Hmmm. Anyone think there is anything to worry about in this WP Lobbying/Sudan/Kerry Ties article? [View All]

Lobbyist Pushing to Represent Sudan

U.S. Officials May Be Open to Idea if Reviled Regime Is Serious About Reform

A prominent Democratic fundraiser and ally of Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) is attempting to secure a lobbying contract with the pariah regime in Sudan, which has embarked on an aggressive effort to enlist U.S. support against allegations of genocide and war crimes.

Robert B. Crowe, a partner at Atlanta-based Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, has met with special U.S. envoy J. Scott Gration and several Democratic lawmakers in recent weeks in an attempt to garner support for the deal, which would give the Khartoum government its first official U.S. representative in nearly four years.

A State Department official said Gration and his aides initially rejected the application but have since urged Crowe to seek support from Congress before they reconsider the proposal. Kerry's office said a staff member was briefed about Crowe's plans but that the senator, who is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was not aware of them.

"The Obama administration is talking about engagement, and we believe in that," Crowe said in an interview. "If we can make a difference, we will. But if we get into this and determine we can't, we'll walk away."