Politics

Daily Disclosures

By Bill Allison

A roundup of what we’re noticing in the Reporting Group as we dig into government data and disclosures:

The Daily Poligraft: President Barack Obama has 200 business executives traveling with him on his post-election Asian tour. Who are they, and how might they have gotten invited along? No complete list has been published, but details on those who are going and who were considering going are here, here, here and here.

Fundraiser: Lobbying firm Van Scoyoc and Associates now representing Arlington, Va.-based public broadcaster WETA on budgetary issues, specifically education program related issues and initiatives.

Today’s Politiwidgets: Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., and Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., are both seeking the position of minority whip in the 112th Congress, and rounding up as many votes as they can. Here are the top contributors for the pair in the 2010 election cycle:

Repo men: The president of Somalia, a country that the New York Times notes “has not had an effective central government since 1991, when the former government was toppled by clan militias that later turned on each other,” has hired Shulman, Rogers, Gandal, Pordy and Ecker to help it recover funds that the war torn country’s central bank has deposited abroad. Among those engaged to work on the effort: a “>former ambassador acting as a consultant Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, Somalia’s president, Donald K. Bandler, who will be paid $500 an hour plus .75 percent–three quarters of a percent–of any funds he recovers, provided he doesn’t “engage in political activity” to get the cash.

Coming attractions: Sunlight Foundation Reporting Group will update our Foreign Lobbying Influence Tracker this month.

Full post as published by Sunlight Foundation on November 08, 2010 (boomark / email).