The Qatari government’s roster of American lobbying and consulting groups now includes former attorney general John Ashcroft, whose firm recently disclosed a lucrative contract with the Middle Eastern country.
Daily Beast reporter Lachlan Markay flagged on Monday a new Foreign Agents Registration Act disclosure filed with the Justice Department that reveals the Ashcroft Law Firm signed a $2.5 million contract with the Embassy of Qatar for ninety days of work. Ashcroft himself will lead the engagement, according to the registration, which also specifies the firm is set to assist “in evaluating, verifying, and as necessary, strengthening the client’s anti-money laundering and counterterrorism financial compliance programs.”
The firm expects its efforts could potentially include conducting “outreach to US government officials and other policy experts” and “[communicating] with the media.”
Ashcroft’s group joins eight other firms currently listed by the DOJ as active registrants representing Qataris’ interests, among which is the Podesta Group, co-founded by Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman John Podesta and lead by his brother Tony. The Podesta Group, according to its filing, is being paid $20,000 a month for providing “strategic counsel” as a subcontractor for a Qatari company (not state-owned) through Oct. 31.
Mercury Public Affairs, the firm that previously worked with embattled ex-Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, is also under contract with the Embassy of Qatar, earning $100,000 a month from April through June. Mercury, along with The Podesta Group, caught heat this spring for failing to register at the time with the DOJ for work it did potentially benefitting the Ukrainian government under the direction of Manafort.
The Ashcroft group’s retainer is unusually high– additional firms registered with the DOJ earn no more than approximately $50,000 a month, with many earning around $20,000. The exception is Global Strategies Council, which is set to earn $2,000,000 for one year’s work until March of 2018.
Last week my colleague Tom Rogan outlined serious concerns regarding the Qatari government’s policies:
The Qatari government in Doha largely tolerates domestic financiers who throw money at Salafi-Jihadist groups like al Qaeda, and to a lesser degree, the Islamic State. Qatar also allows Iranian-aligned terrorist financiers to use Doha’s five-star hotels for meetings with Hamas officials.
Qatar, as Rogan noted, is also increasingly engaged in “direct political flirtation with Iran.” The country has a questionable human rights record as well, giving out violent penalties for sodomy and sex outside marriage, according to Human Rights Watch.
Emily Jashinsky is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
