Saudi Arabia hires star lawyer to fight anti-oil cartel bill
Former Republican Solicitor General Ted Olson is being paid to push back against bipartisan legislation challenging OPEC’s dominance.
Saudi Arabia has hired a star Republican lawyer to stop a proposed bill that would allow the p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Calibri; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} major oil-producing nation to be sued in the United States for manipulating the market.
Ted Olson, a US solicitor general during the George W. Bush administration, and who successfully argued to stop the 2000 Florida recount and legalize gay marriage, has signed a $250,000 contract with Saudi Arabia, according to newly published lobbying records.
Olson and his team at Gibson, Dunn, and Crutcher, a Washington-based law firm, will provide legal advice, publish analysis and push lawmakers to halt a proposal to make members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) vulnerable to US antitrust law if they’re seen to control prices by colluding to manipulate oil supply. Olson is eligible for another $100,000 per month if Riyadh expands the contract to include meetings with lawmakers.
The prospect of Saudi nationals facing civil and criminal liability for oil deals has Riyadh worried about the negative impact on relations with the United States. If Congress sends the bill to President Donald Trump, that could prove awkward for his administration as it tries to firm up ties with Riyadh to ward off Iran’s growing use of proxy militias and revive the flagging Gulf Cooperation Council, which has been thrown off balance by the Saudi-led blockade of Qatar.
