
Citing a U.S. State Department report, Chambers said that from 2006 to 2009, 102 lobby payments were tracked by foreign lobby trackers, amounting to an alleged US$263 million.
Chambers listed a host of other companies, which he said were paid huge sums for lobbying for Liberia and condemned Madam Sirleaf, noting that the legislature was concerned about the alleged large sums of money being spent on lobbying abroad, while the country had nothing to show for the money spent.
“We have gross deficits in Liberia in terms of infrastructure at home, in terms of employment, in terms of welfare. There are so many gaps and our people cannot afford,” Chambers said at the time.
Chambers also lamented at the time that while Sirleaf appeared to be the most popular leader in the world, the country had nothing to show for it. “Internationally, we hear so many good things about our President, and this President of ours has got more accolades than the Pope, has got more accolades than the President of the United States, than Russia’s leader, and the great leader of Germany, Angela Merkel. And yet, there is nothing that we can show for.”
It was not clear what benefits the contract with the KRL would bring Liberia as the government continued to decry financial incapability to carry out projects and achieve its Pro-poor agenda.
However, some foreign relations experts have earlier admonished the Weah-led administration to play its international relations properly if it should gain a stronghold on the global stage.
And observers say with President Weah yet to pay a visit to Washington since his ascendency, paying hefty lobby fees seems to be a means of paving his way for an invite at the White House.
Beginning in 2009, just for public relations purposes, according to US Government’s Foreign Agent Registration Act (www.fara.gov), Madam Sirleaf’s administration, on KRL alone, spent nearly US$495,000. Her regime also spent thousands of dollars on other lobbying firms for similar purposes, including for Reva’s KRL to contact the U.S. Government officials, media representatives, congressional staffers, and members of Congress in order to ensure that assistance with bilateral relations, debt relief and support for security was maximized through the administration allocation and congressional appropriations. It was also intended for the lobbyist to contact U.S. Government officials to ensure that the foreign principal (Liberia) remained eligible for bilateral programs.
Weah Taking Similar Trend
In March this year, the Weah-led administration reportedly paid over half a million dollar in lobbying to gain recognition from the U.S. Government.
Document obtained by FrontPageAfrica then revealed that the government, through its Embassy in Washington, signed a lobbying contract with Ezra Friedlander, CEO of Friedlander Group to negotiate the establishment of a bi-partisan caucus in the U.S. Congress.
Friedlander Group is a boutique political firm, based in New York City, specializing in government advocacy, public & media relations, and political event management.
The bi-partisan caucus mission was to lead the advocacy in Congress for Weah’s recognition and the eventual presentation of a Congressional Award.
U.S. Lobbyists Terminate Government of Liberia Agreements Totaling US$600,000 per Year
Immediately following Globe Afrique’s exposure of an alleged money laundering scheme under the pretext of foreign lobbying by former Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Nathaniel McGill, Liberia’s Minister of Finance Samuel Tweah, and the head of Liberia’s Maritime Authority, Lenn Eugene Nagbe, major U.S. lobbying firms immediately terminated their lobbying agreements totaling US$600,000 per year with the Government of Liberia.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, On August 19, 2022, when Globe Afrique released its article, Carbon Thread (CT) Agency terminated its agreement with the Government of Liberia. Under the agreement, CT was expected to be paid US$240,000 annually.
What’s more astonishing is the agreement was to promote the President of Liberia, George Weah, mainly through an effort to allow him to meet the President of the United States, President Joseph Biden.
The agreement was to remain active for three years – into 2024 – a full year after Liberia’s presidential election. However, under the alleged laundering scheme, the Ministry of Finance made an initial payment and reneged future payments while withdrawing the funds from the CBL for personal enrichment.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice website, On August 22, 2022, Strom Partners terminated its agreement with the Government of Liberia. In this agreement, on behalf of Bakari Sellers, Strom Partners would also be compensated US$120,000 per year for three years.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice’s website, On August 22, 2022, Ice Miller also terminated its US$300,000 per year agreement with the Government of Liberia. Again, this agreement was expected to run three years into 2024.
On July 20, 2022, amid a food crisis, the Government of Liberia, through the Minister of Finance, paid US$474,950 thousand to Ballard Partners in one of the most outrageous lobbying contracts by a poor developing country handcuffed to an IMF program.
Globe Afrique says it will continue to follow this story and bring updates as the investigation continues.
Are Liberian Government Officials Laundering Money Under the Pretext of Foreign Lobbying?
—Globe Afrique Research and Analysis
WASHINGTON, DC: In under four years, the Government of Liberia has signed over 15 foreign Lobbying contracts in the United States at a combined fee of around US$3,000,000 (three million United States dollars) per year. Apart from Liberia, Ghana is the only ECOWAS country with an active U.S. lobbyist – one contract with KRL International.
Liberia, one of the poorest countries in the world, continually spends around US$3,310,000 in foreign lobbying fees per year. It is enormous and highly suspicious – considering one of the signors, former Minister Nathaniel F. McGill, is currently sanctioned under the U.S. Global Magnitsky Act for a myriad of corrupt activities.
An investigation by Globe Afrique reveals what appears to be a highly orchestrated money laundering scheme perpetrated by Liberia’s Minister of Finance, Samuel Tweah, the former Minister of State, Nathaniel F. McGill, and the head of the Maritime, Eugene Nagbe. The scheme appears bold, audacious, and somewhat brash, considering the U.S. lists corruption as a threat to national security. Still, Senior Liberian government officials are masking their scheme under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Foreign Agents Registration Act program as foreign lobbying.
Consider this, no other country in Africa and most parts of the world has as many foreign lobbyists per capita as Liberia. But it appears the aim is not lobbying – it is a ruse to hide ill-gotten wealth.
On March 5, 2018, the Government of Liberia (GoL) signed a lobbying agreement with the Friedlander Group at US$80,000 per year and paid US$20,000. However, on October 30, 2018, Friedlander Group canceled the contract. Still, the Ministry of Finance allegedly withdrew US$80,000 from the Central Bank of Liberia.
On August 22, 2018, Gbehzohngar Findley, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, signed a contract with KRL International. However, the parties to this transaction failed to report the fee attached to the contract. Still, on September 6, 2018, the lobbying firm terminated the deal, but the Ministry of Finance reportedly collected the total payment from the CBL.
Under Mr. Findley, Liberia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs was busted by the U.S State Department for selling Liberia’s diplomatic passport to transnational criminals. In addition, Andrew Wonplo, the former Director of Passport and Visas, was issued a public designation due to his involvement in “significant corruption and fraud that undermined the rule of law.”
The charge is similar to charges levied against Mr. Toga McIntosh, who sold Liberia’s diplomatic passports to Mads Brugger, an undercover Danish journalist.
On March 26, 2019, Liberia’s Finance Minister, Samuel Tweah, signed a lobbying agreement with Greenberg Traurig, LLP, at US$250,000/year. However, on October 15, 2019, the lobbying firm terminated the deal. As a result, the GoL paid US$174,850 while allegedly withdrawing US$250,000 from the Central Bank of Liberia – pocketing the difference.
Maritime Commissioner Lenn Eugene Nagbe
On January 23, 2020, the Government of Liberia (Eugene Lenn Nagbe) signed a lobbying agreement with KRL at $140,000 annually. The U.S. Department of Justice website shows no record of payments. On April 21, the deal was terminated. Insiders tell Globe Afrique that the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) withdrew the total charge of $140,000 to cover this agreement.
On February 14, 2020, Eugene Lenn Nagbe signed an additional lobbying contract with Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck for US$120,000 annually – bringing Ed Royce onboard. There is a limited number of records on whether the GoL made any payments to Brownstein. Still, our investigators uncovered information that US$120,000 was withdrawn from the CBL.
On April 28, 2021, Eugene Lenn Nagbe signed another lobbying contract with Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck for US$300,000 per year. Still, no record of payments being made to the lobbying firm.
It appears the scheme is to sign the lobbying contracts and default on payments to the foreign lobbyist while withdrawing the total amount from the Central Bank of Liberia and laundering the funds to their accounts – all under the noses of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Every few months, the Ministry of Finance signs new lobbying contracts. Why else would the poorest country in Africa have over 17 active lobbying contracts in under four years?
On June 2, 2021, the Ministry of Health signed a contract with 11:11 Incorporated at US$240,000.
On September 1, 2021, the Minister of Finance, Samuel Tweah, and the now former Minister of State, Nathaniel McGill, signed a contract with Carbon Thread at US$240,000. The agreement extends into 2024, well beyond President Weah’s first term.
Finance Minister Tweah and former Minister McGill
Again, on September 1, 2021, the Minister of Finance, Samuel Tweah, and the former Minister of State, Nathaniel McGill, signed another contract with Ice Miller Strategies LLC for US$300,000.
On September 1, 2021, the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Justice, Musa Dean, signed a third lobbying contract with Strom Public Affairs and Bakari Sellers at US$120,000 annually.
Justice Minister Frank Musa Dean
It appears that the lobbying contracts are designed to “promote” President Weah while ignoring the plight of ordinary Liberians. But, more importantly, the contracts appear to be a ruse to siphon and launder money from the Central Bank of Liberia.
Note: Globe Afrique Research and Analysis
Globe Afrique’s Research and Analysis (GARA) is the primary wing of Globe Afrique Media and Communications that investigates certain research work and analysis, its results and impact, with the goal of discovering useful information, suggesting conclusions, and supporting decision-making for the clarity of the reading audience. With this, we seek to help the reading audience and the public rely on evidence ––based research and analysis and rigorous evaluation to interpret political, social, economic, scientific and cultural conclusions, developments, events, threats as well as promote effective policies and strong management.
