Menu
Menu
The recommendations aim to address a regulatory process at the SEC described in the report as \u201cinconsistent, opaque, and unpredictable.\u201d Additionally, it focuses on unaccountable proxy advisory companies that<\/a> significantly influence vote outcomes and corporate governance. BRT emphasized the need for broader structural reforms to shield investors and to ensure that US capital markets remain a catalyst for economic growth and opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n","post_title":"US lobby group calls for reform of outdated proxy voting systems","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-lobby-group-calls-for-reform-of-outdated-proxy-voting-systems","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7623","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":37},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
The recommendations aim to address a regulatory process at the SEC described in the report as \u201cinconsistent, opaque, and unpredictable.\u201d Additionally, it focuses on unaccountable proxy advisory companies that<\/a> significantly influence vote outcomes and corporate governance. BRT emphasized the need for broader structural reforms to shield investors and to ensure that US capital markets remain a catalyst for economic growth and opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n","post_title":"US lobby group calls for reform of outdated proxy voting systems","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-lobby-group-calls-for-reform-of-outdated-proxy-voting-systems","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7623","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":37},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
The recommendations aim to address a regulatory process at the SEC described in the report as \u201cinconsistent, opaque, and unpredictable.\u201d Additionally, it focuses on unaccountable proxy advisory companies that<\/a> significantly influence vote outcomes and corporate governance. BRT emphasized the need for broader structural reforms to shield investors and to ensure that US capital markets remain a catalyst for economic growth and opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n","post_title":"US lobby group calls for reform of outdated proxy voting systems","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-lobby-group-calls-for-reform-of-outdated-proxy-voting-systems","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7623","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":37},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
The recommendations aim to address a regulatory process at the SEC described in the report as \u201cinconsistent, opaque, and unpredictable.\u201d Additionally, it focuses on unaccountable proxy advisory companies that<\/a> significantly influence vote outcomes and corporate governance. BRT emphasized the need for broader structural reforms to shield investors and to ensure that US capital markets remain a catalyst for economic growth and opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n","post_title":"US lobby group calls for reform of outdated proxy voting systems","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-lobby-group-calls-for-reform-of-outdated-proxy-voting-systems","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7623","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":37},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
The recommendations aim to address a regulatory process at the SEC described in the report as \u201cinconsistent, opaque, and unpredictable.\u201d Additionally, it focuses on unaccountable proxy advisory companies that<\/a> significantly influence vote outcomes and corporate governance. BRT emphasized the need for broader structural reforms to shield investors and to ensure that US capital markets remain a catalyst for economic growth and opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n","post_title":"US lobby group calls for reform of outdated proxy voting systems","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-lobby-group-calls-for-reform-of-outdated-proxy-voting-systems","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7623","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":37},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
The recommendations aim to address a regulatory process at the SEC described in the report as \u201cinconsistent, opaque, and unpredictable.\u201d Additionally, it focuses on unaccountable proxy advisory companies that<\/a> significantly influence vote outcomes and corporate governance. BRT emphasized the need for broader structural reforms to shield investors and to ensure that US capital markets remain a catalyst for economic growth and opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n","post_title":"US lobby group calls for reform of outdated proxy voting systems","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-lobby-group-calls-for-reform-of-outdated-proxy-voting-systems","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7623","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":37},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
The BRT's report specifies the following targeted policy recommendations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The recommendations aim to address a regulatory process at the SEC described in the report as \u201cinconsistent, opaque, and unpredictable.\u201d Additionally, it focuses on unaccountable proxy advisory companies that<\/a> significantly influence vote outcomes and corporate governance. BRT emphasized the need for broader structural reforms to shield investors and to ensure that US capital markets remain a catalyst for economic growth and opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n","post_title":"US lobby group calls for reform of outdated proxy voting systems","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-lobby-group-calls-for-reform-of-outdated-proxy-voting-systems","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7623","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":37},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
The shift has caused proxy statements to turn into \u201cbattlegrounds for contentious social debates,\u201d detracting from discussions about strategic preferences and the planned purposes of stakeholder arrangement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT's report specifies the following targeted policy recommendations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The recommendations aim to address a regulatory process at the SEC described in the report as \u201cinconsistent, opaque, and unpredictable.\u201d Additionally, it focuses on unaccountable proxy advisory companies that<\/a> significantly influence vote outcomes and corporate governance. BRT emphasized the need for broader structural reforms to shield investors and to ensure that US capital markets remain a catalyst for economic growth and opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n","post_title":"US lobby group calls for reform of outdated proxy voting systems","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-lobby-group-calls-for-reform-of-outdated-proxy-voting-systems","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7623","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":37},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
The BRT\u2019s whitepaper, The Need for Bold Proxy Process Reforms, clearly advocates for stronger oversight of proxy advisory companies to curb their power and suggests reforming the proxy process to align with what it identifies as the long-term interests of shareholders. The report highlights recent cases where savvy investors, often with only the tiniest financial investments, have leveraged the proxy process to advance their own public approach goals unrelated to company performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The shift has caused proxy statements to turn into \u201cbattlegrounds for contentious social debates,\u201d detracting from discussions about strategic preferences and the planned purposes of stakeholder arrangement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT's report specifies the following targeted policy recommendations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The recommendations aim to address a regulatory process at the SEC described in the report as \u201cinconsistent, opaque, and unpredictable.\u201d Additionally, it focuses on unaccountable proxy advisory companies that<\/a> significantly influence vote outcomes and corporate governance. BRT emphasized the need for broader structural reforms to shield investors and to ensure that US capital markets remain a catalyst for economic growth and opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n","post_title":"US lobby group calls for reform of outdated proxy voting systems","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-lobby-group-calls-for-reform-of-outdated-proxy-voting-systems","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7623","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":37},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
The non-profit organization is located in Washington<\/a>, DC and consists solely of chief executives from major US companies. BRT has called on the SEC to revamp the shareholder proposal process for public institutions, aiming to make it harder for activist suggestions to appear on business proxy ballots.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT\u2019s whitepaper, The Need for Bold Proxy Process Reforms, clearly advocates for stronger oversight of proxy advisory companies to curb their power and suggests reforming the proxy process to align with what it identifies as the long-term interests of shareholders. The report highlights recent cases where savvy investors, often with only the tiniest financial investments, have leveraged the proxy process to advance their own public approach goals unrelated to company performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The shift has caused proxy statements to turn into \u201cbattlegrounds for contentious social debates,\u201d detracting from discussions about strategic preferences and the planned purposes of stakeholder arrangement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT's report specifies the following targeted policy recommendations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The recommendations aim to address a regulatory process at the SEC described in the report as \u201cinconsistent, opaque, and unpredictable.\u201d Additionally, it focuses on unaccountable proxy advisory companies that<\/a> significantly influence vote outcomes and corporate governance. BRT emphasized the need for broader structural reforms to shield investors and to ensure that US capital markets remain a catalyst for economic growth and opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n","post_title":"US lobby group calls for reform of outdated proxy voting systems","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-lobby-group-calls-for-reform-of-outdated-proxy-voting-systems","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7623","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":37},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
Immediate steps are essential from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Congress to update obsolete proxy-voting processes, according to a report issued by the lobbyist association Business Roundtable (BRT). <\/p>\n\n\n\n The non-profit organization is located in Washington<\/a>, DC and consists solely of chief executives from major US companies. BRT has called on the SEC to revamp the shareholder proposal process for public institutions, aiming to make it harder for activist suggestions to appear on business proxy ballots.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT\u2019s whitepaper, The Need for Bold Proxy Process Reforms, clearly advocates for stronger oversight of proxy advisory companies to curb their power and suggests reforming the proxy process to align with what it identifies as the long-term interests of shareholders. The report highlights recent cases where savvy investors, often with only the tiniest financial investments, have leveraged the proxy process to advance their own public approach goals unrelated to company performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The shift has caused proxy statements to turn into \u201cbattlegrounds for contentious social debates,\u201d detracting from discussions about strategic preferences and the planned purposes of stakeholder arrangement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT's report specifies the following targeted policy recommendations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The recommendations aim to address a regulatory process at the SEC described in the report as \u201cinconsistent, opaque, and unpredictable.\u201d Additionally, it focuses on unaccountable proxy advisory companies that<\/a> significantly influence vote outcomes and corporate governance. BRT emphasized the need for broader structural reforms to shield investors and to ensure that US capital markets remain a catalyst for economic growth and opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n","post_title":"US lobby group calls for reform of outdated proxy voting systems","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-lobby-group-calls-for-reform-of-outdated-proxy-voting-systems","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7623","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":37},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
With vital minerals at the heart of the intensifying struggle, the company's expanding Washington presence coincides with resurgent U.S.-China trade tensions under President Trump. In Washington's attempts to secure supply lines for these resources, Korea is viewed as a crucial ally. The U.S.-led Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), an effort to challenge China's hegemony in the world's vital minerals market, was chaired for a year by South Korea in July 2024.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Korea Zinc intensifies lobbying in US through firm tied to Trump","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"korea-zinc-intensifies-lobbying-in-us-through-firm-tied-to-trump","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7638","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7623,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_content":"\n Immediate steps are essential from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Congress to update obsolete proxy-voting processes, according to a report issued by the lobbyist association Business Roundtable (BRT). <\/p>\n\n\n\n The non-profit organization is located in Washington<\/a>, DC and consists solely of chief executives from major US companies. BRT has called on the SEC to revamp the shareholder proposal process for public institutions, aiming to make it harder for activist suggestions to appear on business proxy ballots.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT\u2019s whitepaper, The Need for Bold Proxy Process Reforms, clearly advocates for stronger oversight of proxy advisory companies to curb their power and suggests reforming the proxy process to align with what it identifies as the long-term interests of shareholders. The report highlights recent cases where savvy investors, often with only the tiniest financial investments, have leveraged the proxy process to advance their own public approach goals unrelated to company performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The shift has caused proxy statements to turn into \u201cbattlegrounds for contentious social debates,\u201d detracting from discussions about strategic preferences and the planned purposes of stakeholder arrangement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT's report specifies the following targeted policy recommendations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The recommendations aim to address a regulatory process at the SEC described in the report as \u201cinconsistent, opaque, and unpredictable.\u201d Additionally, it focuses on unaccountable proxy advisory companies that<\/a> significantly influence vote outcomes and corporate governance. BRT emphasized the need for broader structural reforms to shield investors and to ensure that US capital markets remain a catalyst for economic growth and opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n","post_title":"US lobby group calls for reform of outdated proxy voting systems","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-lobby-group-calls-for-reform-of-outdated-proxy-voting-systems","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7623","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":37},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
In March, Impression Strategy, a new lobbying firm, was hired by Korea Zinc's U.S. affiliate, Pedalpoint Holdings, under a $40,000 contract. Brad Stewart, a seasoned Capitol Hill<\/a> assistant who was once Rep. Zach Nunn's chief of staff and is well-known for his connections to Trump's political network, is one of its lobbyists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With vital minerals at the heart of the intensifying struggle, the company's expanding Washington presence coincides with resurgent U.S.-China trade tensions under President Trump. In Washington's attempts to secure supply lines for these resources, Korea is viewed as a crucial ally. The U.S.-led Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), an effort to challenge China's hegemony in the world's vital minerals market, was chaired for a year by South Korea in July 2024.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Korea Zinc intensifies lobbying in US through firm tied to Trump","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"korea-zinc-intensifies-lobbying-in-us-through-firm-tied-to-trump","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7638","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7623,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_content":"\n Immediate steps are essential from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Congress to update obsolete proxy-voting processes, according to a report issued by the lobbyist association Business Roundtable (BRT). <\/p>\n\n\n\n The non-profit organization is located in Washington<\/a>, DC and consists solely of chief executives from major US companies. BRT has called on the SEC to revamp the shareholder proposal process for public institutions, aiming to make it harder for activist suggestions to appear on business proxy ballots.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT\u2019s whitepaper, The Need for Bold Proxy Process Reforms, clearly advocates for stronger oversight of proxy advisory companies to curb their power and suggests reforming the proxy process to align with what it identifies as the long-term interests of shareholders. The report highlights recent cases where savvy investors, often with only the tiniest financial investments, have leveraged the proxy process to advance their own public approach goals unrelated to company performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The shift has caused proxy statements to turn into \u201cbattlegrounds for contentious social debates,\u201d detracting from discussions about strategic preferences and the planned purposes of stakeholder arrangement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT's report specifies the following targeted policy recommendations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The recommendations aim to address a regulatory process at the SEC described in the report as \u201cinconsistent, opaque, and unpredictable.\u201d Additionally, it focuses on unaccountable proxy advisory companies that<\/a> significantly influence vote outcomes and corporate governance. BRT emphasized the need for broader structural reforms to shield investors and to ensure that US capital markets remain a catalyst for economic growth and opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n","post_title":"US lobby group calls for reform of outdated proxy voting systems","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-lobby-group-calls-for-reform-of-outdated-proxy-voting-systems","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7623","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":37},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
According to congressional records, just eight<\/a> other corporations inked larger lobbying deals during the quarter, including chipmaker Qualcomm ($680,000) and Nippon Steel, which is attempting to purchase U.S. Steel ($1.7 million).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In March, Impression Strategy, a new lobbying firm, was hired by Korea Zinc's U.S. affiliate, Pedalpoint Holdings, under a $40,000 contract. Brad Stewart, a seasoned Capitol Hill<\/a> assistant who was once Rep. Zach Nunn's chief of staff and is well-known for his connections to Trump's political network, is one of its lobbyists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With vital minerals at the heart of the intensifying struggle, the company's expanding Washington presence coincides with resurgent U.S.-China trade tensions under President Trump. In Washington's attempts to secure supply lines for these resources, Korea is viewed as a crucial ally. The U.S.-led Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), an effort to challenge China's hegemony in the world's vital minerals market, was chaired for a year by South Korea in July 2024.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Korea Zinc intensifies lobbying in US through firm tied to Trump","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"korea-zinc-intensifies-lobbying-in-us-through-firm-tied-to-trump","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7638","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7623,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_content":"\n Immediate steps are essential from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Congress to update obsolete proxy-voting processes, according to a report issued by the lobbyist association Business Roundtable (BRT). <\/p>\n\n\n\n The non-profit organization is located in Washington<\/a>, DC and consists solely of chief executives from major US companies. BRT has called on the SEC to revamp the shareholder proposal process for public institutions, aiming to make it harder for activist suggestions to appear on business proxy ballots.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT\u2019s whitepaper, The Need for Bold Proxy Process Reforms, clearly advocates for stronger oversight of proxy advisory companies to curb their power and suggests reforming the proxy process to align with what it identifies as the long-term interests of shareholders. The report highlights recent cases where savvy investors, often with only the tiniest financial investments, have leveraged the proxy process to advance their own public approach goals unrelated to company performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The shift has caused proxy statements to turn into \u201cbattlegrounds for contentious social debates,\u201d detracting from discussions about strategic preferences and the planned purposes of stakeholder arrangement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT's report specifies the following targeted policy recommendations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The recommendations aim to address a regulatory process at the SEC described in the report as \u201cinconsistent, opaque, and unpredictable.\u201d Additionally, it focuses on unaccountable proxy advisory companies that<\/a> significantly influence vote outcomes and corporate governance. BRT emphasized the need for broader structural reforms to shield investors and to ensure that US capital markets remain a catalyst for economic growth and opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n","post_title":"US lobby group calls for reform of outdated proxy voting systems","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-lobby-group-calls-for-reform-of-outdated-proxy-voting-systems","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7623","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":37},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
After first retaining MPA in February 2024, Korea Zinc has extended the contract five times, most recently tripling the $250,000 quarterly payment. According to MPA's papers, Korea Zinc is receiving advice from the company on matters pertaining to \"critical minerals, recycling, and clean energy subsidies.\" David Vitter, a former Republican senator and congressman, and Cheri Bustos, a former Democratic congresswoman, are important lobbyists on the account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to congressional records, just eight<\/a> other corporations inked larger lobbying deals during the quarter, including chipmaker Qualcomm ($680,000) and Nippon Steel, which is attempting to purchase U.S. Steel ($1.7 million).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In March, Impression Strategy, a new lobbying firm, was hired by Korea Zinc's U.S. affiliate, Pedalpoint Holdings, under a $40,000 contract. Brad Stewart, a seasoned Capitol Hill<\/a> assistant who was once Rep. Zach Nunn's chief of staff and is well-known for his connections to Trump's political network, is one of its lobbyists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With vital minerals at the heart of the intensifying struggle, the company's expanding Washington presence coincides with resurgent U.S.-China trade tensions under President Trump. In Washington's attempts to secure supply lines for these resources, Korea is viewed as a crucial ally. The U.S.-led Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), an effort to challenge China's hegemony in the world's vital minerals market, was chaired for a year by South Korea in July 2024.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Korea Zinc intensifies lobbying in US through firm tied to Trump","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"korea-zinc-intensifies-lobbying-in-us-through-firm-tied-to-trump","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7638","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7623,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_content":"\n Immediate steps are essential from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Congress to update obsolete proxy-voting processes, according to a report issued by the lobbyist association Business Roundtable (BRT). <\/p>\n\n\n\n The non-profit organization is located in Washington<\/a>, DC and consists solely of chief executives from major US companies. BRT has called on the SEC to revamp the shareholder proposal process for public institutions, aiming to make it harder for activist suggestions to appear on business proxy ballots.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT\u2019s whitepaper, The Need for Bold Proxy Process Reforms, clearly advocates for stronger oversight of proxy advisory companies to curb their power and suggests reforming the proxy process to align with what it identifies as the long-term interests of shareholders. The report highlights recent cases where savvy investors, often with only the tiniest financial investments, have leveraged the proxy process to advance their own public approach goals unrelated to company performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The shift has caused proxy statements to turn into \u201cbattlegrounds for contentious social debates,\u201d detracting from discussions about strategic preferences and the planned purposes of stakeholder arrangement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT's report specifies the following targeted policy recommendations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The recommendations aim to address a regulatory process at the SEC described in the report as \u201cinconsistent, opaque, and unpredictable.\u201d Additionally, it focuses on unaccountable proxy advisory companies that<\/a> significantly influence vote outcomes and corporate governance. BRT emphasized the need for broader structural reforms to shield investors and to ensure that US capital markets remain a catalyst for economic growth and opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n","post_title":"US lobby group calls for reform of outdated proxy voting systems","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-lobby-group-calls-for-reform-of-outdated-proxy-voting-systems","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7623","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":37},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
Since Trump's return to power, MPA, a politically connected business with connections to important Trump administration personnel, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, has rapidly expanded. In only the first quarter, the company signed contracts for $5.2 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After first retaining MPA in February 2024, Korea Zinc has extended the contract five times, most recently tripling the $250,000 quarterly payment. According to MPA's papers, Korea Zinc is receiving advice from the company on matters pertaining to \"critical minerals, recycling, and clean energy subsidies.\" David Vitter, a former Republican senator and congressman, and Cheri Bustos, a former Democratic congresswoman, are important lobbyists on the account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to congressional records, just eight<\/a> other corporations inked larger lobbying deals during the quarter, including chipmaker Qualcomm ($680,000) and Nippon Steel, which is attempting to purchase U.S. Steel ($1.7 million).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In March, Impression Strategy, a new lobbying firm, was hired by Korea Zinc's U.S. affiliate, Pedalpoint Holdings, under a $40,000 contract. Brad Stewart, a seasoned Capitol Hill<\/a> assistant who was once Rep. Zach Nunn's chief of staff and is well-known for his connections to Trump's political network, is one of its lobbyists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With vital minerals at the heart of the intensifying struggle, the company's expanding Washington presence coincides with resurgent U.S.-China trade tensions under President Trump. In Washington's attempts to secure supply lines for these resources, Korea is viewed as a crucial ally. The U.S.-led Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), an effort to challenge China's hegemony in the world's vital minerals market, was chaired for a year by South Korea in July 2024.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Korea Zinc intensifies lobbying in US through firm tied to Trump","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"korea-zinc-intensifies-lobbying-in-us-through-firm-tied-to-trump","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7638","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7623,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_content":"\n Immediate steps are essential from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Congress to update obsolete proxy-voting processes, according to a report issued by the lobbyist association Business Roundtable (BRT). <\/p>\n\n\n\n The non-profit organization is located in Washington<\/a>, DC and consists solely of chief executives from major US companies. BRT has called on the SEC to revamp the shareholder proposal process for public institutions, aiming to make it harder for activist suggestions to appear on business proxy ballots.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT\u2019s whitepaper, The Need for Bold Proxy Process Reforms, clearly advocates for stronger oversight of proxy advisory companies to curb their power and suggests reforming the proxy process to align with what it identifies as the long-term interests of shareholders. The report highlights recent cases where savvy investors, often with only the tiniest financial investments, have leveraged the proxy process to advance their own public approach goals unrelated to company performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The shift has caused proxy statements to turn into \u201cbattlegrounds for contentious social debates,\u201d detracting from discussions about strategic preferences and the planned purposes of stakeholder arrangement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT's report specifies the following targeted policy recommendations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The recommendations aim to address a regulatory process at the SEC described in the report as \u201cinconsistent, opaque, and unpredictable.\u201d Additionally, it focuses on unaccountable proxy advisory companies that<\/a> significantly influence vote outcomes and corporate governance. BRT emphasized the need for broader structural reforms to shield investors and to ensure that US capital markets remain a catalyst for economic growth and opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n","post_title":"US lobby group calls for reform of outdated proxy voting systems","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-lobby-group-calls-for-reform-of-outdated-proxy-voting-systems","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7623","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":37},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
According to the U.S. Lobbying Disclosure Act, the company's $500,000 contract with Mercury Public Affairs (MPA) in the first quarter of 2025 was the ninth-largest single lobbying agreement during that time frame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since Trump's return to power, MPA, a politically connected business with connections to important Trump administration personnel, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, has rapidly expanded. In only the first quarter, the company signed contracts for $5.2 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After first retaining MPA in February 2024, Korea Zinc has extended the contract five times, most recently tripling the $250,000 quarterly payment. According to MPA's papers, Korea Zinc is receiving advice from the company on matters pertaining to \"critical minerals, recycling, and clean energy subsidies.\" David Vitter, a former Republican senator and congressman, and Cheri Bustos, a former Democratic congresswoman, are important lobbyists on the account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to congressional records, just eight<\/a> other corporations inked larger lobbying deals during the quarter, including chipmaker Qualcomm ($680,000) and Nippon Steel, which is attempting to purchase U.S. Steel ($1.7 million).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In March, Impression Strategy, a new lobbying firm, was hired by Korea Zinc's U.S. affiliate, Pedalpoint Holdings, under a $40,000 contract. Brad Stewart, a seasoned Capitol Hill<\/a> assistant who was once Rep. Zach Nunn's chief of staff and is well-known for his connections to Trump's political network, is one of its lobbyists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With vital minerals at the heart of the intensifying struggle, the company's expanding Washington presence coincides with resurgent U.S.-China trade tensions under President Trump. In Washington's attempts to secure supply lines for these resources, Korea is viewed as a crucial ally. The U.S.-led Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), an effort to challenge China's hegemony in the world's vital minerals market, was chaired for a year by South Korea in July 2024.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Korea Zinc intensifies lobbying in US through firm tied to Trump","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"korea-zinc-intensifies-lobbying-in-us-through-firm-tied-to-trump","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7638","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7623,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_content":"\n Immediate steps are essential from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Congress to update obsolete proxy-voting processes, according to a report issued by the lobbyist association Business Roundtable (BRT). <\/p>\n\n\n\n The non-profit organization is located in Washington<\/a>, DC and consists solely of chief executives from major US companies. BRT has called on the SEC to revamp the shareholder proposal process for public institutions, aiming to make it harder for activist suggestions to appear on business proxy ballots.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT\u2019s whitepaper, The Need for Bold Proxy Process Reforms, clearly advocates for stronger oversight of proxy advisory companies to curb their power and suggests reforming the proxy process to align with what it identifies as the long-term interests of shareholders. The report highlights recent cases where savvy investors, often with only the tiniest financial investments, have leveraged the proxy process to advance their own public approach goals unrelated to company performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The shift has caused proxy statements to turn into \u201cbattlegrounds for contentious social debates,\u201d detracting from discussions about strategic preferences and the planned purposes of stakeholder arrangement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT's report specifies the following targeted policy recommendations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The recommendations aim to address a regulatory process at the SEC described in the report as \u201cinconsistent, opaque, and unpredictable.\u201d Additionally, it focuses on unaccountable proxy advisory companies that<\/a> significantly influence vote outcomes and corporate governance. BRT emphasized the need for broader structural reforms to shield investors and to ensure that US capital markets remain a catalyst for economic growth and opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n","post_title":"US lobby group calls for reform of outdated proxy voting systems","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-lobby-group-calls-for-reform-of-outdated-proxy-voting-systems","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7623","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":37},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
South Korean firms have notably intensified their lobbying activities in the United States against the backdrop of changing U.S. trade policies, threats of tariffs, and changing regulatory environments under both the Trump and Biden administrations. This increased lobbying is necessitated by the imperative of defending their investments, obtaining preferential terms for further expansion, and managing uncertainty related to tariffs, export controls, and industrial policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the U.S. Lobbying Disclosure Act, the company's $500,000 contract with Mercury Public Affairs (MPA) in the first quarter of 2025 was the ninth-largest single lobbying agreement during that time frame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since Trump's return to power, MPA, a politically connected business with connections to important Trump administration personnel, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, has rapidly expanded. In only the first quarter, the company signed contracts for $5.2 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After first retaining MPA in February 2024, Korea Zinc has extended the contract five times, most recently tripling the $250,000 quarterly payment. According to MPA's papers, Korea Zinc is receiving advice from the company on matters pertaining to \"critical minerals, recycling, and clean energy subsidies.\" David Vitter, a former Republican senator and congressman, and Cheri Bustos, a former Democratic congresswoman, are important lobbyists on the account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to congressional records, just eight<\/a> other corporations inked larger lobbying deals during the quarter, including chipmaker Qualcomm ($680,000) and Nippon Steel, which is attempting to purchase U.S. Steel ($1.7 million).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In March, Impression Strategy, a new lobbying firm, was hired by Korea Zinc's U.S. affiliate, Pedalpoint Holdings, under a $40,000 contract. Brad Stewart, a seasoned Capitol Hill<\/a> assistant who was once Rep. Zach Nunn's chief of staff and is well-known for his connections to Trump's political network, is one of its lobbyists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With vital minerals at the heart of the intensifying struggle, the company's expanding Washington presence coincides with resurgent U.S.-China trade tensions under President Trump. In Washington's attempts to secure supply lines for these resources, Korea is viewed as a crucial ally. The U.S.-led Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), an effort to challenge China's hegemony in the world's vital minerals market, was chaired for a year by South Korea in July 2024.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Korea Zinc intensifies lobbying in US through firm tied to Trump","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"korea-zinc-intensifies-lobbying-in-us-through-firm-tied-to-trump","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7638","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7623,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_content":"\n Immediate steps are essential from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Congress to update obsolete proxy-voting processes, according to a report issued by the lobbyist association Business Roundtable (BRT). <\/p>\n\n\n\n The non-profit organization is located in Washington<\/a>, DC and consists solely of chief executives from major US companies. BRT has called on the SEC to revamp the shareholder proposal process for public institutions, aiming to make it harder for activist suggestions to appear on business proxy ballots.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT\u2019s whitepaper, The Need for Bold Proxy Process Reforms, clearly advocates for stronger oversight of proxy advisory companies to curb their power and suggests reforming the proxy process to align with what it identifies as the long-term interests of shareholders. The report highlights recent cases where savvy investors, often with only the tiniest financial investments, have leveraged the proxy process to advance their own public approach goals unrelated to company performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The shift has caused proxy statements to turn into \u201cbattlegrounds for contentious social debates,\u201d detracting from discussions about strategic preferences and the planned purposes of stakeholder arrangement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT's report specifies the following targeted policy recommendations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The recommendations aim to address a regulatory process at the SEC described in the report as \u201cinconsistent, opaque, and unpredictable.\u201d Additionally, it focuses on unaccountable proxy advisory companies that<\/a> significantly influence vote outcomes and corporate governance. BRT emphasized the need for broader structural reforms to shield investors and to ensure that US capital markets remain a catalyst for economic growth and opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n","post_title":"US lobby group calls for reform of outdated proxy voting systems","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-lobby-group-calls-for-reform-of-outdated-proxy-voting-systems","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7623","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":37},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
As Korea Zinc deepens its efforts to address a management dispute with MBK Partners and rising geopolitical risks, the South Korean mining company has emerged as a prominent player in Washington's lobbying arena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n South Korean firms have notably intensified their lobbying activities in the United States against the backdrop of changing U.S. trade policies, threats of tariffs, and changing regulatory environments under both the Trump and Biden administrations. This increased lobbying is necessitated by the imperative of defending their investments, obtaining preferential terms for further expansion, and managing uncertainty related to tariffs, export controls, and industrial policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the U.S. Lobbying Disclosure Act, the company's $500,000 contract with Mercury Public Affairs (MPA) in the first quarter of 2025 was the ninth-largest single lobbying agreement during that time frame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since Trump's return to power, MPA, a politically connected business with connections to important Trump administration personnel, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, has rapidly expanded. In only the first quarter, the company signed contracts for $5.2 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After first retaining MPA in February 2024, Korea Zinc has extended the contract five times, most recently tripling the $250,000 quarterly payment. According to MPA's papers, Korea Zinc is receiving advice from the company on matters pertaining to \"critical minerals, recycling, and clean energy subsidies.\" David Vitter, a former Republican senator and congressman, and Cheri Bustos, a former Democratic congresswoman, are important lobbyists on the account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to congressional records, just eight<\/a> other corporations inked larger lobbying deals during the quarter, including chipmaker Qualcomm ($680,000) and Nippon Steel, which is attempting to purchase U.S. Steel ($1.7 million).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In March, Impression Strategy, a new lobbying firm, was hired by Korea Zinc's U.S. affiliate, Pedalpoint Holdings, under a $40,000 contract. Brad Stewart, a seasoned Capitol Hill<\/a> assistant who was once Rep. Zach Nunn's chief of staff and is well-known for his connections to Trump's political network, is one of its lobbyists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With vital minerals at the heart of the intensifying struggle, the company's expanding Washington presence coincides with resurgent U.S.-China trade tensions under President Trump. In Washington's attempts to secure supply lines for these resources, Korea is viewed as a crucial ally. The U.S.-led Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), an effort to challenge China's hegemony in the world's vital minerals market, was chaired for a year by South Korea in July 2024.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Korea Zinc intensifies lobbying in US through firm tied to Trump","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"korea-zinc-intensifies-lobbying-in-us-through-firm-tied-to-trump","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7638","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7623,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_content":"\n Immediate steps are essential from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Congress to update obsolete proxy-voting processes, according to a report issued by the lobbyist association Business Roundtable (BRT). <\/p>\n\n\n\n The non-profit organization is located in Washington<\/a>, DC and consists solely of chief executives from major US companies. BRT has called on the SEC to revamp the shareholder proposal process for public institutions, aiming to make it harder for activist suggestions to appear on business proxy ballots.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT\u2019s whitepaper, The Need for Bold Proxy Process Reforms, clearly advocates for stronger oversight of proxy advisory companies to curb their power and suggests reforming the proxy process to align with what it identifies as the long-term interests of shareholders. The report highlights recent cases where savvy investors, often with only the tiniest financial investments, have leveraged the proxy process to advance their own public approach goals unrelated to company performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The shift has caused proxy statements to turn into \u201cbattlegrounds for contentious social debates,\u201d detracting from discussions about strategic preferences and the planned purposes of stakeholder arrangement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT's report specifies the following targeted policy recommendations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The recommendations aim to address a regulatory process at the SEC described in the report as \u201cinconsistent, opaque, and unpredictable.\u201d Additionally, it focuses on unaccountable proxy advisory companies that<\/a> significantly influence vote outcomes and corporate governance. BRT emphasized the need for broader structural reforms to shield investors and to ensure that US capital markets remain a catalyst for economic growth and opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n","post_title":"US lobby group calls for reform of outdated proxy voting systems","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-lobby-group-calls-for-reform-of-outdated-proxy-voting-systems","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7623","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":37},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
The reforms created an independent institutional framework for the investigation, prosecution, and judicial treatment of organized crime and corruption cases. SPAK is formed by a Special Prosecution Office (separate from other prosecution offices) and a subordinated National Bureau of Investigation. SPAK Courts, which began activities on December 19, 2019, are replacing the previous Serious Crime Courts and exercise nationwide jurisdiction in related cases.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Albania\u2019s Democratic party under investigation over $6 million US lobbying deal","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"albanias-democratic-party-under-investigation-over-6-million-us-lobbying-deal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-28 19:22:46","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-28 19:22:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7639","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7638,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-27 19:13:05","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-27 19:13:05","post_content":"\n As Korea Zinc deepens its efforts to address a management dispute with MBK Partners and rising geopolitical risks, the South Korean mining company has emerged as a prominent player in Washington's lobbying arena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n South Korean firms have notably intensified their lobbying activities in the United States against the backdrop of changing U.S. trade policies, threats of tariffs, and changing regulatory environments under both the Trump and Biden administrations. This increased lobbying is necessitated by the imperative of defending their investments, obtaining preferential terms for further expansion, and managing uncertainty related to tariffs, export controls, and industrial policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the U.S. Lobbying Disclosure Act, the company's $500,000 contract with Mercury Public Affairs (MPA) in the first quarter of 2025 was the ninth-largest single lobbying agreement during that time frame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since Trump's return to power, MPA, a politically connected business with connections to important Trump administration personnel, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, has rapidly expanded. In only the first quarter, the company signed contracts for $5.2 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After first retaining MPA in February 2024, Korea Zinc has extended the contract five times, most recently tripling the $250,000 quarterly payment. According to MPA's papers, Korea Zinc is receiving advice from the company on matters pertaining to \"critical minerals, recycling, and clean energy subsidies.\" David Vitter, a former Republican senator and congressman, and Cheri Bustos, a former Democratic congresswoman, are important lobbyists on the account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to congressional records, just eight<\/a> other corporations inked larger lobbying deals during the quarter, including chipmaker Qualcomm ($680,000) and Nippon Steel, which is attempting to purchase U.S. Steel ($1.7 million).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In March, Impression Strategy, a new lobbying firm, was hired by Korea Zinc's U.S. affiliate, Pedalpoint Holdings, under a $40,000 contract. Brad Stewart, a seasoned Capitol Hill<\/a> assistant who was once Rep. Zach Nunn's chief of staff and is well-known for his connections to Trump's political network, is one of its lobbyists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With vital minerals at the heart of the intensifying struggle, the company's expanding Washington presence coincides with resurgent U.S.-China trade tensions under President Trump. In Washington's attempts to secure supply lines for these resources, Korea is viewed as a crucial ally. The U.S.-led Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), an effort to challenge China's hegemony in the world's vital minerals market, was chaired for a year by South Korea in July 2024.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Korea Zinc intensifies lobbying in US through firm tied to Trump","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"korea-zinc-intensifies-lobbying-in-us-through-firm-tied-to-trump","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7638","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7623,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_content":"\n Immediate steps are essential from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Congress to update obsolete proxy-voting processes, according to a report issued by the lobbyist association Business Roundtable (BRT). <\/p>\n\n\n\n The non-profit organization is located in Washington<\/a>, DC and consists solely of chief executives from major US companies. BRT has called on the SEC to revamp the shareholder proposal process for public institutions, aiming to make it harder for activist suggestions to appear on business proxy ballots.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT\u2019s whitepaper, The Need for Bold Proxy Process Reforms, clearly advocates for stronger oversight of proxy advisory companies to curb their power and suggests reforming the proxy process to align with what it identifies as the long-term interests of shareholders. The report highlights recent cases where savvy investors, often with only the tiniest financial investments, have leveraged the proxy process to advance their own public approach goals unrelated to company performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The shift has caused proxy statements to turn into \u201cbattlegrounds for contentious social debates,\u201d detracting from discussions about strategic preferences and the planned purposes of stakeholder arrangement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT's report specifies the following targeted policy recommendations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The recommendations aim to address a regulatory process at the SEC described in the report as \u201cinconsistent, opaque, and unpredictable.\u201d Additionally, it focuses on unaccountable proxy advisory companies that<\/a> significantly influence vote outcomes and corporate governance. BRT emphasized the need for broader structural reforms to shield investors and to ensure that US capital markets remain a catalyst for economic growth and opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n","post_title":"US lobby group calls for reform of outdated proxy voting systems","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-lobby-group-calls-for-reform-of-outdated-proxy-voting-systems","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7623","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":37},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
SPAK is the Special Anti-Corruption and Organised Crime Structure in Albania, set up as part of a comprehensive system of judicial reform aimed at the fight against high-level corruption and organized crime and bringing the country up to the standards of the European Union. SPAK was set up after Albania's 2013 constitutional reform, which was meant to deal with entrenched corruption in the judiciary and the public sector. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The reforms created an independent institutional framework for the investigation, prosecution, and judicial treatment of organized crime and corruption cases. SPAK is formed by a Special Prosecution Office (separate from other prosecution offices) and a subordinated National Bureau of Investigation. SPAK Courts, which began activities on December 19, 2019, are replacing the previous Serious Crime Courts and exercise nationwide jurisdiction in related cases.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Albania\u2019s Democratic party under investigation over $6 million US lobbying deal","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"albanias-democratic-party-under-investigation-over-6-million-us-lobbying-deal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-28 19:22:46","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-28 19:22:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7639","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7638,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-27 19:13:05","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-27 19:13:05","post_content":"\n As Korea Zinc deepens its efforts to address a management dispute with MBK Partners and rising geopolitical risks, the South Korean mining company has emerged as a prominent player in Washington's lobbying arena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n South Korean firms have notably intensified their lobbying activities in the United States against the backdrop of changing U.S. trade policies, threats of tariffs, and changing regulatory environments under both the Trump and Biden administrations. This increased lobbying is necessitated by the imperative of defending their investments, obtaining preferential terms for further expansion, and managing uncertainty related to tariffs, export controls, and industrial policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the U.S. Lobbying Disclosure Act, the company's $500,000 contract with Mercury Public Affairs (MPA) in the first quarter of 2025 was the ninth-largest single lobbying agreement during that time frame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since Trump's return to power, MPA, a politically connected business with connections to important Trump administration personnel, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, has rapidly expanded. In only the first quarter, the company signed contracts for $5.2 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After first retaining MPA in February 2024, Korea Zinc has extended the contract five times, most recently tripling the $250,000 quarterly payment. According to MPA's papers, Korea Zinc is receiving advice from the company on matters pertaining to \"critical minerals, recycling, and clean energy subsidies.\" David Vitter, a former Republican senator and congressman, and Cheri Bustos, a former Democratic congresswoman, are important lobbyists on the account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to congressional records, just eight<\/a> other corporations inked larger lobbying deals during the quarter, including chipmaker Qualcomm ($680,000) and Nippon Steel, which is attempting to purchase U.S. Steel ($1.7 million).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In March, Impression Strategy, a new lobbying firm, was hired by Korea Zinc's U.S. affiliate, Pedalpoint Holdings, under a $40,000 contract. Brad Stewart, a seasoned Capitol Hill<\/a> assistant who was once Rep. Zach Nunn's chief of staff and is well-known for his connections to Trump's political network, is one of its lobbyists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With vital minerals at the heart of the intensifying struggle, the company's expanding Washington presence coincides with resurgent U.S.-China trade tensions under President Trump. In Washington's attempts to secure supply lines for these resources, Korea is viewed as a crucial ally. The U.S.-led Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), an effort to challenge China's hegemony in the world's vital minerals market, was chaired for a year by South Korea in July 2024.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Korea Zinc intensifies lobbying in US through firm tied to Trump","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"korea-zinc-intensifies-lobbying-in-us-through-firm-tied-to-trump","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7638","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7623,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_content":"\n Immediate steps are essential from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Congress to update obsolete proxy-voting processes, according to a report issued by the lobbyist association Business Roundtable (BRT). <\/p>\n\n\n\n The non-profit organization is located in Washington<\/a>, DC and consists solely of chief executives from major US companies. BRT has called on the SEC to revamp the shareholder proposal process for public institutions, aiming to make it harder for activist suggestions to appear on business proxy ballots.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT\u2019s whitepaper, The Need for Bold Proxy Process Reforms, clearly advocates for stronger oversight of proxy advisory companies to curb their power and suggests reforming the proxy process to align with what it identifies as the long-term interests of shareholders. The report highlights recent cases where savvy investors, often with only the tiniest financial investments, have leveraged the proxy process to advance their own public approach goals unrelated to company performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The shift has caused proxy statements to turn into \u201cbattlegrounds for contentious social debates,\u201d detracting from discussions about strategic preferences and the planned purposes of stakeholder arrangement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT's report specifies the following targeted policy recommendations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The recommendations aim to address a regulatory process at the SEC described in the report as \u201cinconsistent, opaque, and unpredictable.\u201d Additionally, it focuses on unaccountable proxy advisory companies that<\/a> significantly influence vote outcomes and corporate governance. BRT emphasized the need for broader structural reforms to shield investors and to ensure that US capital markets remain a catalyst for economic growth and opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n","post_title":"US lobby group calls for reform of outdated proxy voting systems","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-lobby-group-calls-for-reform-of-outdated-proxy-voting-systems","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7623","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":37},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
This is the second deal the Democratic Party has inked with people close to US President Donald Trump in the last three months. Previously, one of Trump's two primary strategists from the previous presidential campaign, Chris LaCivita, controlled the business that handled the PR for the May 11 campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SPAK is the Special Anti-Corruption and Organised Crime Structure in Albania, set up as part of a comprehensive system of judicial reform aimed at the fight against high-level corruption and organized crime and bringing the country up to the standards of the European Union. SPAK was set up after Albania's 2013 constitutional reform, which was meant to deal with entrenched corruption in the judiciary and the public sector. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The reforms created an independent institutional framework for the investigation, prosecution, and judicial treatment of organized crime and corruption cases. SPAK is formed by a Special Prosecution Office (separate from other prosecution offices) and a subordinated National Bureau of Investigation. SPAK Courts, which began activities on December 19, 2019, are replacing the previous Serious Crime Courts and exercise nationwide jurisdiction in related cases.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Albania\u2019s Democratic party under investigation over $6 million US lobbying deal","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"albanias-democratic-party-under-investigation-over-6-million-us-lobbying-deal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-28 19:22:46","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-28 19:22:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7639","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7638,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-27 19:13:05","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-27 19:13:05","post_content":"\n As Korea Zinc deepens its efforts to address a management dispute with MBK Partners and rising geopolitical risks, the South Korean mining company has emerged as a prominent player in Washington's lobbying arena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n South Korean firms have notably intensified their lobbying activities in the United States against the backdrop of changing U.S. trade policies, threats of tariffs, and changing regulatory environments under both the Trump and Biden administrations. This increased lobbying is necessitated by the imperative of defending their investments, obtaining preferential terms for further expansion, and managing uncertainty related to tariffs, export controls, and industrial policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the U.S. Lobbying Disclosure Act, the company's $500,000 contract with Mercury Public Affairs (MPA) in the first quarter of 2025 was the ninth-largest single lobbying agreement during that time frame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since Trump's return to power, MPA, a politically connected business with connections to important Trump administration personnel, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, has rapidly expanded. In only the first quarter, the company signed contracts for $5.2 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After first retaining MPA in February 2024, Korea Zinc has extended the contract five times, most recently tripling the $250,000 quarterly payment. According to MPA's papers, Korea Zinc is receiving advice from the company on matters pertaining to \"critical minerals, recycling, and clean energy subsidies.\" David Vitter, a former Republican senator and congressman, and Cheri Bustos, a former Democratic congresswoman, are important lobbyists on the account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to congressional records, just eight<\/a> other corporations inked larger lobbying deals during the quarter, including chipmaker Qualcomm ($680,000) and Nippon Steel, which is attempting to purchase U.S. Steel ($1.7 million).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In March, Impression Strategy, a new lobbying firm, was hired by Korea Zinc's U.S. affiliate, Pedalpoint Holdings, under a $40,000 contract. Brad Stewart, a seasoned Capitol Hill<\/a> assistant who was once Rep. Zach Nunn's chief of staff and is well-known for his connections to Trump's political network, is one of its lobbyists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With vital minerals at the heart of the intensifying struggle, the company's expanding Washington presence coincides with resurgent U.S.-China trade tensions under President Trump. In Washington's attempts to secure supply lines for these resources, Korea is viewed as a crucial ally. The U.S.-led Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), an effort to challenge China's hegemony in the world's vital minerals market, was chaired for a year by South Korea in July 2024.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Korea Zinc intensifies lobbying in US through firm tied to Trump","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"korea-zinc-intensifies-lobbying-in-us-through-firm-tied-to-trump","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7638","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7623,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_content":"\n Immediate steps are essential from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Congress to update obsolete proxy-voting processes, according to a report issued by the lobbyist association Business Roundtable (BRT). <\/p>\n\n\n\n The non-profit organization is located in Washington<\/a>, DC and consists solely of chief executives from major US companies. BRT has called on the SEC to revamp the shareholder proposal process for public institutions, aiming to make it harder for activist suggestions to appear on business proxy ballots.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT\u2019s whitepaper, The Need for Bold Proxy Process Reforms, clearly advocates for stronger oversight of proxy advisory companies to curb their power and suggests reforming the proxy process to align with what it identifies as the long-term interests of shareholders. The report highlights recent cases where savvy investors, often with only the tiniest financial investments, have leveraged the proxy process to advance their own public approach goals unrelated to company performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The shift has caused proxy statements to turn into \u201cbattlegrounds for contentious social debates,\u201d detracting from discussions about strategic preferences and the planned purposes of stakeholder arrangement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT's report specifies the following targeted policy recommendations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The recommendations aim to address a regulatory process at the SEC described in the report as \u201cinconsistent, opaque, and unpredictable.\u201d Additionally, it focuses on unaccountable proxy advisory companies that<\/a> significantly influence vote outcomes and corporate governance. BRT emphasized the need for broader structural reforms to shield investors and to ensure that US capital markets remain a catalyst for economic growth and opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n","post_title":"US lobby group calls for reform of outdated proxy voting systems","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-lobby-group-calls-for-reform-of-outdated-proxy-voting-systems","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7623","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":37},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
The Democratic Party emphasised in a media statement that the $6<\/a> million will be disbursed via the \"Make Albania Great Again\" foundation, set up by Albanian Americans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the second deal the Democratic Party has inked with people close to US President Donald Trump in the last three months. Previously, one of Trump's two primary strategists from the previous presidential campaign, Chris LaCivita, controlled the business that handled the PR for the May 11 campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SPAK is the Special Anti-Corruption and Organised Crime Structure in Albania, set up as part of a comprehensive system of judicial reform aimed at the fight against high-level corruption and organized crime and bringing the country up to the standards of the European Union. SPAK was set up after Albania's 2013 constitutional reform, which was meant to deal with entrenched corruption in the judiciary and the public sector. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The reforms created an independent institutional framework for the investigation, prosecution, and judicial treatment of organized crime and corruption cases. SPAK is formed by a Special Prosecution Office (separate from other prosecution offices) and a subordinated National Bureau of Investigation. SPAK Courts, which began activities on December 19, 2019, are replacing the previous Serious Crime Courts and exercise nationwide jurisdiction in related cases.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Albania\u2019s Democratic party under investigation over $6 million US lobbying deal","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"albanias-democratic-party-under-investigation-over-6-million-us-lobbying-deal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-28 19:22:46","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-28 19:22:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7639","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7638,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-27 19:13:05","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-27 19:13:05","post_content":"\n As Korea Zinc deepens its efforts to address a management dispute with MBK Partners and rising geopolitical risks, the South Korean mining company has emerged as a prominent player in Washington's lobbying arena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n South Korean firms have notably intensified their lobbying activities in the United States against the backdrop of changing U.S. trade policies, threats of tariffs, and changing regulatory environments under both the Trump and Biden administrations. This increased lobbying is necessitated by the imperative of defending their investments, obtaining preferential terms for further expansion, and managing uncertainty related to tariffs, export controls, and industrial policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the U.S. Lobbying Disclosure Act, the company's $500,000 contract with Mercury Public Affairs (MPA) in the first quarter of 2025 was the ninth-largest single lobbying agreement during that time frame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since Trump's return to power, MPA, a politically connected business with connections to important Trump administration personnel, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, has rapidly expanded. In only the first quarter, the company signed contracts for $5.2 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After first retaining MPA in February 2024, Korea Zinc has extended the contract five times, most recently tripling the $250,000 quarterly payment. According to MPA's papers, Korea Zinc is receiving advice from the company on matters pertaining to \"critical minerals, recycling, and clean energy subsidies.\" David Vitter, a former Republican senator and congressman, and Cheri Bustos, a former Democratic congresswoman, are important lobbyists on the account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to congressional records, just eight<\/a> other corporations inked larger lobbying deals during the quarter, including chipmaker Qualcomm ($680,000) and Nippon Steel, which is attempting to purchase U.S. Steel ($1.7 million).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In March, Impression Strategy, a new lobbying firm, was hired by Korea Zinc's U.S. affiliate, Pedalpoint Holdings, under a $40,000 contract. Brad Stewart, a seasoned Capitol Hill<\/a> assistant who was once Rep. Zach Nunn's chief of staff and is well-known for his connections to Trump's political network, is one of its lobbyists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With vital minerals at the heart of the intensifying struggle, the company's expanding Washington presence coincides with resurgent U.S.-China trade tensions under President Trump. In Washington's attempts to secure supply lines for these resources, Korea is viewed as a crucial ally. The U.S.-led Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), an effort to challenge China's hegemony in the world's vital minerals market, was chaired for a year by South Korea in July 2024.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Korea Zinc intensifies lobbying in US through firm tied to Trump","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"korea-zinc-intensifies-lobbying-in-us-through-firm-tied-to-trump","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7638","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7623,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_content":"\n Immediate steps are essential from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Congress to update obsolete proxy-voting processes, according to a report issued by the lobbyist association Business Roundtable (BRT). <\/p>\n\n\n\n The non-profit organization is located in Washington<\/a>, DC and consists solely of chief executives from major US companies. BRT has called on the SEC to revamp the shareholder proposal process for public institutions, aiming to make it harder for activist suggestions to appear on business proxy ballots.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT\u2019s whitepaper, The Need for Bold Proxy Process Reforms, clearly advocates for stronger oversight of proxy advisory companies to curb their power and suggests reforming the proxy process to align with what it identifies as the long-term interests of shareholders. The report highlights recent cases where savvy investors, often with only the tiniest financial investments, have leveraged the proxy process to advance their own public approach goals unrelated to company performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The shift has caused proxy statements to turn into \u201cbattlegrounds for contentious social debates,\u201d detracting from discussions about strategic preferences and the planned purposes of stakeholder arrangement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT's report specifies the following targeted policy recommendations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The recommendations aim to address a regulatory process at the SEC described in the report as \u201cinconsistent, opaque, and unpredictable.\u201d Additionally, it focuses on unaccountable proxy advisory companies that<\/a> significantly influence vote outcomes and corporate governance. BRT emphasized the need for broader structural reforms to shield investors and to ensure that US capital markets remain a catalyst for economic growth and opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n","post_title":"US lobby group calls for reform of outdated proxy voting systems","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-lobby-group-calls-for-reform-of-outdated-proxy-voting-systems","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7623","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":37},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
According to the terms of the agreement, Continental Strategy will offer the Democratic Party government relations services, particularly by building connections with influential members of the legislative and executive branches to support policymaking and the accomplishment of the party's goals for governance and elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Democratic Party emphasised in a media statement that the $6<\/a> million will be disbursed via the \"Make Albania Great Again\" foundation, set up by Albanian Americans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the second deal the Democratic Party has inked with people close to US President Donald Trump in the last three months. Previously, one of Trump's two primary strategists from the previous presidential campaign, Chris LaCivita, controlled the business that handled the PR for the May 11 campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SPAK is the Special Anti-Corruption and Organised Crime Structure in Albania, set up as part of a comprehensive system of judicial reform aimed at the fight against high-level corruption and organized crime and bringing the country up to the standards of the European Union. SPAK was set up after Albania's 2013 constitutional reform, which was meant to deal with entrenched corruption in the judiciary and the public sector. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The reforms created an independent institutional framework for the investigation, prosecution, and judicial treatment of organized crime and corruption cases. SPAK is formed by a Special Prosecution Office (separate from other prosecution offices) and a subordinated National Bureau of Investigation. SPAK Courts, which began activities on December 19, 2019, are replacing the previous Serious Crime Courts and exercise nationwide jurisdiction in related cases.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Albania\u2019s Democratic party under investigation over $6 million US lobbying deal","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"albanias-democratic-party-under-investigation-over-6-million-us-lobbying-deal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-28 19:22:46","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-28 19:22:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7639","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7638,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-27 19:13:05","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-27 19:13:05","post_content":"\n As Korea Zinc deepens its efforts to address a management dispute with MBK Partners and rising geopolitical risks, the South Korean mining company has emerged as a prominent player in Washington's lobbying arena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n South Korean firms have notably intensified their lobbying activities in the United States against the backdrop of changing U.S. trade policies, threats of tariffs, and changing regulatory environments under both the Trump and Biden administrations. This increased lobbying is necessitated by the imperative of defending their investments, obtaining preferential terms for further expansion, and managing uncertainty related to tariffs, export controls, and industrial policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the U.S. Lobbying Disclosure Act, the company's $500,000 contract with Mercury Public Affairs (MPA) in the first quarter of 2025 was the ninth-largest single lobbying agreement during that time frame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since Trump's return to power, MPA, a politically connected business with connections to important Trump administration personnel, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, has rapidly expanded. In only the first quarter, the company signed contracts for $5.2 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After first retaining MPA in February 2024, Korea Zinc has extended the contract five times, most recently tripling the $250,000 quarterly payment. According to MPA's papers, Korea Zinc is receiving advice from the company on matters pertaining to \"critical minerals, recycling, and clean energy subsidies.\" David Vitter, a former Republican senator and congressman, and Cheri Bustos, a former Democratic congresswoman, are important lobbyists on the account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to congressional records, just eight<\/a> other corporations inked larger lobbying deals during the quarter, including chipmaker Qualcomm ($680,000) and Nippon Steel, which is attempting to purchase U.S. Steel ($1.7 million).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In March, Impression Strategy, a new lobbying firm, was hired by Korea Zinc's U.S. affiliate, Pedalpoint Holdings, under a $40,000 contract. Brad Stewart, a seasoned Capitol Hill<\/a> assistant who was once Rep. Zach Nunn's chief of staff and is well-known for his connections to Trump's political network, is one of its lobbyists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With vital minerals at the heart of the intensifying struggle, the company's expanding Washington presence coincides with resurgent U.S.-China trade tensions under President Trump. In Washington's attempts to secure supply lines for these resources, Korea is viewed as a crucial ally. The U.S.-led Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), an effort to challenge China's hegemony in the world's vital minerals market, was chaired for a year by South Korea in July 2024.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Korea Zinc intensifies lobbying in US through firm tied to Trump","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"korea-zinc-intensifies-lobbying-in-us-through-firm-tied-to-trump","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7638","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7623,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_content":"\n Immediate steps are essential from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Congress to update obsolete proxy-voting processes, according to a report issued by the lobbyist association Business Roundtable (BRT). <\/p>\n\n\n\n The non-profit organization is located in Washington<\/a>, DC and consists solely of chief executives from major US companies. BRT has called on the SEC to revamp the shareholder proposal process for public institutions, aiming to make it harder for activist suggestions to appear on business proxy ballots.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT\u2019s whitepaper, The Need for Bold Proxy Process Reforms, clearly advocates for stronger oversight of proxy advisory companies to curb their power and suggests reforming the proxy process to align with what it identifies as the long-term interests of shareholders. The report highlights recent cases where savvy investors, often with only the tiniest financial investments, have leveraged the proxy process to advance their own public approach goals unrelated to company performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The shift has caused proxy statements to turn into \u201cbattlegrounds for contentious social debates,\u201d detracting from discussions about strategic preferences and the planned purposes of stakeholder arrangement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT's report specifies the following targeted policy recommendations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The recommendations aim to address a regulatory process at the SEC described in the report as \u201cinconsistent, opaque, and unpredictable.\u201d Additionally, it focuses on unaccountable proxy advisory companies that<\/a> significantly influence vote outcomes and corporate governance. BRT emphasized the need for broader structural reforms to shield investors and to ensure that US capital markets remain a catalyst for economic growth and opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n","post_title":"US lobby group calls for reform of outdated proxy voting systems","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-lobby-group-calls-for-reform-of-outdated-proxy-voting-systems","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7623","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":37},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
Continental Strategy is a U.S.-based consulting and lobbying organization<\/a> that focuses on political strategy and government relations. The firm, which was established in early 2022 by former ambassador and state lawmaker Carlos Trujillo, has close political links to prominent members of the U.S. Republican Party, such as Senator Marco Rubio and Katie Wiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the terms of the agreement, Continental Strategy will offer the Democratic Party government relations services, particularly by building connections with influential members of the legislative and executive branches to support policymaking and the accomplishment of the party's goals for governance and elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Democratic Party emphasised in a media statement that the $6<\/a> million will be disbursed via the \"Make Albania Great Again\" foundation, set up by Albanian Americans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the second deal the Democratic Party has inked with people close to US President Donald Trump in the last three months. Previously, one of Trump's two primary strategists from the previous presidential campaign, Chris LaCivita, controlled the business that handled the PR for the May 11 campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SPAK is the Special Anti-Corruption and Organised Crime Structure in Albania, set up as part of a comprehensive system of judicial reform aimed at the fight against high-level corruption and organized crime and bringing the country up to the standards of the European Union. SPAK was set up after Albania's 2013 constitutional reform, which was meant to deal with entrenched corruption in the judiciary and the public sector. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The reforms created an independent institutional framework for the investigation, prosecution, and judicial treatment of organized crime and corruption cases. SPAK is formed by a Special Prosecution Office (separate from other prosecution offices) and a subordinated National Bureau of Investigation. SPAK Courts, which began activities on December 19, 2019, are replacing the previous Serious Crime Courts and exercise nationwide jurisdiction in related cases.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Albania\u2019s Democratic party under investigation over $6 million US lobbying deal","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"albanias-democratic-party-under-investigation-over-6-million-us-lobbying-deal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-28 19:22:46","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-28 19:22:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7639","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7638,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-27 19:13:05","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-27 19:13:05","post_content":"\n As Korea Zinc deepens its efforts to address a management dispute with MBK Partners and rising geopolitical risks, the South Korean mining company has emerged as a prominent player in Washington's lobbying arena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n South Korean firms have notably intensified their lobbying activities in the United States against the backdrop of changing U.S. trade policies, threats of tariffs, and changing regulatory environments under both the Trump and Biden administrations. This increased lobbying is necessitated by the imperative of defending their investments, obtaining preferential terms for further expansion, and managing uncertainty related to tariffs, export controls, and industrial policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the U.S. Lobbying Disclosure Act, the company's $500,000 contract with Mercury Public Affairs (MPA) in the first quarter of 2025 was the ninth-largest single lobbying agreement during that time frame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since Trump's return to power, MPA, a politically connected business with connections to important Trump administration personnel, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, has rapidly expanded. In only the first quarter, the company signed contracts for $5.2 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After first retaining MPA in February 2024, Korea Zinc has extended the contract five times, most recently tripling the $250,000 quarterly payment. According to MPA's papers, Korea Zinc is receiving advice from the company on matters pertaining to \"critical minerals, recycling, and clean energy subsidies.\" David Vitter, a former Republican senator and congressman, and Cheri Bustos, a former Democratic congresswoman, are important lobbyists on the account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to congressional records, just eight<\/a> other corporations inked larger lobbying deals during the quarter, including chipmaker Qualcomm ($680,000) and Nippon Steel, which is attempting to purchase U.S. Steel ($1.7 million).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In March, Impression Strategy, a new lobbying firm, was hired by Korea Zinc's U.S. affiliate, Pedalpoint Holdings, under a $40,000 contract. Brad Stewart, a seasoned Capitol Hill<\/a> assistant who was once Rep. Zach Nunn's chief of staff and is well-known for his connections to Trump's political network, is one of its lobbyists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With vital minerals at the heart of the intensifying struggle, the company's expanding Washington presence coincides with resurgent U.S.-China trade tensions under President Trump. In Washington's attempts to secure supply lines for these resources, Korea is viewed as a crucial ally. The U.S.-led Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), an effort to challenge China's hegemony in the world's vital minerals market, was chaired for a year by South Korea in July 2024.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Korea Zinc intensifies lobbying in US through firm tied to Trump","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"korea-zinc-intensifies-lobbying-in-us-through-firm-tied-to-trump","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7638","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7623,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_content":"\n Immediate steps are essential from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Congress to update obsolete proxy-voting processes, according to a report issued by the lobbyist association Business Roundtable (BRT). <\/p>\n\n\n\n The non-profit organization is located in Washington<\/a>, DC and consists solely of chief executives from major US companies. BRT has called on the SEC to revamp the shareholder proposal process for public institutions, aiming to make it harder for activist suggestions to appear on business proxy ballots.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT\u2019s whitepaper, The Need for Bold Proxy Process Reforms, clearly advocates for stronger oversight of proxy advisory companies to curb their power and suggests reforming the proxy process to align with what it identifies as the long-term interests of shareholders. The report highlights recent cases where savvy investors, often with only the tiniest financial investments, have leveraged the proxy process to advance their own public approach goals unrelated to company performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The shift has caused proxy statements to turn into \u201cbattlegrounds for contentious social debates,\u201d detracting from discussions about strategic preferences and the planned purposes of stakeholder arrangement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT's report specifies the following targeted policy recommendations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The recommendations aim to address a regulatory process at the SEC described in the report as \u201cinconsistent, opaque, and unpredictable.\u201d Additionally, it focuses on unaccountable proxy advisory companies that<\/a> significantly influence vote outcomes and corporate governance. BRT emphasized the need for broader structural reforms to shield investors and to ensure that US capital markets remain a catalyst for economic growth and opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n","post_title":"US lobby group calls for reform of outdated proxy voting systems","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-lobby-group-calls-for-reform-of-outdated-proxy-voting-systems","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7623","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":37},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
In April, Flamur Noka, the Secretary General of the Democratic Party of the United States, signed the party's lobbying contract with Continental Strategy. Of the $6 million total contract value, $750,000 has already been paid for the first three months. Nuredin Seci, an Albanian-American, has offered a payment guarantee for this sum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Continental Strategy is a U.S.-based consulting and lobbying organization<\/a> that focuses on political strategy and government relations. The firm, which was established in early 2022 by former ambassador and state lawmaker Carlos Trujillo, has close political links to prominent members of the U.S. Republican Party, such as Senator Marco Rubio and Katie Wiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the terms of the agreement, Continental Strategy will offer the Democratic Party government relations services, particularly by building connections with influential members of the legislative and executive branches to support policymaking and the accomplishment of the party's goals for governance and elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Democratic Party emphasised in a media statement that the $6<\/a> million will be disbursed via the \"Make Albania Great Again\" foundation, set up by Albanian Americans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the second deal the Democratic Party has inked with people close to US President Donald Trump in the last three months. Previously, one of Trump's two primary strategists from the previous presidential campaign, Chris LaCivita, controlled the business that handled the PR for the May 11 campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SPAK is the Special Anti-Corruption and Organised Crime Structure in Albania, set up as part of a comprehensive system of judicial reform aimed at the fight against high-level corruption and organized crime and bringing the country up to the standards of the European Union. SPAK was set up after Albania's 2013 constitutional reform, which was meant to deal with entrenched corruption in the judiciary and the public sector. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The reforms created an independent institutional framework for the investigation, prosecution, and judicial treatment of organized crime and corruption cases. SPAK is formed by a Special Prosecution Office (separate from other prosecution offices) and a subordinated National Bureau of Investigation. SPAK Courts, which began activities on December 19, 2019, are replacing the previous Serious Crime Courts and exercise nationwide jurisdiction in related cases.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Albania\u2019s Democratic party under investigation over $6 million US lobbying deal","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"albanias-democratic-party-under-investigation-over-6-million-us-lobbying-deal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-28 19:22:46","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-28 19:22:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7639","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7638,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-27 19:13:05","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-27 19:13:05","post_content":"\n As Korea Zinc deepens its efforts to address a management dispute with MBK Partners and rising geopolitical risks, the South Korean mining company has emerged as a prominent player in Washington's lobbying arena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n South Korean firms have notably intensified their lobbying activities in the United States against the backdrop of changing U.S. trade policies, threats of tariffs, and changing regulatory environments under both the Trump and Biden administrations. This increased lobbying is necessitated by the imperative of defending their investments, obtaining preferential terms for further expansion, and managing uncertainty related to tariffs, export controls, and industrial policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the U.S. Lobbying Disclosure Act, the company's $500,000 contract with Mercury Public Affairs (MPA) in the first quarter of 2025 was the ninth-largest single lobbying agreement during that time frame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since Trump's return to power, MPA, a politically connected business with connections to important Trump administration personnel, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, has rapidly expanded. In only the first quarter, the company signed contracts for $5.2 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After first retaining MPA in February 2024, Korea Zinc has extended the contract five times, most recently tripling the $250,000 quarterly payment. According to MPA's papers, Korea Zinc is receiving advice from the company on matters pertaining to \"critical minerals, recycling, and clean energy subsidies.\" David Vitter, a former Republican senator and congressman, and Cheri Bustos, a former Democratic congresswoman, are important lobbyists on the account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to congressional records, just eight<\/a> other corporations inked larger lobbying deals during the quarter, including chipmaker Qualcomm ($680,000) and Nippon Steel, which is attempting to purchase U.S. Steel ($1.7 million).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In March, Impression Strategy, a new lobbying firm, was hired by Korea Zinc's U.S. affiliate, Pedalpoint Holdings, under a $40,000 contract. Brad Stewart, a seasoned Capitol Hill<\/a> assistant who was once Rep. Zach Nunn's chief of staff and is well-known for his connections to Trump's political network, is one of its lobbyists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With vital minerals at the heart of the intensifying struggle, the company's expanding Washington presence coincides with resurgent U.S.-China trade tensions under President Trump. In Washington's attempts to secure supply lines for these resources, Korea is viewed as a crucial ally. The U.S.-led Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), an effort to challenge China's hegemony in the world's vital minerals market, was chaired for a year by South Korea in July 2024.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Korea Zinc intensifies lobbying in US through firm tied to Trump","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"korea-zinc-intensifies-lobbying-in-us-through-firm-tied-to-trump","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7638","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7623,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_content":"\n Immediate steps are essential from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Congress to update obsolete proxy-voting processes, according to a report issued by the lobbyist association Business Roundtable (BRT). <\/p>\n\n\n\n The non-profit organization is located in Washington<\/a>, DC and consists solely of chief executives from major US companies. BRT has called on the SEC to revamp the shareholder proposal process for public institutions, aiming to make it harder for activist suggestions to appear on business proxy ballots.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT\u2019s whitepaper, The Need for Bold Proxy Process Reforms, clearly advocates for stronger oversight of proxy advisory companies to curb their power and suggests reforming the proxy process to align with what it identifies as the long-term interests of shareholders. The report highlights recent cases where savvy investors, often with only the tiniest financial investments, have leveraged the proxy process to advance their own public approach goals unrelated to company performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The shift has caused proxy statements to turn into \u201cbattlegrounds for contentious social debates,\u201d detracting from discussions about strategic preferences and the planned purposes of stakeholder arrangement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT's report specifies the following targeted policy recommendations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The recommendations aim to address a regulatory process at the SEC described in the report as \u201cinconsistent, opaque, and unpredictable.\u201d Additionally, it focuses on unaccountable proxy advisory companies that<\/a> significantly influence vote outcomes and corporate governance. BRT emphasized the need for broader structural reforms to shield investors and to ensure that US capital markets remain a catalyst for economic growth and opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n","post_title":"US lobby group calls for reform of outdated proxy voting systems","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-lobby-group-calls-for-reform-of-outdated-proxy-voting-systems","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7623","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":37},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
The $6 million agreement between the Democratic Party and the American firm Continental Strategy has sparked concerns, leading to inquiries by Albania's Special Anti-Corruption Prosecution (SPAK).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In April, Flamur Noka, the Secretary General of the Democratic Party of the United States, signed the party's lobbying contract with Continental Strategy. Of the $6 million total contract value, $750,000 has already been paid for the first three months. Nuredin Seci, an Albanian-American, has offered a payment guarantee for this sum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Continental Strategy is a U.S.-based consulting and lobbying organization<\/a> that focuses on political strategy and government relations. The firm, which was established in early 2022 by former ambassador and state lawmaker Carlos Trujillo, has close political links to prominent members of the U.S. Republican Party, such as Senator Marco Rubio and Katie Wiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the terms of the agreement, Continental Strategy will offer the Democratic Party government relations services, particularly by building connections with influential members of the legislative and executive branches to support policymaking and the accomplishment of the party's goals for governance and elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Democratic Party emphasised in a media statement that the $6<\/a> million will be disbursed via the \"Make Albania Great Again\" foundation, set up by Albanian Americans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the second deal the Democratic Party has inked with people close to US President Donald Trump in the last three months. Previously, one of Trump's two primary strategists from the previous presidential campaign, Chris LaCivita, controlled the business that handled the PR for the May 11 campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SPAK is the Special Anti-Corruption and Organised Crime Structure in Albania, set up as part of a comprehensive system of judicial reform aimed at the fight against high-level corruption and organized crime and bringing the country up to the standards of the European Union. SPAK was set up after Albania's 2013 constitutional reform, which was meant to deal with entrenched corruption in the judiciary and the public sector. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The reforms created an independent institutional framework for the investigation, prosecution, and judicial treatment of organized crime and corruption cases. SPAK is formed by a Special Prosecution Office (separate from other prosecution offices) and a subordinated National Bureau of Investigation. SPAK Courts, which began activities on December 19, 2019, are replacing the previous Serious Crime Courts and exercise nationwide jurisdiction in related cases.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Albania\u2019s Democratic party under investigation over $6 million US lobbying deal","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"albanias-democratic-party-under-investigation-over-6-million-us-lobbying-deal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-28 19:22:46","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-28 19:22:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7639","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7638,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-27 19:13:05","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-27 19:13:05","post_content":"\n As Korea Zinc deepens its efforts to address a management dispute with MBK Partners and rising geopolitical risks, the South Korean mining company has emerged as a prominent player in Washington's lobbying arena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n South Korean firms have notably intensified their lobbying activities in the United States against the backdrop of changing U.S. trade policies, threats of tariffs, and changing regulatory environments under both the Trump and Biden administrations. This increased lobbying is necessitated by the imperative of defending their investments, obtaining preferential terms for further expansion, and managing uncertainty related to tariffs, export controls, and industrial policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the U.S. Lobbying Disclosure Act, the company's $500,000 contract with Mercury Public Affairs (MPA) in the first quarter of 2025 was the ninth-largest single lobbying agreement during that time frame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since Trump's return to power, MPA, a politically connected business with connections to important Trump administration personnel, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, has rapidly expanded. In only the first quarter, the company signed contracts for $5.2 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After first retaining MPA in February 2024, Korea Zinc has extended the contract five times, most recently tripling the $250,000 quarterly payment. According to MPA's papers, Korea Zinc is receiving advice from the company on matters pertaining to \"critical minerals, recycling, and clean energy subsidies.\" David Vitter, a former Republican senator and congressman, and Cheri Bustos, a former Democratic congresswoman, are important lobbyists on the account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to congressional records, just eight<\/a> other corporations inked larger lobbying deals during the quarter, including chipmaker Qualcomm ($680,000) and Nippon Steel, which is attempting to purchase U.S. Steel ($1.7 million).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In March, Impression Strategy, a new lobbying firm, was hired by Korea Zinc's U.S. affiliate, Pedalpoint Holdings, under a $40,000 contract. Brad Stewart, a seasoned Capitol Hill<\/a> assistant who was once Rep. Zach Nunn's chief of staff and is well-known for his connections to Trump's political network, is one of its lobbyists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With vital minerals at the heart of the intensifying struggle, the company's expanding Washington presence coincides with resurgent U.S.-China trade tensions under President Trump. In Washington's attempts to secure supply lines for these resources, Korea is viewed as a crucial ally. The U.S.-led Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), an effort to challenge China's hegemony in the world's vital minerals market, was chaired for a year by South Korea in July 2024.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Korea Zinc intensifies lobbying in US through firm tied to Trump","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"korea-zinc-intensifies-lobbying-in-us-through-firm-tied-to-trump","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7638","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7623,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_content":"\n Immediate steps are essential from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Congress to update obsolete proxy-voting processes, according to a report issued by the lobbyist association Business Roundtable (BRT). <\/p>\n\n\n\n The non-profit organization is located in Washington<\/a>, DC and consists solely of chief executives from major US companies. BRT has called on the SEC to revamp the shareholder proposal process for public institutions, aiming to make it harder for activist suggestions to appear on business proxy ballots.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT\u2019s whitepaper, The Need for Bold Proxy Process Reforms, clearly advocates for stronger oversight of proxy advisory companies to curb their power and suggests reforming the proxy process to align with what it identifies as the long-term interests of shareholders. The report highlights recent cases where savvy investors, often with only the tiniest financial investments, have leveraged the proxy process to advance their own public approach goals unrelated to company performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The shift has caused proxy statements to turn into \u201cbattlegrounds for contentious social debates,\u201d detracting from discussions about strategic preferences and the planned purposes of stakeholder arrangement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT's report specifies the following targeted policy recommendations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The recommendations aim to address a regulatory process at the SEC described in the report as \u201cinconsistent, opaque, and unpredictable.\u201d Additionally, it focuses on unaccountable proxy advisory companies that<\/a> significantly influence vote outcomes and corporate governance. BRT emphasized the need for broader structural reforms to shield investors and to ensure that US capital markets remain a catalyst for economic growth and opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n","post_title":"US lobby group calls for reform of outdated proxy voting systems","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-lobby-group-calls-for-reform-of-outdated-proxy-voting-systems","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7623","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":37},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
On this year's federal lobbying trip, Homka, Mayor Vince Tutiakoff Sr., Vice Mayor Alejandro \"Bong\" Tungul, Councilmember Anthony Longo, municipal lobbyists, and Ounalashka Corp. CEO Natalie Cale represented Unalaska. Like the state lobbying trip to Juneau, the travel to D.C. is a longstanding tradition. Last month, local initiatives were also promoted by city leaders in the state capital.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Unalaska leaders lobby Washington for federal support amid budget cuts","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"unalaska-leaders-lobby-washington-for-federal-support-amid-budget-cuts","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-29 12:25:49","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-29 12:25:49","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7652","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7639,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-27 19:14:10","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-27 19:14:10","post_content":"\n The $6 million agreement between the Democratic Party and the American firm Continental Strategy has sparked concerns, leading to inquiries by Albania's Special Anti-Corruption Prosecution (SPAK).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In April, Flamur Noka, the Secretary General of the Democratic Party of the United States, signed the party's lobbying contract with Continental Strategy. Of the $6 million total contract value, $750,000 has already been paid for the first three months. Nuredin Seci, an Albanian-American, has offered a payment guarantee for this sum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Continental Strategy is a U.S.-based consulting and lobbying organization<\/a> that focuses on political strategy and government relations. The firm, which was established in early 2022 by former ambassador and state lawmaker Carlos Trujillo, has close political links to prominent members of the U.S. Republican Party, such as Senator Marco Rubio and Katie Wiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the terms of the agreement, Continental Strategy will offer the Democratic Party government relations services, particularly by building connections with influential members of the legislative and executive branches to support policymaking and the accomplishment of the party's goals for governance and elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Democratic Party emphasised in a media statement that the $6<\/a> million will be disbursed via the \"Make Albania Great Again\" foundation, set up by Albanian Americans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the second deal the Democratic Party has inked with people close to US President Donald Trump in the last three months. Previously, one of Trump's two primary strategists from the previous presidential campaign, Chris LaCivita, controlled the business that handled the PR for the May 11 campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SPAK is the Special Anti-Corruption and Organised Crime Structure in Albania, set up as part of a comprehensive system of judicial reform aimed at the fight against high-level corruption and organized crime and bringing the country up to the standards of the European Union. SPAK was set up after Albania's 2013 constitutional reform, which was meant to deal with entrenched corruption in the judiciary and the public sector. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The reforms created an independent institutional framework for the investigation, prosecution, and judicial treatment of organized crime and corruption cases. SPAK is formed by a Special Prosecution Office (separate from other prosecution offices) and a subordinated National Bureau of Investigation. SPAK Courts, which began activities on December 19, 2019, are replacing the previous Serious Crime Courts and exercise nationwide jurisdiction in related cases.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Albania\u2019s Democratic party under investigation over $6 million US lobbying deal","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"albanias-democratic-party-under-investigation-over-6-million-us-lobbying-deal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-28 19:22:46","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-28 19:22:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7639","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7638,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-27 19:13:05","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-27 19:13:05","post_content":"\n As Korea Zinc deepens its efforts to address a management dispute with MBK Partners and rising geopolitical risks, the South Korean mining company has emerged as a prominent player in Washington's lobbying arena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n South Korean firms have notably intensified their lobbying activities in the United States against the backdrop of changing U.S. trade policies, threats of tariffs, and changing regulatory environments under both the Trump and Biden administrations. This increased lobbying is necessitated by the imperative of defending their investments, obtaining preferential terms for further expansion, and managing uncertainty related to tariffs, export controls, and industrial policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the U.S. Lobbying Disclosure Act, the company's $500,000 contract with Mercury Public Affairs (MPA) in the first quarter of 2025 was the ninth-largest single lobbying agreement during that time frame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since Trump's return to power, MPA, a politically connected business with connections to important Trump administration personnel, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, has rapidly expanded. In only the first quarter, the company signed contracts for $5.2 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After first retaining MPA in February 2024, Korea Zinc has extended the contract five times, most recently tripling the $250,000 quarterly payment. According to MPA's papers, Korea Zinc is receiving advice from the company on matters pertaining to \"critical minerals, recycling, and clean energy subsidies.\" David Vitter, a former Republican senator and congressman, and Cheri Bustos, a former Democratic congresswoman, are important lobbyists on the account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to congressional records, just eight<\/a> other corporations inked larger lobbying deals during the quarter, including chipmaker Qualcomm ($680,000) and Nippon Steel, which is attempting to purchase U.S. Steel ($1.7 million).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In March, Impression Strategy, a new lobbying firm, was hired by Korea Zinc's U.S. affiliate, Pedalpoint Holdings, under a $40,000 contract. Brad Stewart, a seasoned Capitol Hill<\/a> assistant who was once Rep. Zach Nunn's chief of staff and is well-known for his connections to Trump's political network, is one of its lobbyists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With vital minerals at the heart of the intensifying struggle, the company's expanding Washington presence coincides with resurgent U.S.-China trade tensions under President Trump. In Washington's attempts to secure supply lines for these resources, Korea is viewed as a crucial ally. The U.S.-led Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), an effort to challenge China's hegemony in the world's vital minerals market, was chaired for a year by South Korea in July 2024.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Korea Zinc intensifies lobbying in US through firm tied to Trump","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"korea-zinc-intensifies-lobbying-in-us-through-firm-tied-to-trump","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7638","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7623,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_content":"\n Immediate steps are essential from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Congress to update obsolete proxy-voting processes, according to a report issued by the lobbyist association Business Roundtable (BRT). <\/p>\n\n\n\n The non-profit organization is located in Washington<\/a>, DC and consists solely of chief executives from major US companies. BRT has called on the SEC to revamp the shareholder proposal process for public institutions, aiming to make it harder for activist suggestions to appear on business proxy ballots.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT\u2019s whitepaper, The Need for Bold Proxy Process Reforms, clearly advocates for stronger oversight of proxy advisory companies to curb their power and suggests reforming the proxy process to align with what it identifies as the long-term interests of shareholders. The report highlights recent cases where savvy investors, often with only the tiniest financial investments, have leveraged the proxy process to advance their own public approach goals unrelated to company performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The shift has caused proxy statements to turn into \u201cbattlegrounds for contentious social debates,\u201d detracting from discussions about strategic preferences and the planned purposes of stakeholder arrangement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT's report specifies the following targeted policy recommendations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The recommendations aim to address a regulatory process at the SEC described in the report as \u201cinconsistent, opaque, and unpredictable.\u201d Additionally, it focuses on unaccountable proxy advisory companies that<\/a> significantly influence vote outcomes and corporate governance. BRT emphasized the need for broader structural reforms to shield investors and to ensure that US capital markets remain a catalyst for economic growth and opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n","post_title":"US lobby group calls for reform of outdated proxy voting systems","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-lobby-group-calls-for-reform-of-outdated-proxy-voting-systems","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7623","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":37},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
It's how we make a living out here. It encompasses many different aspects of our community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On this year's federal lobbying trip, Homka, Mayor Vince Tutiakoff Sr., Vice Mayor Alejandro \"Bong\" Tungul, Councilmember Anthony Longo, municipal lobbyists, and Ounalashka Corp. CEO Natalie Cale represented Unalaska. Like the state lobbying trip to Juneau, the travel to D.C. is a longstanding tradition. Last month, local initiatives were also promoted by city leaders in the state capital.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Unalaska leaders lobby Washington for federal support amid budget cuts","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"unalaska-leaders-lobby-washington-for-federal-support-amid-budget-cuts","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-29 12:25:49","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-29 12:25:49","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7652","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7639,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-27 19:14:10","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-27 19:14:10","post_content":"\n The $6 million agreement between the Democratic Party and the American firm Continental Strategy has sparked concerns, leading to inquiries by Albania's Special Anti-Corruption Prosecution (SPAK).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In April, Flamur Noka, the Secretary General of the Democratic Party of the United States, signed the party's lobbying contract with Continental Strategy. Of the $6 million total contract value, $750,000 has already been paid for the first three months. Nuredin Seci, an Albanian-American, has offered a payment guarantee for this sum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Continental Strategy is a U.S.-based consulting and lobbying organization<\/a> that focuses on political strategy and government relations. The firm, which was established in early 2022 by former ambassador and state lawmaker Carlos Trujillo, has close political links to prominent members of the U.S. Republican Party, such as Senator Marco Rubio and Katie Wiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the terms of the agreement, Continental Strategy will offer the Democratic Party government relations services, particularly by building connections with influential members of the legislative and executive branches to support policymaking and the accomplishment of the party's goals for governance and elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Democratic Party emphasised in a media statement that the $6<\/a> million will be disbursed via the \"Make Albania Great Again\" foundation, set up by Albanian Americans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the second deal the Democratic Party has inked with people close to US President Donald Trump in the last three months. Previously, one of Trump's two primary strategists from the previous presidential campaign, Chris LaCivita, controlled the business that handled the PR for the May 11 campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SPAK is the Special Anti-Corruption and Organised Crime Structure in Albania, set up as part of a comprehensive system of judicial reform aimed at the fight against high-level corruption and organized crime and bringing the country up to the standards of the European Union. SPAK was set up after Albania's 2013 constitutional reform, which was meant to deal with entrenched corruption in the judiciary and the public sector. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The reforms created an independent institutional framework for the investigation, prosecution, and judicial treatment of organized crime and corruption cases. SPAK is formed by a Special Prosecution Office (separate from other prosecution offices) and a subordinated National Bureau of Investigation. SPAK Courts, which began activities on December 19, 2019, are replacing the previous Serious Crime Courts and exercise nationwide jurisdiction in related cases.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Albania\u2019s Democratic party under investigation over $6 million US lobbying deal","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"albanias-democratic-party-under-investigation-over-6-million-us-lobbying-deal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-28 19:22:46","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-28 19:22:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7639","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7638,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-27 19:13:05","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-27 19:13:05","post_content":"\n As Korea Zinc deepens its efforts to address a management dispute with MBK Partners and rising geopolitical risks, the South Korean mining company has emerged as a prominent player in Washington's lobbying arena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n South Korean firms have notably intensified their lobbying activities in the United States against the backdrop of changing U.S. trade policies, threats of tariffs, and changing regulatory environments under both the Trump and Biden administrations. This increased lobbying is necessitated by the imperative of defending their investments, obtaining preferential terms for further expansion, and managing uncertainty related to tariffs, export controls, and industrial policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the U.S. Lobbying Disclosure Act, the company's $500,000 contract with Mercury Public Affairs (MPA) in the first quarter of 2025 was the ninth-largest single lobbying agreement during that time frame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since Trump's return to power, MPA, a politically connected business with connections to important Trump administration personnel, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, has rapidly expanded. In only the first quarter, the company signed contracts for $5.2 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After first retaining MPA in February 2024, Korea Zinc has extended the contract five times, most recently tripling the $250,000 quarterly payment. According to MPA's papers, Korea Zinc is receiving advice from the company on matters pertaining to \"critical minerals, recycling, and clean energy subsidies.\" David Vitter, a former Republican senator and congressman, and Cheri Bustos, a former Democratic congresswoman, are important lobbyists on the account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to congressional records, just eight<\/a> other corporations inked larger lobbying deals during the quarter, including chipmaker Qualcomm ($680,000) and Nippon Steel, which is attempting to purchase U.S. Steel ($1.7 million).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In March, Impression Strategy, a new lobbying firm, was hired by Korea Zinc's U.S. affiliate, Pedalpoint Holdings, under a $40,000 contract. Brad Stewart, a seasoned Capitol Hill<\/a> assistant who was once Rep. Zach Nunn's chief of staff and is well-known for his connections to Trump's political network, is one of its lobbyists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With vital minerals at the heart of the intensifying struggle, the company's expanding Washington presence coincides with resurgent U.S.-China trade tensions under President Trump. In Washington's attempts to secure supply lines for these resources, Korea is viewed as a crucial ally. The U.S.-led Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), an effort to challenge China's hegemony in the world's vital minerals market, was chaired for a year by South Korea in July 2024.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Korea Zinc intensifies lobbying in US through firm tied to Trump","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"korea-zinc-intensifies-lobbying-in-us-through-firm-tied-to-trump","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7638","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7623,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_content":"\n Immediate steps are essential from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Congress to update obsolete proxy-voting processes, according to a report issued by the lobbyist association Business Roundtable (BRT). <\/p>\n\n\n\n The non-profit organization is located in Washington<\/a>, DC and consists solely of chief executives from major US companies. BRT has called on the SEC to revamp the shareholder proposal process for public institutions, aiming to make it harder for activist suggestions to appear on business proxy ballots.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT\u2019s whitepaper, The Need for Bold Proxy Process Reforms, clearly advocates for stronger oversight of proxy advisory companies to curb their power and suggests reforming the proxy process to align with what it identifies as the long-term interests of shareholders. The report highlights recent cases where savvy investors, often with only the tiniest financial investments, have leveraged the proxy process to advance their own public approach goals unrelated to company performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The shift has caused proxy statements to turn into \u201cbattlegrounds for contentious social debates,\u201d detracting from discussions about strategic preferences and the planned purposes of stakeholder arrangement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT's report specifies the following targeted policy recommendations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The recommendations aim to address a regulatory process at the SEC described in the report as \u201cinconsistent, opaque, and unpredictable.\u201d Additionally, it focuses on unaccountable proxy advisory companies that<\/a> significantly influence vote outcomes and corporate governance. BRT emphasized the need for broader structural reforms to shield investors and to ensure that US capital markets remain a catalyst for economic growth and opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n","post_title":"US lobby group calls for reform of outdated proxy voting systems","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-lobby-group-calls-for-reform-of-outdated-proxy-voting-systems","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7623","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":37},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It's how we make a living out here. It encompasses many different aspects of our community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On this year's federal lobbying trip, Homka, Mayor Vince Tutiakoff Sr., Vice Mayor Alejandro \"Bong\" Tungul, Councilmember Anthony Longo, municipal lobbyists, and Ounalashka Corp. CEO Natalie Cale represented Unalaska. Like the state lobbying trip to Juneau, the travel to D.C. is a longstanding tradition. Last month, local initiatives were also promoted by city leaders in the state capital.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Unalaska leaders lobby Washington for federal support amid budget cuts","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"unalaska-leaders-lobby-washington-for-federal-support-amid-budget-cuts","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-29 12:25:49","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-29 12:25:49","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7652","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7639,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-27 19:14:10","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-27 19:14:10","post_content":"\n The $6 million agreement between the Democratic Party and the American firm Continental Strategy has sparked concerns, leading to inquiries by Albania's Special Anti-Corruption Prosecution (SPAK).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In April, Flamur Noka, the Secretary General of the Democratic Party of the United States, signed the party's lobbying contract with Continental Strategy. Of the $6 million total contract value, $750,000 has already been paid for the first three months. Nuredin Seci, an Albanian-American, has offered a payment guarantee for this sum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Continental Strategy is a U.S.-based consulting and lobbying organization<\/a> that focuses on political strategy and government relations. The firm, which was established in early 2022 by former ambassador and state lawmaker Carlos Trujillo, has close political links to prominent members of the U.S. Republican Party, such as Senator Marco Rubio and Katie Wiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the terms of the agreement, Continental Strategy will offer the Democratic Party government relations services, particularly by building connections with influential members of the legislative and executive branches to support policymaking and the accomplishment of the party's goals for governance and elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Democratic Party emphasised in a media statement that the $6<\/a> million will be disbursed via the \"Make Albania Great Again\" foundation, set up by Albanian Americans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the second deal the Democratic Party has inked with people close to US President Donald Trump in the last three months. Previously, one of Trump's two primary strategists from the previous presidential campaign, Chris LaCivita, controlled the business that handled the PR for the May 11 campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SPAK is the Special Anti-Corruption and Organised Crime Structure in Albania, set up as part of a comprehensive system of judicial reform aimed at the fight against high-level corruption and organized crime and bringing the country up to the standards of the European Union. SPAK was set up after Albania's 2013 constitutional reform, which was meant to deal with entrenched corruption in the judiciary and the public sector. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The reforms created an independent institutional framework for the investigation, prosecution, and judicial treatment of organized crime and corruption cases. SPAK is formed by a Special Prosecution Office (separate from other prosecution offices) and a subordinated National Bureau of Investigation. SPAK Courts, which began activities on December 19, 2019, are replacing the previous Serious Crime Courts and exercise nationwide jurisdiction in related cases.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Albania\u2019s Democratic party under investigation over $6 million US lobbying deal","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"albanias-democratic-party-under-investigation-over-6-million-us-lobbying-deal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-28 19:22:46","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-28 19:22:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7639","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7638,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-27 19:13:05","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-27 19:13:05","post_content":"\n As Korea Zinc deepens its efforts to address a management dispute with MBK Partners and rising geopolitical risks, the South Korean mining company has emerged as a prominent player in Washington's lobbying arena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n South Korean firms have notably intensified their lobbying activities in the United States against the backdrop of changing U.S. trade policies, threats of tariffs, and changing regulatory environments under both the Trump and Biden administrations. This increased lobbying is necessitated by the imperative of defending their investments, obtaining preferential terms for further expansion, and managing uncertainty related to tariffs, export controls, and industrial policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the U.S. Lobbying Disclosure Act, the company's $500,000 contract with Mercury Public Affairs (MPA) in the first quarter of 2025 was the ninth-largest single lobbying agreement during that time frame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since Trump's return to power, MPA, a politically connected business with connections to important Trump administration personnel, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, has rapidly expanded. In only the first quarter, the company signed contracts for $5.2 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After first retaining MPA in February 2024, Korea Zinc has extended the contract five times, most recently tripling the $250,000 quarterly payment. According to MPA's papers, Korea Zinc is receiving advice from the company on matters pertaining to \"critical minerals, recycling, and clean energy subsidies.\" David Vitter, a former Republican senator and congressman, and Cheri Bustos, a former Democratic congresswoman, are important lobbyists on the account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to congressional records, just eight<\/a> other corporations inked larger lobbying deals during the quarter, including chipmaker Qualcomm ($680,000) and Nippon Steel, which is attempting to purchase U.S. Steel ($1.7 million).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In March, Impression Strategy, a new lobbying firm, was hired by Korea Zinc's U.S. affiliate, Pedalpoint Holdings, under a $40,000 contract. Brad Stewart, a seasoned Capitol Hill<\/a> assistant who was once Rep. Zach Nunn's chief of staff and is well-known for his connections to Trump's political network, is one of its lobbyists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With vital minerals at the heart of the intensifying struggle, the company's expanding Washington presence coincides with resurgent U.S.-China trade tensions under President Trump. In Washington's attempts to secure supply lines for these resources, Korea is viewed as a crucial ally. The U.S.-led Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), an effort to challenge China's hegemony in the world's vital minerals market, was chaired for a year by South Korea in July 2024.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Korea Zinc intensifies lobbying in US through firm tied to Trump","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"korea-zinc-intensifies-lobbying-in-us-through-firm-tied-to-trump","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-28 19:23:18","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7638","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7623,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:16","post_content":"\n Immediate steps are essential from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Congress to update obsolete proxy-voting processes, according to a report issued by the lobbyist association Business Roundtable (BRT). <\/p>\n\n\n\n The non-profit organization is located in Washington<\/a>, DC and consists solely of chief executives from major US companies. BRT has called on the SEC to revamp the shareholder proposal process for public institutions, aiming to make it harder for activist suggestions to appear on business proxy ballots.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT\u2019s whitepaper, The Need for Bold Proxy Process Reforms, clearly advocates for stronger oversight of proxy advisory companies to curb their power and suggests reforming the proxy process to align with what it identifies as the long-term interests of shareholders. The report highlights recent cases where savvy investors, often with only the tiniest financial investments, have leveraged the proxy process to advance their own public approach goals unrelated to company performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The shift has caused proxy statements to turn into \u201cbattlegrounds for contentious social debates,\u201d detracting from discussions about strategic preferences and the planned purposes of stakeholder arrangement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The BRT's report specifies the following targeted policy recommendations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The recommendations aim to address a regulatory process at the SEC described in the report as \u201cinconsistent, opaque, and unpredictable.\u201d Additionally, it focuses on unaccountable proxy advisory companies that<\/a> significantly influence vote outcomes and corporate governance. BRT emphasized the need for broader structural reforms to shield investors and to ensure that US capital markets remain a catalyst for economic growth and opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n","post_title":"US lobby group calls for reform of outdated proxy voting systems","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-lobby-group-calls-for-reform-of-outdated-proxy-voting-systems","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-26 19:58:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7623","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":37},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n