‘Pro bono’ lobbyists bet on regime change payday
Unpaid lobbying contracts can lead to lucrative connections by helping the right people get into power.
When Libyan scholar-turned-politician Aref Ali Nayed first descended on Washington five years ago to warn policymakers about what he called the “bunch of thugs” running things in Tripoli, he paid Washington lobby shop Sanitas $400,000 for two months of work.
With Nayed now openly eyeing a run for office in the oil-rich country, Sanitas in September once again signed up to work for his Libya Institute for Advanced Studies — but this time, for free.
“As Dr. Nayed’s political career has developed, we have followed along and have supported him,” Sanitas lobbyist Chris Harvin told Al-Monitor. In turn, Harvin said, Nayed is advising Harvin’s nonprofit Vanguard Africa, which lobbies for African political figures, for free.
The pro bono agreement stands out at a time when rival Libyan factions have been shelling out millions of dollars to press their claims in Washington.
