Tag: lobbying

Despite his assurances, Wheeler met with former clients

The following article by Corbin Hiar was posted on the E&E News website July 26, 2018:

Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler in his office at agency headquarters earlier this month. Credit: Patrick G. Ryan

Since Andrew Wheeler was sworn as EPA’s second in command on April 20, the lobbying veteran has had at least three meetings with former clients that may have violated the Trump administration’s ethics pledge and other promises he made to steer clear of potential conflicts of interest.

Wheeler — who became acting administrator after Scott Pruitt’s July 6 resignation — has also attended other events that prominently included the head of a company he is currently prohibited from getting involved with, according to an E&E News review of public documents.

The string of ethically questionable encounters stand in stark contrast to the acting EPA chief’s claims that he is taking pains to avoid helping his former clients advance their interests.

View the complete article here.

Mueller puts spotlight on foreign lobbying

The following article by Megan R. Wilson was posted on the Hill website November 15, 2017:

© Getty Images

The cottage industry of foreign lobbying is taking center stage as special counsel Robert Mueller investigates the activities of people in President Trump’s orbit.

Foreign advocacy work in Washington is common, lucrative and occasionally controversial, but has rarely received the front-page scrutiny it’s attracting now.

That’s mostly because of Paul Manafort and Richard Gates, two high-level figures from the Trump campaign who have been indicted as part of Mueller’s investigation. The charges against the two men, including allegations of money laundering, stem from work they did years ago to benefit a pro-Russia political party in Ukraine. Continue reading “Mueller puts spotlight on foreign lobbying”