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The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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"};
Data from the US Department of Justice's official website, which posts disclosures about foreign agents, supports Livingston's claims. There, RBC-Ukraine discovered a number of agreements between Rathmell Short LLP, which would represent their interests in the US, and Sergey Chemezov and his advisor Vasily Brovko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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"};
Data from the US Department of Justice's official website, which posts disclosures about foreign agents, supports Livingston's claims. There, RBC-Ukraine discovered a number of agreements between Rathmell Short LLP, which would represent their interests in the US, and Sergey Chemezov and his advisor Vasily Brovko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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"};
Sanctioned people are permitted by OFAC regulations to retain legal representation in order to contest their designation. Nonetheless, the Chemezov and Brovko case demonstrates how individuals with strong ties to the Kremlin nonetheless look for weaknesses. Journalist Livingston went on to say that Trump's accusations that Putin is playing with fire are unfounded as his oligarchs are able to enter US power structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from the US Department of Justice's official website, which posts disclosures about foreign agents, supports Livingston's claims. There, RBC-Ukraine discovered a number of agreements between Rathmell Short LLP, which would represent their interests in the US, and Sergey Chemezov and his advisor Vasily Brovko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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"};
Rathmell Short LLP agreed to pay $2.6 million in March to provide Putin's billionaires with legal advice on US sanctions. Among the services are drafting delisting requests and corresponding with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the US State Department. In order to bolster attempts to ease the restrictions, the contract also permits collaboration with a US lobbying company. This is another contentious issue that, in theory, stays within the law's parameters, according to Livingston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sanctioned people are permitted by OFAC regulations to retain legal representation in order to contest their designation. Nonetheless, the Chemezov and Brovko case demonstrates how individuals with strong ties to the Kremlin nonetheless look for weaknesses. Journalist Livingston went on to say that Trump's accusations that Putin is playing with fire are unfounded as his oligarchs are able to enter US power structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from the US Department of Justice's official website, which posts disclosures about foreign agents, supports Livingston's claims. There, RBC-Ukraine discovered a number of agreements between Rathmell Short LLP, which would represent their interests in the US, and Sergey Chemezov and his advisor Vasily Brovko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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 an attempt to reverse US sanctions, Brovko and Chemezov engaged the Washington-based legal firm Rathmell Short LLP in early 2025, according to Livingston. Due to their backing of Russia's aggression against Ukraine<\/a>, both oligarchs are subject to sanctions. However, a legal gap that experts say falls into a legal gray area allows them to lawfully use the services of attorneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rathmell Short LLP agreed to pay $2.6 million in March to provide Putin's billionaires with legal advice on US sanctions. Among the services are drafting delisting requests and corresponding with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the US State Department. In order to bolster attempts to ease the restrictions, the contract also permits collaboration with a US lobbying company. This is another contentious issue that, in theory, stays within the law's parameters, according to Livingston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sanctioned people are permitted by OFAC regulations to retain legal representation in order to contest their designation. Nonetheless, the Chemezov and Brovko case demonstrates how individuals with strong ties to the Kremlin nonetheless look for weaknesses. Journalist Livingston went on to say that Trump's accusations that Putin is playing with fire are unfounded as his oligarchs are able to enter US power structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from the US Department of Justice's official website, which posts disclosures about foreign agents, supports Livingston's claims. There, RBC-Ukraine discovered a number of agreements between Rathmell Short LLP, which would represent their interests in the US, and Sergey Chemezov and his advisor Vasily Brovko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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 an attempt to reverse US sanctions, Brovko and Chemezov engaged the Washington-based legal firm Rathmell Short LLP in early 2025, according to Livingston. Due to their backing of Russia's aggression against Ukraine<\/a>, both oligarchs are subject to sanctions. However, a legal gap that experts say falls into a legal gray area allows them to lawfully use the services of attorneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rathmell Short LLP agreed to pay $2.6 million in March to provide Putin's billionaires with legal advice on US sanctions. Among the services are drafting delisting requests and corresponding with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the US State Department. In order to bolster attempts to ease the restrictions, the contract also permits collaboration with a US lobbying company. This is another contentious issue that, in theory, stays within the law's parameters, according to Livingston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sanctioned people are permitted by OFAC regulations to retain legal representation in order to contest their designation. Nonetheless, the Chemezov and Brovko case demonstrates how individuals with strong ties to the Kremlin nonetheless look for weaknesses. Journalist Livingston went on to say that Trump's accusations that Putin is playing with fire are unfounded as his oligarchs are able to enter US power structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from the US Department of Justice's official website, which posts disclosures about foreign agents, supports Livingston's claims. There, RBC-Ukraine discovered a number of agreements between Rathmell Short LLP, which would represent their interests in the US, and Sergey Chemezov and his advisor Vasily Brovko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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"};
A US legal company has received substantial payments from two Russian oligarchs in order to advocate for the lifting of personal US sanctions. According to American journalist Katie Livingstone and the US Department of Justice, Sergey Chemezov and Vasily Brovko are prominent executives of the Russian defence company Rostec and are important associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an attempt to reverse US sanctions, Brovko and Chemezov engaged the Washington-based legal firm Rathmell Short LLP in early 2025, according to Livingston. Due to their backing of Russia's aggression against Ukraine<\/a>, both oligarchs are subject to sanctions. However, a legal gap that experts say falls into a legal gray area allows them to lawfully use the services of attorneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rathmell Short LLP agreed to pay $2.6 million in March to provide Putin's billionaires with legal advice on US sanctions. Among the services are drafting delisting requests and corresponding with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the US State Department. In order to bolster attempts to ease the restrictions, the contract also permits collaboration with a US lobbying company. This is another contentious issue that, in theory, stays within the law's parameters, according to Livingston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sanctioned people are permitted by OFAC regulations to retain legal representation in order to contest their designation. Nonetheless, the Chemezov and Brovko case demonstrates how individuals with strong ties to the Kremlin nonetheless look for weaknesses. Journalist Livingston went on to say that Trump's accusations that Putin is playing with fire are unfounded as his oligarchs are able to enter US power structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from the US Department of Justice's official website, which posts disclosures about foreign agents, supports Livingston's claims. There, RBC-Ukraine discovered a number of agreements between Rathmell Short LLP, which would represent their interests in the US, and Sergey Chemezov and his advisor Vasily Brovko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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"};
Universities prepared for disruptions in the higher education sector following President Donald Trump's reelection. By the end of 2024, colleges took proactive measures to protect international students and curtail contentious behaviors like as political declarations and diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Northeastern tops private universities in federal lobbying spending in 2024","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"northeastern-tops-private-universities-in-federal-lobbying-spending-in-2024","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7907","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7900,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content":"\n A US legal company has received substantial payments from two Russian oligarchs in order to advocate for the lifting of personal US sanctions. According to American journalist Katie Livingstone and the US Department of Justice, Sergey Chemezov and Vasily Brovko are prominent executives of the Russian defence company Rostec and are important associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an attempt to reverse US sanctions, Brovko and Chemezov engaged the Washington-based legal firm Rathmell Short LLP in early 2025, according to Livingston. Due to their backing of Russia's aggression against Ukraine<\/a>, both oligarchs are subject to sanctions. However, a legal gap that experts say falls into a legal gray area allows them to lawfully use the services of attorneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rathmell Short LLP agreed to pay $2.6 million in March to provide Putin's billionaires with legal advice on US sanctions. Among the services are drafting delisting requests and corresponding with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the US State Department. In order to bolster attempts to ease the restrictions, the contract also permits collaboration with a US lobbying company. This is another contentious issue that, in theory, stays within the law's parameters, according to Livingston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sanctioned people are permitted by OFAC regulations to retain legal representation in order to contest their designation. Nonetheless, the Chemezov and Brovko case demonstrates how individuals with strong ties to the Kremlin nonetheless look for weaknesses. Journalist Livingston went on to say that Trump's accusations that Putin is playing with fire are unfounded as his oligarchs are able to enter US power structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from the US Department of Justice's official website, which posts disclosures about foreign agents, supports Livingston's claims. There, RBC-Ukraine discovered a number of agreements between Rathmell Short LLP, which would represent their interests in the US, and Sergey Chemezov and his advisor Vasily Brovko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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 fast growth of generative AI programs last year has attracted increased attention to the future of AI in higher education. Longtime AI supporter Aoun wrote an essay in July 2024 suggesting that universities should keep integrating AI research and teaching into their curricula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities prepared for disruptions in the higher education sector following President Donald Trump's reelection. By the end of 2024, colleges took proactive measures to protect international students and curtail contentious behaviors like as political declarations and diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Northeastern tops private universities in federal lobbying spending in 2024","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"northeastern-tops-private-universities-in-federal-lobbying-spending-in-2024","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7907","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7900,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content":"\n A US legal company has received substantial payments from two Russian oligarchs in order to advocate for the lifting of personal US sanctions. According to American journalist Katie Livingstone and the US Department of Justice, Sergey Chemezov and Vasily Brovko are prominent executives of the Russian defence company Rostec and are important associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an attempt to reverse US sanctions, Brovko and Chemezov engaged the Washington-based legal firm Rathmell Short LLP in early 2025, according to Livingston. Due to their backing of Russia's aggression against Ukraine<\/a>, both oligarchs are subject to sanctions. However, a legal gap that experts say falls into a legal gray area allows them to lawfully use the services of attorneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rathmell Short LLP agreed to pay $2.6 million in March to provide Putin's billionaires with legal advice on US sanctions. Among the services are drafting delisting requests and corresponding with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the US State Department. In order to bolster attempts to ease the restrictions, the contract also permits collaboration with a US lobbying company. This is another contentious issue that, in theory, stays within the law's parameters, according to Livingston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sanctioned people are permitted by OFAC regulations to retain legal representation in order to contest their designation. Nonetheless, the Chemezov and Brovko case demonstrates how individuals with strong ties to the Kremlin nonetheless look for weaknesses. Journalist Livingston went on to say that Trump's accusations that Putin is playing with fire are unfounded as his oligarchs are able to enter US power structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from the US Department of Justice's official website, which posts disclosures about foreign agents, supports Livingston's claims. There, RBC-Ukraine discovered a number of agreements between Rathmell Short LLP, which would represent their interests in the US, and Sergey Chemezov and his advisor Vasily Brovko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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"};
Universities have been wondering how to adjust to a shifting admissions environment since the Supreme Court invalidated affirmative action in June 2023<\/a>. Joseph E., President, Northeast. In a joint statement following the decision, Aoun was one of more than 130 leaders of Massachusetts's higher education institutions, advocacy groups. The percentage of Black students in Northeastern's first-year class fell by 35% from the year before in the first admissions cycle following the Supreme Court's decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fast growth of generative AI programs last year has attracted increased attention to the future of AI in higher education. Longtime AI supporter Aoun wrote an essay in July 2024 suggesting that universities should keep integrating AI research and teaching into their curricula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities prepared for disruptions in the higher education sector following President Donald Trump's reelection. By the end of 2024, colleges took proactive measures to protect international students and curtail contentious behaviors like as political declarations and diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Northeastern tops private universities in federal lobbying spending in 2024","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"northeastern-tops-private-universities-in-federal-lobbying-spending-in-2024","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7907","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7900,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content":"\n A US legal company has received substantial payments from two Russian oligarchs in order to advocate for the lifting of personal US sanctions. According to American journalist Katie Livingstone and the US Department of Justice, Sergey Chemezov and Vasily Brovko are prominent executives of the Russian defence company Rostec and are important associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an attempt to reverse US sanctions, Brovko and Chemezov engaged the Washington-based legal firm Rathmell Short LLP in early 2025, according to Livingston. Due to their backing of Russia's aggression against Ukraine<\/a>, both oligarchs are subject to sanctions. However, a legal gap that experts say falls into a legal gray area allows them to lawfully use the services of attorneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rathmell Short LLP agreed to pay $2.6 million in March to provide Putin's billionaires with legal advice on US sanctions. Among the services are drafting delisting requests and corresponding with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the US State Department. In order to bolster attempts to ease the restrictions, the contract also permits collaboration with a US lobbying company. This is another contentious issue that, in theory, stays within the law's parameters, according to Livingston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sanctioned people are permitted by OFAC regulations to retain legal representation in order to contest their designation. Nonetheless, the Chemezov and Brovko case demonstrates how individuals with strong ties to the Kremlin nonetheless look for weaknesses. Journalist Livingston went on to say that Trump's accusations that Putin is playing with fire are unfounded as his oligarchs are able to enter US power structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from the US Department of Justice's official website, which posts disclosures about foreign agents, supports Livingston's claims. There, RBC-Ukraine discovered a number of agreements between Rathmell Short LLP, which would represent their interests in the US, and Sergey Chemezov and his advisor Vasily Brovko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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"};
\"Including financial aid schemes, work placements, cooperative education, international students, and lifelong learning,\" Northeastern stated in its quarterly filings, along with lobbying <\/a>action involving funding for higher education programs and policy problems. Additionally, the institution provided funding to assist government research projects at the Department of Homeland Security, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, or NSF. The businesses mentioned lobbying for Northeastern on several pieces of legislation, including the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act, the NSF AI Education Act, and Department of Defense expenditures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities have been wondering how to adjust to a shifting admissions environment since the Supreme Court invalidated affirmative action in June 2023<\/a>. Joseph E., President, Northeast. In a joint statement following the decision, Aoun was one of more than 130 leaders of Massachusetts's higher education institutions, advocacy groups. The percentage of Black students in Northeastern's first-year class fell by 35% from the year before in the first admissions cycle following the Supreme Court's decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fast growth of generative AI programs last year has attracted increased attention to the future of AI in higher education. Longtime AI supporter Aoun wrote an essay in July 2024 suggesting that universities should keep integrating AI research and teaching into their curricula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities prepared for disruptions in the higher education sector following President Donald Trump's reelection. By the end of 2024, colleges took proactive measures to protect international students and curtail contentious behaviors like as political declarations and diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Northeastern tops private universities in federal lobbying spending in 2024","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"northeastern-tops-private-universities-in-federal-lobbying-spending-in-2024","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7907","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7900,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content":"\n A US legal company has received substantial payments from two Russian oligarchs in order to advocate for the lifting of personal US sanctions. According to American journalist Katie Livingstone and the US Department of Justice, Sergey Chemezov and Vasily Brovko are prominent executives of the Russian defence company Rostec and are important associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an attempt to reverse US sanctions, Brovko and Chemezov engaged the Washington-based legal firm Rathmell Short LLP in early 2025, according to Livingston. Due to their backing of Russia's aggression against Ukraine<\/a>, both oligarchs are subject to sanctions. However, a legal gap that experts say falls into a legal gray area allows them to lawfully use the services of attorneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rathmell Short LLP agreed to pay $2.6 million in March to provide Putin's billionaires with legal advice on US sanctions. Among the services are drafting delisting requests and corresponding with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the US State Department. In order to bolster attempts to ease the restrictions, the contract also permits collaboration with a US lobbying company. This is another contentious issue that, in theory, stays within the law's parameters, according to Livingston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sanctioned people are permitted by OFAC regulations to retain legal representation in order to contest their designation. Nonetheless, the Chemezov and Brovko case demonstrates how individuals with strong ties to the Kremlin nonetheless look for weaknesses. Journalist Livingston went on to say that Trump's accusations that Putin is playing with fire are unfounded as his oligarchs are able to enter US power structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from the US Department of Justice's official website, which posts disclosures about foreign agents, supports Livingston's claims. There, RBC-Ukraine discovered a number of agreements between Rathmell Short LLP, which would represent their interests in the US, and Sergey Chemezov and his advisor Vasily Brovko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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 university's expenditures more than quadrupled from $110,000 to $270,000 during the second and third quarters. The institution did not specify any significant changes in the policy subjects it campaigned on in its filings despite the notable increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Including financial aid schemes, work placements, cooperative education, international students, and lifelong learning,\" Northeastern stated in its quarterly filings, along with lobbying <\/a>action involving funding for higher education programs and policy problems. Additionally, the institution provided funding to assist government research projects at the Department of Homeland Security, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, or NSF. The businesses mentioned lobbying for Northeastern on several pieces of legislation, including the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act, the NSF AI Education Act, and Department of Defense expenditures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities have been wondering how to adjust to a shifting admissions environment since the Supreme Court invalidated affirmative action in June 2023<\/a>. Joseph E., President, Northeast. In a joint statement following the decision, Aoun was one of more than 130 leaders of Massachusetts's higher education institutions, advocacy groups. The percentage of Black students in Northeastern's first-year class fell by 35% from the year before in the first admissions cycle following the Supreme Court's decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fast growth of generative AI programs last year has attracted increased attention to the future of AI in higher education. Longtime AI supporter Aoun wrote an essay in July 2024 suggesting that universities should keep integrating AI research and teaching into their curricula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities prepared for disruptions in the higher education sector following President Donald Trump's reelection. By the end of 2024, colleges took proactive measures to protect international students and curtail contentious behaviors like as political declarations and diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Northeastern tops private universities in federal lobbying spending in 2024","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"northeastern-tops-private-universities-in-federal-lobbying-spending-in-2024","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7907","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7900,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content":"\n A US legal company has received substantial payments from two Russian oligarchs in order to advocate for the lifting of personal US sanctions. According to American journalist Katie Livingstone and the US Department of Justice, Sergey Chemezov and Vasily Brovko are prominent executives of the Russian defence company Rostec and are important associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an attempt to reverse US sanctions, Brovko and Chemezov engaged the Washington-based legal firm Rathmell Short LLP in early 2025, according to Livingston. Due to their backing of Russia's aggression against Ukraine<\/a>, both oligarchs are subject to sanctions. However, a legal gap that experts say falls into a legal gray area allows them to lawfully use the services of attorneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rathmell Short LLP agreed to pay $2.6 million in March to provide Putin's billionaires with legal advice on US sanctions. Among the services are drafting delisting requests and corresponding with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the US State Department. In order to bolster attempts to ease the restrictions, the contract also permits collaboration with a US lobbying company. This is another contentious issue that, in theory, stays within the law's parameters, according to Livingston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sanctioned people are permitted by OFAC regulations to retain legal representation in order to contest their designation. Nonetheless, the Chemezov and Brovko case demonstrates how individuals with strong ties to the Kremlin nonetheless look for weaknesses. Journalist Livingston went on to say that Trump's accusations that Putin is playing with fire are unfounded as his oligarchs are able to enter US power structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from the US Department of Justice's official website, which posts disclosures about foreign agents, supports Livingston's claims. There, RBC-Ukraine discovered a number of agreements between Rathmell Short LLP, which would represent their interests in the US, and Sergey Chemezov and his advisor Vasily Brovko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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"};
Northeastern spent $1,080,000 lobbying the federal government in 2024, ranking first among private colleges and sixth overall. Only the institution of California, California State University, University of Texas, and University of Colorado State University systems outspent the institution, which reported $270,000 in expenditures per quarter, according to public lobbying filings submitted under the Lobbying Disclosure Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The university's expenditures more than quadrupled from $110,000 to $270,000 during the second and third quarters. The institution did not specify any significant changes in the policy subjects it campaigned on in its filings despite the notable increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Including financial aid schemes, work placements, cooperative education, international students, and lifelong learning,\" Northeastern stated in its quarterly filings, along with lobbying <\/a>action involving funding for higher education programs and policy problems. Additionally, the institution provided funding to assist government research projects at the Department of Homeland Security, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, or NSF. The businesses mentioned lobbying for Northeastern on several pieces of legislation, including the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act, the NSF AI Education Act, and Department of Defense expenditures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities have been wondering how to adjust to a shifting admissions environment since the Supreme Court invalidated affirmative action in June 2023<\/a>. Joseph E., President, Northeast. In a joint statement following the decision, Aoun was one of more than 130 leaders of Massachusetts's higher education institutions, advocacy groups. The percentage of Black students in Northeastern's first-year class fell by 35% from the year before in the first admissions cycle following the Supreme Court's decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fast growth of generative AI programs last year has attracted increased attention to the future of AI in higher education. Longtime AI supporter Aoun wrote an essay in July 2024 suggesting that universities should keep integrating AI research and teaching into their curricula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities prepared for disruptions in the higher education sector following President Donald Trump's reelection. By the end of 2024, colleges took proactive measures to protect international students and curtail contentious behaviors like as political declarations and diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Northeastern tops private universities in federal lobbying spending in 2024","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"northeastern-tops-private-universities-in-federal-lobbying-spending-in-2024","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7907","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7900,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content":"\n A US legal company has received substantial payments from two Russian oligarchs in order to advocate for the lifting of personal US sanctions. According to American journalist Katie Livingstone and the US Department of Justice, Sergey Chemezov and Vasily Brovko are prominent executives of the Russian defence company Rostec and are important associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an attempt to reverse US sanctions, Brovko and Chemezov engaged the Washington-based legal firm Rathmell Short LLP in early 2025, according to Livingston. Due to their backing of Russia's aggression against Ukraine<\/a>, both oligarchs are subject to sanctions. However, a legal gap that experts say falls into a legal gray area allows them to lawfully use the services of attorneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rathmell Short LLP agreed to pay $2.6 million in March to provide Putin's billionaires with legal advice on US sanctions. Among the services are drafting delisting requests and corresponding with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the US State Department. In order to bolster attempts to ease the restrictions, the contract also permits collaboration with a US lobbying company. This is another contentious issue that, in theory, stays within the law's parameters, according to Livingston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sanctioned people are permitted by OFAC regulations to retain legal representation in order to contest their designation. Nonetheless, the Chemezov and Brovko case demonstrates how individuals with strong ties to the Kremlin nonetheless look for weaknesses. Journalist Livingston went on to say that Trump's accusations that Putin is playing with fire are unfounded as his oligarchs are able to enter US power structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from the US Department of Justice's official website, which posts disclosures about foreign agents, supports Livingston's claims. There, RBC-Ukraine discovered a number of agreements between Rathmell Short LLP, which would represent their interests in the US, and Sergey Chemezov and his advisor Vasily Brovko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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 the second half of 2024, Nippon Steel significantly increased its lobbying expenditures, spending $1.45 million in Q3 and $1.71 million in Q4, more than doubling the total amount spent by the company during the first two quarters. A Washington Examiner analysis of quarterly activity records indicates that Nippon Steel has already disbursed an extra $1.83 million this year as it tries to finalise a contract.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Nippon Steel spends $6.1M on D.C. lobbying to win U.S. Steel bid, taps Trump allies","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"nippon-steel-spends-6-1m-on-d-c-lobbying-to-win-u-s-steel-bid-taps-trump-allies","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_modified_gmt":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7929","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7907,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content":"\n Northeastern spent $1,080,000 lobbying the federal government in 2024, ranking first among private colleges and sixth overall. Only the institution of California, California State University, University of Texas, and University of Colorado State University systems outspent the institution, which reported $270,000 in expenditures per quarter, according to public lobbying filings submitted under the Lobbying Disclosure Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The university's expenditures more than quadrupled from $110,000 to $270,000 during the second and third quarters. The institution did not specify any significant changes in the policy subjects it campaigned on in its filings despite the notable increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Including financial aid schemes, work placements, cooperative education, international students, and lifelong learning,\" Northeastern stated in its quarterly filings, along with lobbying <\/a>action involving funding for higher education programs and policy problems. Additionally, the institution provided funding to assist government research projects at the Department of Homeland Security, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, or NSF. The businesses mentioned lobbying for Northeastern on several pieces of legislation, including the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act, the NSF AI Education Act, and Department of Defense expenditures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities have been wondering how to adjust to a shifting admissions environment since the Supreme Court invalidated affirmative action in June 2023<\/a>. Joseph E., President, Northeast. In a joint statement following the decision, Aoun was one of more than 130 leaders of Massachusetts's higher education institutions, advocacy groups. The percentage of Black students in Northeastern's first-year class fell by 35% from the year before in the first admissions cycle following the Supreme Court's decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fast growth of generative AI programs last year has attracted increased attention to the future of AI in higher education. Longtime AI supporter Aoun wrote an essay in July 2024 suggesting that universities should keep integrating AI research and teaching into their curricula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities prepared for disruptions in the higher education sector following President Donald Trump's reelection. By the end of 2024, colleges took proactive measures to protect international students and curtail contentious behaviors like as political declarations and diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Northeastern tops private universities in federal lobbying spending in 2024","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"northeastern-tops-private-universities-in-federal-lobbying-spending-in-2024","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7907","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7900,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content":"\n A US legal company has received substantial payments from two Russian oligarchs in order to advocate for the lifting of personal US sanctions. According to American journalist Katie Livingstone and the US Department of Justice, Sergey Chemezov and Vasily Brovko are prominent executives of the Russian defence company Rostec and are important associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an attempt to reverse US sanctions, Brovko and Chemezov engaged the Washington-based legal firm Rathmell Short LLP in early 2025, according to Livingston. Due to their backing of Russia's aggression against Ukraine<\/a>, both oligarchs are subject to sanctions. However, a legal gap that experts say falls into a legal gray area allows them to lawfully use the services of attorneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rathmell Short LLP agreed to pay $2.6 million in March to provide Putin's billionaires with legal advice on US sanctions. Among the services are drafting delisting requests and corresponding with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the US State Department. In order to bolster attempts to ease the restrictions, the contract also permits collaboration with a US lobbying company. This is another contentious issue that, in theory, stays within the law's parameters, according to Livingston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sanctioned people are permitted by OFAC regulations to retain legal representation in order to contest their designation. Nonetheless, the Chemezov and Brovko case demonstrates how individuals with strong ties to the Kremlin nonetheless look for weaknesses. Journalist Livingston went on to say that Trump's accusations that Putin is playing with fire are unfounded as his oligarchs are able to enter US power structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from the US Department of Justice's official website, which posts disclosures about foreign agents, supports Livingston's claims. There, RBC-Ukraine discovered a number of agreements between Rathmell Short LLP, which would represent their interests in the US, and Sergey Chemezov and his advisor Vasily Brovko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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 disclosure filings, Nippon Steel's agents have pushed for the planned purchase through the White House, Congress, and several government departments that have jurisdiction over international transactions, including the Department of Commerce, the State Department, and the U.S. Treasury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the second half of 2024, Nippon Steel significantly increased its lobbying expenditures, spending $1.45 million in Q3 and $1.71 million in Q4, more than doubling the total amount spent by the company during the first two quarters. A Washington Examiner analysis of quarterly activity records indicates that Nippon Steel has already disbursed an extra $1.83 million this year as it tries to finalise a contract.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Nippon Steel spends $6.1M on D.C. lobbying to win U.S. Steel bid, taps Trump allies","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"nippon-steel-spends-6-1m-on-d-c-lobbying-to-win-u-s-steel-bid-taps-trump-allies","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_modified_gmt":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7929","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7907,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content":"\n Northeastern spent $1,080,000 lobbying the federal government in 2024, ranking first among private colleges and sixth overall. Only the institution of California, California State University, University of Texas, and University of Colorado State University systems outspent the institution, which reported $270,000 in expenditures per quarter, according to public lobbying filings submitted under the Lobbying Disclosure Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The university's expenditures more than quadrupled from $110,000 to $270,000 during the second and third quarters. The institution did not specify any significant changes in the policy subjects it campaigned on in its filings despite the notable increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Including financial aid schemes, work placements, cooperative education, international students, and lifelong learning,\" Northeastern stated in its quarterly filings, along with lobbying <\/a>action involving funding for higher education programs and policy problems. Additionally, the institution provided funding to assist government research projects at the Department of Homeland Security, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, or NSF. The businesses mentioned lobbying for Northeastern on several pieces of legislation, including the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act, the NSF AI Education Act, and Department of Defense expenditures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities have been wondering how to adjust to a shifting admissions environment since the Supreme Court invalidated affirmative action in June 2023<\/a>. Joseph E., President, Northeast. In a joint statement following the decision, Aoun was one of more than 130 leaders of Massachusetts's higher education institutions, advocacy groups. The percentage of Black students in Northeastern's first-year class fell by 35% from the year before in the first admissions cycle following the Supreme Court's decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fast growth of generative AI programs last year has attracted increased attention to the future of AI in higher education. Longtime AI supporter Aoun wrote an essay in July 2024 suggesting that universities should keep integrating AI research and teaching into their curricula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities prepared for disruptions in the higher education sector following President Donald Trump's reelection. By the end of 2024, colleges took proactive measures to protect international students and curtail contentious behaviors like as political declarations and diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Northeastern tops private universities in federal lobbying spending in 2024","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"northeastern-tops-private-universities-in-federal-lobbying-spending-in-2024","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7907","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7900,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content":"\n A US legal company has received substantial payments from two Russian oligarchs in order to advocate for the lifting of personal US sanctions. According to American journalist Katie Livingstone and the US Department of Justice, Sergey Chemezov and Vasily Brovko are prominent executives of the Russian defence company Rostec and are important associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an attempt to reverse US sanctions, Brovko and Chemezov engaged the Washington-based legal firm Rathmell Short LLP in early 2025, according to Livingston. Due to their backing of Russia's aggression against Ukraine<\/a>, both oligarchs are subject to sanctions. However, a legal gap that experts say falls into a legal gray area allows them to lawfully use the services of attorneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rathmell Short LLP agreed to pay $2.6 million in March to provide Putin's billionaires with legal advice on US sanctions. Among the services are drafting delisting requests and corresponding with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the US State Department. In order to bolster attempts to ease the restrictions, the contract also permits collaboration with a US lobbying company. This is another contentious issue that, in theory, stays within the law's parameters, according to Livingston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sanctioned people are permitted by OFAC regulations to retain legal representation in order to contest their designation. Nonetheless, the Chemezov and Brovko case demonstrates how individuals with strong ties to the Kremlin nonetheless look for weaknesses. Journalist Livingston went on to say that Trump's accusations that Putin is playing with fire are unfounded as his oligarchs are able to enter US power structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from the US Department of Justice's official website, which posts disclosures about foreign agents, supports Livingston's claims. There, RBC-Ukraine discovered a number of agreements between Rathmell Short LLP, which would represent their interests in the US, and Sergey Chemezov and his advisor Vasily Brovko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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"};
James Baril, a former senior staffer to Sen. John Cornyn and current chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, led VOX Global's just-ended Nippon Steel assignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to disclosure filings, Nippon Steel's agents have pushed for the planned purchase through the White House, Congress, and several government departments that have jurisdiction over international transactions, including the Department of Commerce, the State Department, and the U.S. Treasury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the second half of 2024, Nippon Steel significantly increased its lobbying expenditures, spending $1.45 million in Q3 and $1.71 million in Q4, more than doubling the total amount spent by the company during the first two quarters. A Washington Examiner analysis of quarterly activity records indicates that Nippon Steel has already disbursed an extra $1.83 million this year as it tries to finalise a contract.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Nippon Steel spends $6.1M on D.C. lobbying to win U.S. Steel bid, taps Trump allies","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"nippon-steel-spends-6-1m-on-d-c-lobbying-to-win-u-s-steel-bid-taps-trump-allies","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_modified_gmt":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7929","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7907,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content":"\n Northeastern spent $1,080,000 lobbying the federal government in 2024, ranking first among private colleges and sixth overall. Only the institution of California, California State University, University of Texas, and University of Colorado State University systems outspent the institution, which reported $270,000 in expenditures per quarter, according to public lobbying filings submitted under the Lobbying Disclosure Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The university's expenditures more than quadrupled from $110,000 to $270,000 during the second and third quarters. The institution did not specify any significant changes in the policy subjects it campaigned on in its filings despite the notable increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Including financial aid schemes, work placements, cooperative education, international students, and lifelong learning,\" Northeastern stated in its quarterly filings, along with lobbying <\/a>action involving funding for higher education programs and policy problems. Additionally, the institution provided funding to assist government research projects at the Department of Homeland Security, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, or NSF. The businesses mentioned lobbying for Northeastern on several pieces of legislation, including the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act, the NSF AI Education Act, and Department of Defense expenditures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities have been wondering how to adjust to a shifting admissions environment since the Supreme Court invalidated affirmative action in June 2023<\/a>. Joseph E., President, Northeast. In a joint statement following the decision, Aoun was one of more than 130 leaders of Massachusetts's higher education institutions, advocacy groups. The percentage of Black students in Northeastern's first-year class fell by 35% from the year before in the first admissions cycle following the Supreme Court's decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fast growth of generative AI programs last year has attracted increased attention to the future of AI in higher education. Longtime AI supporter Aoun wrote an essay in July 2024 suggesting that universities should keep integrating AI research and teaching into their curricula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities prepared for disruptions in the higher education sector following President Donald Trump's reelection. By the end of 2024, colleges took proactive measures to protect international students and curtail contentious behaviors like as political declarations and diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Northeastern tops private universities in federal lobbying spending in 2024","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"northeastern-tops-private-universities-in-federal-lobbying-spending-in-2024","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7907","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7900,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content":"\n A US legal company has received substantial payments from two Russian oligarchs in order to advocate for the lifting of personal US sanctions. According to American journalist Katie Livingstone and the US Department of Justice, Sergey Chemezov and Vasily Brovko are prominent executives of the Russian defence company Rostec and are important associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an attempt to reverse US sanctions, Brovko and Chemezov engaged the Washington-based legal firm Rathmell Short LLP in early 2025, according to Livingston. Due to their backing of Russia's aggression against Ukraine<\/a>, both oligarchs are subject to sanctions. However, a legal gap that experts say falls into a legal gray area allows them to lawfully use the services of attorneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rathmell Short LLP agreed to pay $2.6 million in March to provide Putin's billionaires with legal advice on US sanctions. Among the services are drafting delisting requests and corresponding with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the US State Department. In order to bolster attempts to ease the restrictions, the contract also permits collaboration with a US lobbying company. This is another contentious issue that, in theory, stays within the law's parameters, according to Livingston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sanctioned people are permitted by OFAC regulations to retain legal representation in order to contest their designation. Nonetheless, the Chemezov and Brovko case demonstrates how individuals with strong ties to the Kremlin nonetheless look for weaknesses. Journalist Livingston went on to say that Trump's accusations that Putin is playing with fire are unfounded as his oligarchs are able to enter US power structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from the US Department of Justice's official website, which posts disclosures about foreign agents, supports Livingston's claims. There, RBC-Ukraine discovered a number of agreements between Rathmell Short LLP, which would represent their interests in the US, and Sergey Chemezov and his advisor Vasily Brovko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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"};
Through Akin Gump, the Gephardt Group's government affairs branch, strategic communications agency VOX Global, and government affairs consultancy Valiant Strategies LLC also advocated on behalf of Nippon Steel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n James Baril, a former senior staffer to Sen. John Cornyn and current chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, led VOX Global's just-ended Nippon Steel assignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to disclosure filings, Nippon Steel's agents have pushed for the planned purchase through the White House, Congress, and several government departments that have jurisdiction over international transactions, including the Department of Commerce, the State Department, and the U.S. Treasury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the second half of 2024, Nippon Steel significantly increased its lobbying expenditures, spending $1.45 million in Q3 and $1.71 million in Q4, more than doubling the total amount spent by the company during the first two quarters. A Washington Examiner analysis of quarterly activity records indicates that Nippon Steel has already disbursed an extra $1.83 million this year as it tries to finalise a contract.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Nippon Steel spends $6.1M on D.C. lobbying to win U.S. Steel bid, taps Trump allies","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"nippon-steel-spends-6-1m-on-d-c-lobbying-to-win-u-s-steel-bid-taps-trump-allies","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_modified_gmt":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7929","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7907,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content":"\n Northeastern spent $1,080,000 lobbying the federal government in 2024, ranking first among private colleges and sixth overall. Only the institution of California, California State University, University of Texas, and University of Colorado State University systems outspent the institution, which reported $270,000 in expenditures per quarter, according to public lobbying filings submitted under the Lobbying Disclosure Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The university's expenditures more than quadrupled from $110,000 to $270,000 during the second and third quarters. The institution did not specify any significant changes in the policy subjects it campaigned on in its filings despite the notable increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Including financial aid schemes, work placements, cooperative education, international students, and lifelong learning,\" Northeastern stated in its quarterly filings, along with lobbying <\/a>action involving funding for higher education programs and policy problems. Additionally, the institution provided funding to assist government research projects at the Department of Homeland Security, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, or NSF. The businesses mentioned lobbying for Northeastern on several pieces of legislation, including the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act, the NSF AI Education Act, and Department of Defense expenditures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities have been wondering how to adjust to a shifting admissions environment since the Supreme Court invalidated affirmative action in June 2023<\/a>. Joseph E., President, Northeast. In a joint statement following the decision, Aoun was one of more than 130 leaders of Massachusetts's higher education institutions, advocacy groups. The percentage of Black students in Northeastern's first-year class fell by 35% from the year before in the first admissions cycle following the Supreme Court's decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fast growth of generative AI programs last year has attracted increased attention to the future of AI in higher education. Longtime AI supporter Aoun wrote an essay in July 2024 suggesting that universities should keep integrating AI research and teaching into their curricula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities prepared for disruptions in the higher education sector following President Donald Trump's reelection. By the end of 2024, colleges took proactive measures to protect international students and curtail contentious behaviors like as political declarations and diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Northeastern tops private universities in federal lobbying spending in 2024","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"northeastern-tops-private-universities-in-federal-lobbying-spending-in-2024","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7907","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7900,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content":"\n A US legal company has received substantial payments from two Russian oligarchs in order to advocate for the lifting of personal US sanctions. According to American journalist Katie Livingstone and the US Department of Justice, Sergey Chemezov and Vasily Brovko are prominent executives of the Russian defence company Rostec and are important associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an attempt to reverse US sanctions, Brovko and Chemezov engaged the Washington-based legal firm Rathmell Short LLP in early 2025, according to Livingston. Due to their backing of Russia's aggression against Ukraine<\/a>, both oligarchs are subject to sanctions. However, a legal gap that experts say falls into a legal gray area allows them to lawfully use the services of attorneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rathmell Short LLP agreed to pay $2.6 million in March to provide Putin's billionaires with legal advice on US sanctions. Among the services are drafting delisting requests and corresponding with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the US State Department. In order to bolster attempts to ease the restrictions, the contract also permits collaboration with a US lobbying company. This is another contentious issue that, in theory, stays within the law's parameters, according to Livingston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sanctioned people are permitted by OFAC regulations to retain legal representation in order to contest their designation. Nonetheless, the Chemezov and Brovko case demonstrates how individuals with strong ties to the Kremlin nonetheless look for weaknesses. Journalist Livingston went on to say that Trump's accusations that Putin is playing with fire are unfounded as his oligarchs are able to enter US power structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from the US Department of Justice's official website, which posts disclosures about foreign agents, supports Livingston's claims. There, RBC-Ukraine discovered a number of agreements between Rathmell Short LLP, which would represent their interests in the US, and Sergey Chemezov and his advisor Vasily Brovko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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"};
Ballard and Morgen both made direct contributions to Trump's 2024 campaign; the founder of the business sent cheques to the Trump 47 Committee and Trump Save America PAC totalling $250,000 and $11,600, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through Akin Gump, the Gephardt Group's government affairs branch, strategic communications agency VOX Global, and government affairs consultancy Valiant Strategies LLC also advocated on behalf of Nippon Steel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n James Baril, a former senior staffer to Sen. John Cornyn and current chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, led VOX Global's just-ended Nippon Steel assignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to disclosure filings, Nippon Steel's agents have pushed for the planned purchase through the White House, Congress, and several government departments that have jurisdiction over international transactions, including the Department of Commerce, the State Department, and the U.S. Treasury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the second half of 2024, Nippon Steel significantly increased its lobbying expenditures, spending $1.45 million in Q3 and $1.71 million in Q4, more than doubling the total amount spent by the company during the first two quarters. A Washington Examiner analysis of quarterly activity records indicates that Nippon Steel has already disbursed an extra $1.83 million this year as it tries to finalise a contract.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Nippon Steel spends $6.1M on D.C. lobbying to win U.S. Steel bid, taps Trump allies","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"nippon-steel-spends-6-1m-on-d-c-lobbying-to-win-u-s-steel-bid-taps-trump-allies","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_modified_gmt":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7929","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7907,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content":"\n Northeastern spent $1,080,000 lobbying the federal government in 2024, ranking first among private colleges and sixth overall. Only the institution of California, California State University, University of Texas, and University of Colorado State University systems outspent the institution, which reported $270,000 in expenditures per quarter, according to public lobbying filings submitted under the Lobbying Disclosure Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The university's expenditures more than quadrupled from $110,000 to $270,000 during the second and third quarters. The institution did not specify any significant changes in the policy subjects it campaigned on in its filings despite the notable increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Including financial aid schemes, work placements, cooperative education, international students, and lifelong learning,\" Northeastern stated in its quarterly filings, along with lobbying <\/a>action involving funding for higher education programs and policy problems. Additionally, the institution provided funding to assist government research projects at the Department of Homeland Security, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, or NSF. The businesses mentioned lobbying for Northeastern on several pieces of legislation, including the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act, the NSF AI Education Act, and Department of Defense expenditures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities have been wondering how to adjust to a shifting admissions environment since the Supreme Court invalidated affirmative action in June 2023<\/a>. Joseph E., President, Northeast. In a joint statement following the decision, Aoun was one of more than 130 leaders of Massachusetts's higher education institutions, advocacy groups. The percentage of Black students in Northeastern's first-year class fell by 35% from the year before in the first admissions cycle following the Supreme Court's decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fast growth of generative AI programs last year has attracted increased attention to the future of AI in higher education. Longtime AI supporter Aoun wrote an essay in July 2024 suggesting that universities should keep integrating AI research and teaching into their curricula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities prepared for disruptions in the higher education sector following President Donald Trump's reelection. By the end of 2024, colleges took proactive measures to protect international students and curtail contentious behaviors like as political declarations and diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Northeastern tops private universities in federal lobbying spending in 2024","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"northeastern-tops-private-universities-in-federal-lobbying-spending-in-2024","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7907","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7900,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content":"\n A US legal company has received substantial payments from two Russian oligarchs in order to advocate for the lifting of personal US sanctions. According to American journalist Katie Livingstone and the US Department of Justice, Sergey Chemezov and Vasily Brovko are prominent executives of the Russian defence company Rostec and are important associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an attempt to reverse US sanctions, Brovko and Chemezov engaged the Washington-based legal firm Rathmell Short LLP in early 2025, according to Livingston. Due to their backing of Russia's aggression against Ukraine<\/a>, both oligarchs are subject to sanctions. However, a legal gap that experts say falls into a legal gray area allows them to lawfully use the services of attorneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rathmell Short LLP agreed to pay $2.6 million in March to provide Putin's billionaires with legal advice on US sanctions. Among the services are drafting delisting requests and corresponding with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the US State Department. In order to bolster attempts to ease the restrictions, the contract also permits collaboration with a US lobbying company. This is another contentious issue that, in theory, stays within the law's parameters, according to Livingston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sanctioned people are permitted by OFAC regulations to retain legal representation in order to contest their designation. Nonetheless, the Chemezov and Brovko case demonstrates how individuals with strong ties to the Kremlin nonetheless look for weaknesses. Journalist Livingston went on to say that Trump's accusations that Putin is playing with fire are unfounded as his oligarchs are able to enter US power structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from the US Department of Justice's official website, which posts disclosures about foreign agents, supports Livingston's claims. There, RBC-Ukraine discovered a number of agreements between Rathmell Short LLP, which would represent their interests in the US, and Sergey Chemezov and his advisor Vasily Brovko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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"};
Brian Ballard, a prominent Trump donor and the agency's namesake president, leads his Florida firm's efforts on the Nippon Steel client. He is joined in lobbying by other Trump associates: Daniel McFaul, a member of Trump's transitional team, and Hunter Morgen, a Trump White House policy consultant with expertise in manufacturing and trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ballard and Morgen both made direct contributions to Trump's 2024 campaign; the founder of the business sent cheques to the Trump 47 Committee and Trump Save America PAC totalling $250,000 and $11,600, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through Akin Gump, the Gephardt Group's government affairs branch, strategic communications agency VOX Global, and government affairs consultancy Valiant Strategies LLC also advocated on behalf of Nippon Steel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n James Baril, a former senior staffer to Sen. John Cornyn and current chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, led VOX Global's just-ended Nippon Steel assignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to disclosure filings, Nippon Steel's agents have pushed for the planned purchase through the White House, Congress, and several government departments that have jurisdiction over international transactions, including the Department of Commerce, the State Department, and the U.S. Treasury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the second half of 2024, Nippon Steel significantly increased its lobbying expenditures, spending $1.45 million in Q3 and $1.71 million in Q4, more than doubling the total amount spent by the company during the first two quarters. A Washington Examiner analysis of quarterly activity records indicates that Nippon Steel has already disbursed an extra $1.83 million this year as it tries to finalise a contract.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Nippon Steel spends $6.1M on D.C. lobbying to win U.S. Steel bid, taps Trump allies","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"nippon-steel-spends-6-1m-on-d-c-lobbying-to-win-u-s-steel-bid-taps-trump-allies","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_modified_gmt":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7929","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7907,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content":"\n Northeastern spent $1,080,000 lobbying the federal government in 2024, ranking first among private colleges and sixth overall. Only the institution of California, California State University, University of Texas, and University of Colorado State University systems outspent the institution, which reported $270,000 in expenditures per quarter, according to public lobbying filings submitted under the Lobbying Disclosure Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The university's expenditures more than quadrupled from $110,000 to $270,000 during the second and third quarters. The institution did not specify any significant changes in the policy subjects it campaigned on in its filings despite the notable increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Including financial aid schemes, work placements, cooperative education, international students, and lifelong learning,\" Northeastern stated in its quarterly filings, along with lobbying <\/a>action involving funding for higher education programs and policy problems. Additionally, the institution provided funding to assist government research projects at the Department of Homeland Security, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, or NSF. The businesses mentioned lobbying for Northeastern on several pieces of legislation, including the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act, the NSF AI Education Act, and Department of Defense expenditures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities have been wondering how to adjust to a shifting admissions environment since the Supreme Court invalidated affirmative action in June 2023<\/a>. Joseph E., President, Northeast. In a joint statement following the decision, Aoun was one of more than 130 leaders of Massachusetts's higher education institutions, advocacy groups. The percentage of Black students in Northeastern's first-year class fell by 35% from the year before in the first admissions cycle following the Supreme Court's decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fast growth of generative AI programs last year has attracted increased attention to the future of AI in higher education. Longtime AI supporter Aoun wrote an essay in July 2024 suggesting that universities should keep integrating AI research and teaching into their curricula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities prepared for disruptions in the higher education sector following President Donald Trump's reelection. By the end of 2024, colleges took proactive measures to protect international students and curtail contentious behaviors like as political declarations and diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Northeastern tops private universities in federal lobbying spending in 2024","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"northeastern-tops-private-universities-in-federal-lobbying-spending-in-2024","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7907","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7900,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content":"\n A US legal company has received substantial payments from two Russian oligarchs in order to advocate for the lifting of personal US sanctions. According to American journalist Katie Livingstone and the US Department of Justice, Sergey Chemezov and Vasily Brovko are prominent executives of the Russian defence company Rostec and are important associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an attempt to reverse US sanctions, Brovko and Chemezov engaged the Washington-based legal firm Rathmell Short LLP in early 2025, according to Livingston. Due to their backing of Russia's aggression against Ukraine<\/a>, both oligarchs are subject to sanctions. However, a legal gap that experts say falls into a legal gray area allows them to lawfully use the services of attorneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rathmell Short LLP agreed to pay $2.6 million in March to provide Putin's billionaires with legal advice on US sanctions. Among the services are drafting delisting requests and corresponding with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the US State Department. In order to bolster attempts to ease the restrictions, the contract also permits collaboration with a US lobbying company. This is another contentious issue that, in theory, stays within the law's parameters, according to Livingston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sanctioned people are permitted by OFAC regulations to retain legal representation in order to contest their designation. Nonetheless, the Chemezov and Brovko case demonstrates how individuals with strong ties to the Kremlin nonetheless look for weaknesses. Journalist Livingston went on to say that Trump's accusations that Putin is playing with fire are unfounded as his oligarchs are able to enter US power structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from the US Department of Justice's official website, which posts disclosures about foreign agents, supports Livingston's claims. There, RBC-Ukraine discovered a number of agreements between Rathmell Short LLP, which would represent their interests in the US, and Sergey Chemezov and his advisor Vasily Brovko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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"};
Akin Gump hired the Trump-affiliated lobbying company Ballard Partners, a foreign agent for the Japanese Embassy, as a subcontractor on the Nippon Steel team last year in exchange<\/a> for a $25,000 monthly fee. According to lobbying activities disclosed under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, Ballard Partners reportedly arranged a phone conversation between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to examine the U.S. election one day following the 2024 presidential contest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brian Ballard, a prominent Trump donor and the agency's namesake president, leads his Florida firm's efforts on the Nippon Steel client. He is joined in lobbying by other Trump associates: Daniel McFaul, a member of Trump's transitional team, and Hunter Morgen, a Trump White House policy consultant with expertise in manufacturing and trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ballard and Morgen both made direct contributions to Trump's 2024 campaign; the founder of the business sent cheques to the Trump 47 Committee and Trump Save America PAC totalling $250,000 and $11,600, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through Akin Gump, the Gephardt Group's government affairs branch, strategic communications agency VOX Global, and government affairs consultancy Valiant Strategies LLC also advocated on behalf of Nippon Steel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n James Baril, a former senior staffer to Sen. John Cornyn and current chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, led VOX Global's just-ended Nippon Steel assignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to disclosure filings, Nippon Steel's agents have pushed for the planned purchase through the White House, Congress, and several government departments that have jurisdiction over international transactions, including the Department of Commerce, the State Department, and the U.S. Treasury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the second half of 2024, Nippon Steel significantly increased its lobbying expenditures, spending $1.45 million in Q3 and $1.71 million in Q4, more than doubling the total amount spent by the company during the first two quarters. A Washington Examiner analysis of quarterly activity records indicates that Nippon Steel has already disbursed an extra $1.83 million this year as it tries to finalise a contract.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Nippon Steel spends $6.1M on D.C. lobbying to win U.S. Steel bid, taps Trump allies","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"nippon-steel-spends-6-1m-on-d-c-lobbying-to-win-u-s-steel-bid-taps-trump-allies","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_modified_gmt":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7929","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7907,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content":"\n Northeastern spent $1,080,000 lobbying the federal government in 2024, ranking first among private colleges and sixth overall. Only the institution of California, California State University, University of Texas, and University of Colorado State University systems outspent the institution, which reported $270,000 in expenditures per quarter, according to public lobbying filings submitted under the Lobbying Disclosure Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The university's expenditures more than quadrupled from $110,000 to $270,000 during the second and third quarters. The institution did not specify any significant changes in the policy subjects it campaigned on in its filings despite the notable increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Including financial aid schemes, work placements, cooperative education, international students, and lifelong learning,\" Northeastern stated in its quarterly filings, along with lobbying <\/a>action involving funding for higher education programs and policy problems. Additionally, the institution provided funding to assist government research projects at the Department of Homeland Security, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, or NSF. The businesses mentioned lobbying for Northeastern on several pieces of legislation, including the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act, the NSF AI Education Act, and Department of Defense expenditures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities have been wondering how to adjust to a shifting admissions environment since the Supreme Court invalidated affirmative action in June 2023<\/a>. Joseph E., President, Northeast. In a joint statement following the decision, Aoun was one of more than 130 leaders of Massachusetts's higher education institutions, advocacy groups. The percentage of Black students in Northeastern's first-year class fell by 35% from the year before in the first admissions cycle following the Supreme Court's decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fast growth of generative AI programs last year has attracted increased attention to the future of AI in higher education. Longtime AI supporter Aoun wrote an essay in July 2024 suggesting that universities should keep integrating AI research and teaching into their curricula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities prepared for disruptions in the higher education sector following President Donald Trump's reelection. By the end of 2024, colleges took proactive measures to protect international students and curtail contentious behaviors like as political declarations and diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Northeastern tops private universities in federal lobbying spending in 2024","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"northeastern-tops-private-universities-in-federal-lobbying-spending-in-2024","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7907","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7900,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content":"\n A US legal company has received substantial payments from two Russian oligarchs in order to advocate for the lifting of personal US sanctions. According to American journalist Katie Livingstone and the US Department of Justice, Sergey Chemezov and Vasily Brovko are prominent executives of the Russian defence company Rostec and are important associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an attempt to reverse US sanctions, Brovko and Chemezov engaged the Washington-based legal firm Rathmell Short LLP in early 2025, according to Livingston. Due to their backing of Russia's aggression against Ukraine<\/a>, both oligarchs are subject to sanctions. However, a legal gap that experts say falls into a legal gray area allows them to lawfully use the services of attorneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rathmell Short LLP agreed to pay $2.6 million in March to provide Putin's billionaires with legal advice on US sanctions. Among the services are drafting delisting requests and corresponding with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the US State Department. In order to bolster attempts to ease the restrictions, the contract also permits collaboration with a US lobbying company. This is another contentious issue that, in theory, stays within the law's parameters, according to Livingston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sanctioned people are permitted by OFAC regulations to retain legal representation in order to contest their designation. Nonetheless, the Chemezov and Brovko case demonstrates how individuals with strong ties to the Kremlin nonetheless look for weaknesses. Journalist Livingston went on to say that Trump's accusations that Putin is playing with fire are unfounded as his oligarchs are able to enter US power structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from the US Department of Justice's official website, which posts disclosures about foreign agents, supports Livingston's claims. There, RBC-Ukraine discovered a number of agreements between Rathmell Short LLP, which would represent their interests in the US, and Sergey Chemezov and his advisor Vasily Brovko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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"};
While the main lobbying firm on Nippon Steel's roster is Akin Gump, a few other powerful figures in the business with strong ties to Capitol Hill have been enlisted to assist in influencing public opinion on the merger issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Akin Gump hired the Trump-affiliated lobbying company Ballard Partners, a foreign agent for the Japanese Embassy, as a subcontractor on the Nippon Steel team last year in exchange<\/a> for a $25,000 monthly fee. According to lobbying activities disclosed under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, Ballard Partners reportedly arranged a phone conversation between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to examine the U.S. election one day following the 2024 presidential contest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brian Ballard, a prominent Trump donor and the agency's namesake president, leads his Florida firm's efforts on the Nippon Steel client. He is joined in lobbying by other Trump associates: Daniel McFaul, a member of Trump's transitional team, and Hunter Morgen, a Trump White House policy consultant with expertise in manufacturing and trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ballard and Morgen both made direct contributions to Trump's 2024 campaign; the founder of the business sent cheques to the Trump 47 Committee and Trump Save America PAC totalling $250,000 and $11,600, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through Akin Gump, the Gephardt Group's government affairs branch, strategic communications agency VOX Global, and government affairs consultancy Valiant Strategies LLC also advocated on behalf of Nippon Steel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n James Baril, a former senior staffer to Sen. John Cornyn and current chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, led VOX Global's just-ended Nippon Steel assignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to disclosure filings, Nippon Steel's agents have pushed for the planned purchase through the White House, Congress, and several government departments that have jurisdiction over international transactions, including the Department of Commerce, the State Department, and the U.S. Treasury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the second half of 2024, Nippon Steel significantly increased its lobbying expenditures, spending $1.45 million in Q3 and $1.71 million in Q4, more than doubling the total amount spent by the company during the first two quarters. A Washington Examiner analysis of quarterly activity records indicates that Nippon Steel has already disbursed an extra $1.83 million this year as it tries to finalise a contract.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Nippon Steel spends $6.1M on D.C. lobbying to win U.S. Steel bid, taps Trump allies","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"nippon-steel-spends-6-1m-on-d-c-lobbying-to-win-u-s-steel-bid-taps-trump-allies","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_modified_gmt":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7929","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7907,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content":"\n Northeastern spent $1,080,000 lobbying the federal government in 2024, ranking first among private colleges and sixth overall. Only the institution of California, California State University, University of Texas, and University of Colorado State University systems outspent the institution, which reported $270,000 in expenditures per quarter, according to public lobbying filings submitted under the Lobbying Disclosure Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The university's expenditures more than quadrupled from $110,000 to $270,000 during the second and third quarters. The institution did not specify any significant changes in the policy subjects it campaigned on in its filings despite the notable increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Including financial aid schemes, work placements, cooperative education, international students, and lifelong learning,\" Northeastern stated in its quarterly filings, along with lobbying <\/a>action involving funding for higher education programs and policy problems. Additionally, the institution provided funding to assist government research projects at the Department of Homeland Security, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, or NSF. The businesses mentioned lobbying for Northeastern on several pieces of legislation, including the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act, the NSF AI Education Act, and Department of Defense expenditures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities have been wondering how to adjust to a shifting admissions environment since the Supreme Court invalidated affirmative action in June 2023<\/a>. Joseph E., President, Northeast. In a joint statement following the decision, Aoun was one of more than 130 leaders of Massachusetts's higher education institutions, advocacy groups. The percentage of Black students in Northeastern's first-year class fell by 35% from the year before in the first admissions cycle following the Supreme Court's decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fast growth of generative AI programs last year has attracted increased attention to the future of AI in higher education. Longtime AI supporter Aoun wrote an essay in July 2024 suggesting that universities should keep integrating AI research and teaching into their curricula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities prepared for disruptions in the higher education sector following President Donald Trump's reelection. By the end of 2024, colleges took proactive measures to protect international students and curtail contentious behaviors like as political declarations and diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Northeastern tops private universities in federal lobbying spending in 2024","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"northeastern-tops-private-universities-in-federal-lobbying-spending-in-2024","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7907","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7900,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content":"\n A US legal company has received substantial payments from two Russian oligarchs in order to advocate for the lifting of personal US sanctions. According to American journalist Katie Livingstone and the US Department of Justice, Sergey Chemezov and Vasily Brovko are prominent executives of the Russian defence company Rostec and are important associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an attempt to reverse US sanctions, Brovko and Chemezov engaged the Washington-based legal firm Rathmell Short LLP in early 2025, according to Livingston. Due to their backing of Russia's aggression against Ukraine<\/a>, both oligarchs are subject to sanctions. However, a legal gap that experts say falls into a legal gray area allows them to lawfully use the services of attorneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rathmell Short LLP agreed to pay $2.6 million in March to provide Putin's billionaires with legal advice on US sanctions. Among the services are drafting delisting requests and corresponding with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the US State Department. In order to bolster attempts to ease the restrictions, the contract also permits collaboration with a US lobbying company. This is another contentious issue that, in theory, stays within the law's parameters, according to Livingston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sanctioned people are permitted by OFAC regulations to retain legal representation in order to contest their designation. Nonetheless, the Chemezov and Brovko case demonstrates how individuals with strong ties to the Kremlin nonetheless look for weaknesses. Journalist Livingston went on to say that Trump's accusations that Putin is playing with fire are unfounded as his oligarchs are able to enter US power structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from the US Department of Justice's official website, which posts disclosures about foreign agents, supports Livingston's claims. There, RBC-Ukraine discovered a number of agreements between Rathmell Short LLP, which would represent their interests in the US, and Sergey Chemezov and his advisor Vasily Brovko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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"};
During the last election campaign, Geoffrey Verhoff, another Akin Gump lobbyist hired to help Nippon Steel, was by far the biggest known money bundler for Trump. According to a Federal Election Commission report, Verhoff, who served as vice chairman of the Republican National Committee's financial arm from 2017 to 2021, bundled at least $3.6 million for the Trump 47 Committee. While lobbying for Nippon Steel, Bates also personally donated $10,000 to the Trump 47 Committee, according to campaign finance reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the main lobbying firm on Nippon Steel's roster is Akin Gump, a few other powerful figures in the business with strong ties to Capitol Hill have been enlisted to assist in influencing public opinion on the merger issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Akin Gump hired the Trump-affiliated lobbying company Ballard Partners, a foreign agent for the Japanese Embassy, as a subcontractor on the Nippon Steel team last year in exchange<\/a> for a $25,000 monthly fee. According to lobbying activities disclosed under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, Ballard Partners reportedly arranged a phone conversation between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to examine the U.S. election one day following the 2024 presidential contest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brian Ballard, a prominent Trump donor and the agency's namesake president, leads his Florida firm's efforts on the Nippon Steel client. He is joined in lobbying by other Trump associates: Daniel McFaul, a member of Trump's transitional team, and Hunter Morgen, a Trump White House policy consultant with expertise in manufacturing and trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ballard and Morgen both made direct contributions to Trump's 2024 campaign; the founder of the business sent cheques to the Trump 47 Committee and Trump Save America PAC totalling $250,000 and $11,600, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through Akin Gump, the Gephardt Group's government affairs branch, strategic communications agency VOX Global, and government affairs consultancy Valiant Strategies LLC also advocated on behalf of Nippon Steel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n James Baril, a former senior staffer to Sen. John Cornyn and current chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, led VOX Global's just-ended Nippon Steel assignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to disclosure filings, Nippon Steel's agents have pushed for the planned purchase through the White House, Congress, and several government departments that have jurisdiction over international transactions, including the Department of Commerce, the State Department, and the U.S. Treasury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the second half of 2024, Nippon Steel significantly increased its lobbying expenditures, spending $1.45 million in Q3 and $1.71 million in Q4, more than doubling the total amount spent by the company during the first two quarters. A Washington Examiner analysis of quarterly activity records indicates that Nippon Steel has already disbursed an extra $1.83 million this year as it tries to finalise a contract.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Nippon Steel spends $6.1M on D.C. lobbying to win U.S. Steel bid, taps Trump allies","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"nippon-steel-spends-6-1m-on-d-c-lobbying-to-win-u-s-steel-bid-taps-trump-allies","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_modified_gmt":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7929","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7907,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content":"\n Northeastern spent $1,080,000 lobbying the federal government in 2024, ranking first among private colleges and sixth overall. Only the institution of California, California State University, University of Texas, and University of Colorado State University systems outspent the institution, which reported $270,000 in expenditures per quarter, according to public lobbying filings submitted under the Lobbying Disclosure Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The university's expenditures more than quadrupled from $110,000 to $270,000 during the second and third quarters. The institution did not specify any significant changes in the policy subjects it campaigned on in its filings despite the notable increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Including financial aid schemes, work placements, cooperative education, international students, and lifelong learning,\" Northeastern stated in its quarterly filings, along with lobbying <\/a>action involving funding for higher education programs and policy problems. Additionally, the institution provided funding to assist government research projects at the Department of Homeland Security, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, or NSF. The businesses mentioned lobbying for Northeastern on several pieces of legislation, including the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act, the NSF AI Education Act, and Department of Defense expenditures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities have been wondering how to adjust to a shifting admissions environment since the Supreme Court invalidated affirmative action in June 2023<\/a>. Joseph E., President, Northeast. In a joint statement following the decision, Aoun was one of more than 130 leaders of Massachusetts's higher education institutions, advocacy groups. The percentage of Black students in Northeastern's first-year class fell by 35% from the year before in the first admissions cycle following the Supreme Court's decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fast growth of generative AI programs last year has attracted increased attention to the future of AI in higher education. Longtime AI supporter Aoun wrote an essay in July 2024 suggesting that universities should keep integrating AI research and teaching into their curricula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities prepared for disruptions in the higher education sector following President Donald Trump's reelection. By the end of 2024, colleges took proactive measures to protect international students and curtail contentious behaviors like as political declarations and diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Northeastern tops private universities in federal lobbying spending in 2024","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"northeastern-tops-private-universities-in-federal-lobbying-spending-in-2024","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7907","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7900,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content":"\n A US legal company has received substantial payments from two Russian oligarchs in order to advocate for the lifting of personal US sanctions. According to American journalist Katie Livingstone and the US Department of Justice, Sergey Chemezov and Vasily Brovko are prominent executives of the Russian defence company Rostec and are important associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an attempt to reverse US sanctions, Brovko and Chemezov engaged the Washington-based legal firm Rathmell Short LLP in early 2025, according to Livingston. Due to their backing of Russia's aggression against Ukraine<\/a>, both oligarchs are subject to sanctions. However, a legal gap that experts say falls into a legal gray area allows them to lawfully use the services of attorneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rathmell Short LLP agreed to pay $2.6 million in March to provide Putin's billionaires with legal advice on US sanctions. Among the services are drafting delisting requests and corresponding with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the US State Department. In order to bolster attempts to ease the restrictions, the contract also permits collaboration with a US lobbying company. This is another contentious issue that, in theory, stays within the law's parameters, according to Livingston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sanctioned people are permitted by OFAC regulations to retain legal representation in order to contest their designation. Nonetheless, the Chemezov and Brovko case demonstrates how individuals with strong ties to the Kremlin nonetheless look for weaknesses. Journalist Livingston went on to say that Trump's accusations that Putin is playing with fire are unfounded as his oligarchs are able to enter US power structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from the US Department of Justice's official website, which posts disclosures about foreign agents, supports Livingston's claims. There, RBC-Ukraine discovered a number of agreements between Rathmell Short LLP, which would represent their interests in the US, and Sergey Chemezov and his advisor Vasily Brovko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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 lobbyists at Akin Gump arguing Nippon Steel's case in the nation's capital include Hunter Bates, former chief of staff for former Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY); Reginald Babin, former chief counsel to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY); and Brian Pomper, who advised the Senate Finance Committee on international trade matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the last election campaign, Geoffrey Verhoff, another Akin Gump lobbyist hired to help Nippon Steel, was by far the biggest known money bundler for Trump. According to a Federal Election Commission report, Verhoff, who served as vice chairman of the Republican National Committee's financial arm from 2017 to 2021, bundled at least $3.6 million for the Trump 47 Committee. While lobbying for Nippon Steel, Bates also personally donated $10,000 to the Trump 47 Committee, according to campaign finance reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the main lobbying firm on Nippon Steel's roster is Akin Gump, a few other powerful figures in the business with strong ties to Capitol Hill have been enlisted to assist in influencing public opinion on the merger issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Akin Gump hired the Trump-affiliated lobbying company Ballard Partners, a foreign agent for the Japanese Embassy, as a subcontractor on the Nippon Steel team last year in exchange<\/a> for a $25,000 monthly fee. According to lobbying activities disclosed under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, Ballard Partners reportedly arranged a phone conversation between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to examine the U.S. election one day following the 2024 presidential contest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brian Ballard, a prominent Trump donor and the agency's namesake president, leads his Florida firm's efforts on the Nippon Steel client. He is joined in lobbying by other Trump associates: Daniel McFaul, a member of Trump's transitional team, and Hunter Morgen, a Trump White House policy consultant with expertise in manufacturing and trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ballard and Morgen both made direct contributions to Trump's 2024 campaign; the founder of the business sent cheques to the Trump 47 Committee and Trump Save America PAC totalling $250,000 and $11,600, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through Akin Gump, the Gephardt Group's government affairs branch, strategic communications agency VOX Global, and government affairs consultancy Valiant Strategies LLC also advocated on behalf of Nippon Steel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n James Baril, a former senior staffer to Sen. John Cornyn and current chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, led VOX Global's just-ended Nippon Steel assignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to disclosure filings, Nippon Steel's agents have pushed for the planned purchase through the White House, Congress, and several government departments that have jurisdiction over international transactions, including the Department of Commerce, the State Department, and the U.S. Treasury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the second half of 2024, Nippon Steel significantly increased its lobbying expenditures, spending $1.45 million in Q3 and $1.71 million in Q4, more than doubling the total amount spent by the company during the first two quarters. A Washington Examiner analysis of quarterly activity records indicates that Nippon Steel has already disbursed an extra $1.83 million this year as it tries to finalise a contract.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Nippon Steel spends $6.1M on D.C. lobbying to win U.S. Steel bid, taps Trump allies","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"nippon-steel-spends-6-1m-on-d-c-lobbying-to-win-u-s-steel-bid-taps-trump-allies","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_modified_gmt":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7929","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7907,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content":"\n Northeastern spent $1,080,000 lobbying the federal government in 2024, ranking first among private colleges and sixth overall. Only the institution of California, California State University, University of Texas, and University of Colorado State University systems outspent the institution, which reported $270,000 in expenditures per quarter, according to public lobbying filings submitted under the Lobbying Disclosure Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The university's expenditures more than quadrupled from $110,000 to $270,000 during the second and third quarters. The institution did not specify any significant changes in the policy subjects it campaigned on in its filings despite the notable increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Including financial aid schemes, work placements, cooperative education, international students, and lifelong learning,\" Northeastern stated in its quarterly filings, along with lobbying <\/a>action involving funding for higher education programs and policy problems. Additionally, the institution provided funding to assist government research projects at the Department of Homeland Security, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, or NSF. The businesses mentioned lobbying for Northeastern on several pieces of legislation, including the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act, the NSF AI Education Act, and Department of Defense expenditures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities have been wondering how to adjust to a shifting admissions environment since the Supreme Court invalidated affirmative action in June 2023<\/a>. Joseph E., President, Northeast. In a joint statement following the decision, Aoun was one of more than 130 leaders of Massachusetts's higher education institutions, advocacy groups. The percentage of Black students in Northeastern's first-year class fell by 35% from the year before in the first admissions cycle following the Supreme Court's decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fast growth of generative AI programs last year has attracted increased attention to the future of AI in higher education. Longtime AI supporter Aoun wrote an essay in July 2024 suggesting that universities should keep integrating AI research and teaching into their curricula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities prepared for disruptions in the higher education sector following President Donald Trump's reelection. By the end of 2024, colleges took proactive measures to protect international students and curtail contentious behaviors like as political declarations and diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Northeastern tops private universities in federal lobbying spending in 2024","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"northeastern-tops-private-universities-in-federal-lobbying-spending-in-2024","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7907","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7900,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content":"\n A US legal company has received substantial payments from two Russian oligarchs in order to advocate for the lifting of personal US sanctions. According to American journalist Katie Livingstone and the US Department of Justice, Sergey Chemezov and Vasily Brovko are prominent executives of the Russian defence company Rostec and are important associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an attempt to reverse US sanctions, Brovko and Chemezov engaged the Washington-based legal firm Rathmell Short LLP in early 2025, according to Livingston. Due to their backing of Russia's aggression against Ukraine<\/a>, both oligarchs are subject to sanctions. However, a legal gap that experts say falls into a legal gray area allows them to lawfully use the services of attorneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rathmell Short LLP agreed to pay $2.6 million in March to provide Putin's billionaires with legal advice on US sanctions. Among the services are drafting delisting requests and corresponding with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the US State Department. In order to bolster attempts to ease the restrictions, the contract also permits collaboration with a US lobbying company. This is another contentious issue that, in theory, stays within the law's parameters, according to Livingston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sanctioned people are permitted by OFAC regulations to retain legal representation in order to contest their designation. Nonetheless, the Chemezov and Brovko case demonstrates how individuals with strong ties to the Kremlin nonetheless look for weaknesses. Journalist Livingston went on to say that Trump's accusations that Putin is playing with fire are unfounded as his oligarchs are able to enter US power structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from the US Department of Justice's official website, which posts disclosures about foreign agents, supports Livingston's claims. There, RBC-Ukraine discovered a number of agreements between Rathmell Short LLP, which would represent their interests in the US, and Sergey Chemezov and his advisor Vasily Brovko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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"};
Just days after the purchase announcement in December 2023, Nippon Steel brought in lobbying company Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. The corporation has international clients, including the governments of KSA, the UAE, and Japan, as shown by their registration documents. According to a Washington Examiner review of disclosure data, Nippon Steel has since paid Akin Gump more than $5.5 million, which represents around 90% of its lobbying expenses used to advance the US Steel acquisition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbyists at Akin Gump arguing Nippon Steel's case in the nation's capital include Hunter Bates, former chief of staff for former Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY); Reginald Babin, former chief counsel to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY); and Brian Pomper, who advised the Senate Finance Committee on international trade matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the last election campaign, Geoffrey Verhoff, another Akin Gump lobbyist hired to help Nippon Steel, was by far the biggest known money bundler for Trump. According to a Federal Election Commission report, Verhoff, who served as vice chairman of the Republican National Committee's financial arm from 2017 to 2021, bundled at least $3.6 million for the Trump 47 Committee. While lobbying for Nippon Steel, Bates also personally donated $10,000 to the Trump 47 Committee, according to campaign finance reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the main lobbying firm on Nippon Steel's roster is Akin Gump, a few other powerful figures in the business with strong ties to Capitol Hill have been enlisted to assist in influencing public opinion on the merger issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Akin Gump hired the Trump-affiliated lobbying company Ballard Partners, a foreign agent for the Japanese Embassy, as a subcontractor on the Nippon Steel team last year in exchange<\/a> for a $25,000 monthly fee. According to lobbying activities disclosed under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, Ballard Partners reportedly arranged a phone conversation between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to examine the U.S. election one day following the 2024 presidential contest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brian Ballard, a prominent Trump donor and the agency's namesake president, leads his Florida firm's efforts on the Nippon Steel client. He is joined in lobbying by other Trump associates: Daniel McFaul, a member of Trump's transitional team, and Hunter Morgen, a Trump White House policy consultant with expertise in manufacturing and trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ballard and Morgen both made direct contributions to Trump's 2024 campaign; the founder of the business sent cheques to the Trump 47 Committee and Trump Save America PAC totalling $250,000 and $11,600, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through Akin Gump, the Gephardt Group's government affairs branch, strategic communications agency VOX Global, and government affairs consultancy Valiant Strategies LLC also advocated on behalf of Nippon Steel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n James Baril, a former senior staffer to Sen. John Cornyn and current chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, led VOX Global's just-ended Nippon Steel assignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to disclosure filings, Nippon Steel's agents have pushed for the planned purchase through the White House, Congress, and several government departments that have jurisdiction over international transactions, including the Department of Commerce, the State Department, and the U.S. Treasury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the second half of 2024, Nippon Steel significantly increased its lobbying expenditures, spending $1.45 million in Q3 and $1.71 million in Q4, more than doubling the total amount spent by the company during the first two quarters. A Washington Examiner analysis of quarterly activity records indicates that Nippon Steel has already disbursed an extra $1.83 million this year as it tries to finalise a contract.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Nippon Steel spends $6.1M on D.C. lobbying to win U.S. Steel bid, taps Trump allies","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"nippon-steel-spends-6-1m-on-d-c-lobbying-to-win-u-s-steel-bid-taps-trump-allies","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_modified_gmt":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7929","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7907,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content":"\n Northeastern spent $1,080,000 lobbying the federal government in 2024, ranking first among private colleges and sixth overall. Only the institution of California, California State University, University of Texas, and University of Colorado State University systems outspent the institution, which reported $270,000 in expenditures per quarter, according to public lobbying filings submitted under the Lobbying Disclosure Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The university's expenditures more than quadrupled from $110,000 to $270,000 during the second and third quarters. The institution did not specify any significant changes in the policy subjects it campaigned on in its filings despite the notable increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Including financial aid schemes, work placements, cooperative education, international students, and lifelong learning,\" Northeastern stated in its quarterly filings, along with lobbying <\/a>action involving funding for higher education programs and policy problems. Additionally, the institution provided funding to assist government research projects at the Department of Homeland Security, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, or NSF. The businesses mentioned lobbying for Northeastern on several pieces of legislation, including the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act, the NSF AI Education Act, and Department of Defense expenditures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities have been wondering how to adjust to a shifting admissions environment since the Supreme Court invalidated affirmative action in June 2023<\/a>. Joseph E., President, Northeast. In a joint statement following the decision, Aoun was one of more than 130 leaders of Massachusetts's higher education institutions, advocacy groups. The percentage of Black students in Northeastern's first-year class fell by 35% from the year before in the first admissions cycle following the Supreme Court's decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fast growth of generative AI programs last year has attracted increased attention to the future of AI in higher education. Longtime AI supporter Aoun wrote an essay in July 2024 suggesting that universities should keep integrating AI research and teaching into their curricula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities prepared for disruptions in the higher education sector following President Donald Trump's reelection. By the end of 2024, colleges took proactive measures to protect international students and curtail contentious behaviors like as political declarations and diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Northeastern tops private universities in federal lobbying spending in 2024","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"northeastern-tops-private-universities-in-federal-lobbying-spending-in-2024","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7907","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7900,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content":"\n A US legal company has received substantial payments from two Russian oligarchs in order to advocate for the lifting of personal US sanctions. According to American journalist Katie Livingstone and the US Department of Justice, Sergey Chemezov and Vasily Brovko are prominent executives of the Russian defence company Rostec and are important associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an attempt to reverse US sanctions, Brovko and Chemezov engaged the Washington-based legal firm Rathmell Short LLP in early 2025, according to Livingston. Due to their backing of Russia's aggression against Ukraine<\/a>, both oligarchs are subject to sanctions. However, a legal gap that experts say falls into a legal gray area allows them to lawfully use the services of attorneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rathmell Short LLP agreed to pay $2.6 million in March to provide Putin's billionaires with legal advice on US sanctions. Among the services are drafting delisting requests and corresponding with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the US State Department. In order to bolster attempts to ease the restrictions, the contract also permits collaboration with a US lobbying company. This is another contentious issue that, in theory, stays within the law's parameters, according to Livingston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sanctioned people are permitted by OFAC regulations to retain legal representation in order to contest their designation. Nonetheless, the Chemezov and Brovko case demonstrates how individuals with strong ties to the Kremlin nonetheless look for weaknesses. Journalist Livingston went on to say that Trump's accusations that Putin is playing with fire are unfounded as his oligarchs are able to enter US power structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from the US Department of Justice's official website, which posts disclosures about foreign agents, supports Livingston's claims. There, RBC-Ukraine discovered a number of agreements between Rathmell Short LLP, which would represent their interests in the US, and Sergey Chemezov and his advisor Vasily Brovko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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 its attempt to acquire US Steel, Japanese-owned Nippon Steel has invested over $6.1 million in federal lobbying, employing a plethora of powerful politicians, some of whom have close relationships with President Donald Trump<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just days after the purchase announcement in December 2023, Nippon Steel brought in lobbying company Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. The corporation has international clients, including the governments of KSA, the UAE, and Japan, as shown by their registration documents. According to a Washington Examiner review of disclosure data, Nippon Steel has since paid Akin Gump more than $5.5 million, which represents around 90% of its lobbying expenses used to advance the US Steel acquisition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbyists at Akin Gump arguing Nippon Steel's case in the nation's capital include Hunter Bates, former chief of staff for former Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY); Reginald Babin, former chief counsel to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY); and Brian Pomper, who advised the Senate Finance Committee on international trade matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the last election campaign, Geoffrey Verhoff, another Akin Gump lobbyist hired to help Nippon Steel, was by far the biggest known money bundler for Trump. According to a Federal Election Commission report, Verhoff, who served as vice chairman of the Republican National Committee's financial arm from 2017 to 2021, bundled at least $3.6 million for the Trump 47 Committee. While lobbying for Nippon Steel, Bates also personally donated $10,000 to the Trump 47 Committee, according to campaign finance reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the main lobbying firm on Nippon Steel's roster is Akin Gump, a few other powerful figures in the business with strong ties to Capitol Hill have been enlisted to assist in influencing public opinion on the merger issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Akin Gump hired the Trump-affiliated lobbying company Ballard Partners, a foreign agent for the Japanese Embassy, as a subcontractor on the Nippon Steel team last year in exchange<\/a> for a $25,000 monthly fee. According to lobbying activities disclosed under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, Ballard Partners reportedly arranged a phone conversation between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to examine the U.S. election one day following the 2024 presidential contest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brian Ballard, a prominent Trump donor and the agency's namesake president, leads his Florida firm's efforts on the Nippon Steel client. He is joined in lobbying by other Trump associates: Daniel McFaul, a member of Trump's transitional team, and Hunter Morgen, a Trump White House policy consultant with expertise in manufacturing and trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ballard and Morgen both made direct contributions to Trump's 2024 campaign; the founder of the business sent cheques to the Trump 47 Committee and Trump Save America PAC totalling $250,000 and $11,600, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through Akin Gump, the Gephardt Group's government affairs branch, strategic communications agency VOX Global, and government affairs consultancy Valiant Strategies LLC also advocated on behalf of Nippon Steel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n James Baril, a former senior staffer to Sen. John Cornyn and current chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, led VOX Global's just-ended Nippon Steel assignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to disclosure filings, Nippon Steel's agents have pushed for the planned purchase through the White House, Congress, and several government departments that have jurisdiction over international transactions, including the Department of Commerce, the State Department, and the U.S. Treasury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the second half of 2024, Nippon Steel significantly increased its lobbying expenditures, spending $1.45 million in Q3 and $1.71 million in Q4, more than doubling the total amount spent by the company during the first two quarters. A Washington Examiner analysis of quarterly activity records indicates that Nippon Steel has already disbursed an extra $1.83 million this year as it tries to finalise a contract.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Nippon Steel spends $6.1M on D.C. lobbying to win U.S. Steel bid, taps Trump allies","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"nippon-steel-spends-6-1m-on-d-c-lobbying-to-win-u-s-steel-bid-taps-trump-allies","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_modified_gmt":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7929","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7907,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content":"\n Northeastern spent $1,080,000 lobbying the federal government in 2024, ranking first among private colleges and sixth overall. Only the institution of California, California State University, University of Texas, and University of Colorado State University systems outspent the institution, which reported $270,000 in expenditures per quarter, according to public lobbying filings submitted under the Lobbying Disclosure Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The university's expenditures more than quadrupled from $110,000 to $270,000 during the second and third quarters. The institution did not specify any significant changes in the policy subjects it campaigned on in its filings despite the notable increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Including financial aid schemes, work placements, cooperative education, international students, and lifelong learning,\" Northeastern stated in its quarterly filings, along with lobbying <\/a>action involving funding for higher education programs and policy problems. Additionally, the institution provided funding to assist government research projects at the Department of Homeland Security, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, or NSF. The businesses mentioned lobbying for Northeastern on several pieces of legislation, including the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act, the NSF AI Education Act, and Department of Defense expenditures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities have been wondering how to adjust to a shifting admissions environment since the Supreme Court invalidated affirmative action in June 2023<\/a>. Joseph E., President, Northeast. In a joint statement following the decision, Aoun was one of more than 130 leaders of Massachusetts's higher education institutions, advocacy groups. The percentage of Black students in Northeastern's first-year class fell by 35% from the year before in the first admissions cycle following the Supreme Court's decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fast growth of generative AI programs last year has attracted increased attention to the future of AI in higher education. Longtime AI supporter Aoun wrote an essay in July 2024 suggesting that universities should keep integrating AI research and teaching into their curricula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities prepared for disruptions in the higher education sector following President Donald Trump's reelection. By the end of 2024, colleges took proactive measures to protect international students and curtail contentious behaviors like as political declarations and diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Northeastern tops private universities in federal lobbying spending in 2024","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"northeastern-tops-private-universities-in-federal-lobbying-spending-in-2024","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7907","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7900,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content":"\n A US legal company has received substantial payments from two Russian oligarchs in order to advocate for the lifting of personal US sanctions. According to American journalist Katie Livingstone and the US Department of Justice, Sergey Chemezov and Vasily Brovko are prominent executives of the Russian defence company Rostec and are important associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an attempt to reverse US sanctions, Brovko and Chemezov engaged the Washington-based legal firm Rathmell Short LLP in early 2025, according to Livingston. Due to their backing of Russia's aggression against Ukraine<\/a>, both oligarchs are subject to sanctions. However, a legal gap that experts say falls into a legal gray area allows them to lawfully use the services of attorneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rathmell Short LLP agreed to pay $2.6 million in March to provide Putin's billionaires with legal advice on US sanctions. Among the services are drafting delisting requests and corresponding with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the US State Department. In order to bolster attempts to ease the restrictions, the contract also permits collaboration with a US lobbying company. This is another contentious issue that, in theory, stays within the law's parameters, according to Livingston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sanctioned people are permitted by OFAC regulations to retain legal representation in order to contest their designation. Nonetheless, the Chemezov and Brovko case demonstrates how individuals with strong ties to the Kremlin nonetheless look for weaknesses. Journalist Livingston went on to say that Trump's accusations that Putin is playing with fire are unfounded as his oligarchs are able to enter US power structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from the US Department of Justice's official website, which posts disclosures about foreign agents, supports Livingston's claims. There, RBC-Ukraine discovered a number of agreements between Rathmell Short LLP, which would represent their interests in the US, and Sergey Chemezov and his advisor Vasily Brovko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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"};
Many of the authors of these friend-of-the-court briefs, including those authored by Cruz, Cornyn, and Paxton, \"appear to assume, without any real analysis of the record that Sullivan did nothing more than write a newsletter and work on a website that \u2018rated\u2019 legislators,\" the ethics commission said in their response to the petition. These portrayals are inconsistent with the factual evidence that a Texas court grantedsummary judgments in favour of the Commission based on the allegations that Sullivan had broken Texas law.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Supreme court rejects GOP activist\u2019s appeal over Texas lobbying fine","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"supreme-court-rejects-gop-activists-appeal-over-texas-lobbying-fine","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-06-04 17:00:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-06-04 17:00:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7937","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7929,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_date_gmt":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_content":"\n In its attempt to acquire US Steel, Japanese-owned Nippon Steel has invested over $6.1 million in federal lobbying, employing a plethora of powerful politicians, some of whom have close relationships with President Donald Trump<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just days after the purchase announcement in December 2023, Nippon Steel brought in lobbying company Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. The corporation has international clients, including the governments of KSA, the UAE, and Japan, as shown by their registration documents. According to a Washington Examiner review of disclosure data, Nippon Steel has since paid Akin Gump more than $5.5 million, which represents around 90% of its lobbying expenses used to advance the US Steel acquisition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbyists at Akin Gump arguing Nippon Steel's case in the nation's capital include Hunter Bates, former chief of staff for former Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY); Reginald Babin, former chief counsel to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY); and Brian Pomper, who advised the Senate Finance Committee on international trade matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the last election campaign, Geoffrey Verhoff, another Akin Gump lobbyist hired to help Nippon Steel, was by far the biggest known money bundler for Trump. According to a Federal Election Commission report, Verhoff, who served as vice chairman of the Republican National Committee's financial arm from 2017 to 2021, bundled at least $3.6 million for the Trump 47 Committee. While lobbying for Nippon Steel, Bates also personally donated $10,000 to the Trump 47 Committee, according to campaign finance reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the main lobbying firm on Nippon Steel's roster is Akin Gump, a few other powerful figures in the business with strong ties to Capitol Hill have been enlisted to assist in influencing public opinion on the merger issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Akin Gump hired the Trump-affiliated lobbying company Ballard Partners, a foreign agent for the Japanese Embassy, as a subcontractor on the Nippon Steel team last year in exchange<\/a> for a $25,000 monthly fee. According to lobbying activities disclosed under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, Ballard Partners reportedly arranged a phone conversation between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to examine the U.S. election one day following the 2024 presidential contest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brian Ballard, a prominent Trump donor and the agency's namesake president, leads his Florida firm's efforts on the Nippon Steel client. He is joined in lobbying by other Trump associates: Daniel McFaul, a member of Trump's transitional team, and Hunter Morgen, a Trump White House policy consultant with expertise in manufacturing and trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ballard and Morgen both made direct contributions to Trump's 2024 campaign; the founder of the business sent cheques to the Trump 47 Committee and Trump Save America PAC totalling $250,000 and $11,600, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through Akin Gump, the Gephardt Group's government affairs branch, strategic communications agency VOX Global, and government affairs consultancy Valiant Strategies LLC also advocated on behalf of Nippon Steel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n James Baril, a former senior staffer to Sen. John Cornyn and current chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, led VOX Global's just-ended Nippon Steel assignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to disclosure filings, Nippon Steel's agents have pushed for the planned purchase through the White House, Congress, and several government departments that have jurisdiction over international transactions, including the Department of Commerce, the State Department, and the U.S. Treasury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the second half of 2024, Nippon Steel significantly increased its lobbying expenditures, spending $1.45 million in Q3 and $1.71 million in Q4, more than doubling the total amount spent by the company during the first two quarters. A Washington Examiner analysis of quarterly activity records indicates that Nippon Steel has already disbursed an extra $1.83 million this year as it tries to finalise a contract.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Nippon Steel spends $6.1M on D.C. lobbying to win U.S. Steel bid, taps Trump allies","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"nippon-steel-spends-6-1m-on-d-c-lobbying-to-win-u-s-steel-bid-taps-trump-allies","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_modified_gmt":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7929","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7907,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content":"\n Northeastern spent $1,080,000 lobbying the federal government in 2024, ranking first among private colleges and sixth overall. Only the institution of California, California State University, University of Texas, and University of Colorado State University systems outspent the institution, which reported $270,000 in expenditures per quarter, according to public lobbying filings submitted under the Lobbying Disclosure Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The university's expenditures more than quadrupled from $110,000 to $270,000 during the second and third quarters. The institution did not specify any significant changes in the policy subjects it campaigned on in its filings despite the notable increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Including financial aid schemes, work placements, cooperative education, international students, and lifelong learning,\" Northeastern stated in its quarterly filings, along with lobbying <\/a>action involving funding for higher education programs and policy problems. Additionally, the institution provided funding to assist government research projects at the Department of Homeland Security, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, or NSF. The businesses mentioned lobbying for Northeastern on several pieces of legislation, including the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act, the NSF AI Education Act, and Department of Defense expenditures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities have been wondering how to adjust to a shifting admissions environment since the Supreme Court invalidated affirmative action in June 2023<\/a>. Joseph E., President, Northeast. In a joint statement following the decision, Aoun was one of more than 130 leaders of Massachusetts's higher education institutions, advocacy groups. The percentage of Black students in Northeastern's first-year class fell by 35% from the year before in the first admissions cycle following the Supreme Court's decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fast growth of generative AI programs last year has attracted increased attention to the future of AI in higher education. Longtime AI supporter Aoun wrote an essay in July 2024 suggesting that universities should keep integrating AI research and teaching into their curricula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities prepared for disruptions in the higher education sector following President Donald Trump's reelection. By the end of 2024, colleges took proactive measures to protect international students and curtail contentious behaviors like as political declarations and diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Northeastern tops private universities in federal lobbying spending in 2024","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"northeastern-tops-private-universities-in-federal-lobbying-spending-in-2024","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7907","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7900,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content":"\n A US legal company has received substantial payments from two Russian oligarchs in order to advocate for the lifting of personal US sanctions. According to American journalist Katie Livingstone and the US Department of Justice, Sergey Chemezov and Vasily Brovko are prominent executives of the Russian defence company Rostec and are important associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an attempt to reverse US sanctions, Brovko and Chemezov engaged the Washington-based legal firm Rathmell Short LLP in early 2025, according to Livingston. Due to their backing of Russia's aggression against Ukraine<\/a>, both oligarchs are subject to sanctions. However, a legal gap that experts say falls into a legal gray area allows them to lawfully use the services of attorneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rathmell Short LLP agreed to pay $2.6 million in March to provide Putin's billionaires with legal advice on US sanctions. Among the services are drafting delisting requests and corresponding with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the US State Department. In order to bolster attempts to ease the restrictions, the contract also permits collaboration with a US lobbying company. This is another contentious issue that, in theory, stays within the law's parameters, according to Livingston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sanctioned people are permitted by OFAC regulations to retain legal representation in order to contest their designation. Nonetheless, the Chemezov and Brovko case demonstrates how individuals with strong ties to the Kremlin nonetheless look for weaknesses. Journalist Livingston went on to say that Trump's accusations that Putin is playing with fire are unfounded as his oligarchs are able to enter US power structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from the US Department of Justice's official website, which posts disclosures about foreign agents, supports Livingston's claims. There, RBC-Ukraine discovered a number of agreements between Rathmell Short LLP, which would represent their interests in the US, and Sergey Chemezov and his advisor Vasily Brovko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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"};
Even though a judge in Denton County ruled in Sullivan's favour, the verdict was reversed, and the case was sent back to Travis County when an appeals court found that Sullivan did not really meet the residency requirements to have the case heard in Denton County from the start<\/a>. The Travis County court decided in favour of the TEC. Therefore, Sullivan lost his appeal. In the meanwhile, Sullivan filed a number of further cases against the commission, all of which were dismissed in federal or state district court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many of the authors of these friend-of-the-court briefs, including those authored by Cruz, Cornyn, and Paxton, \"appear to assume, without any real analysis of the record that Sullivan did nothing more than write a newsletter and work on a website that \u2018rated\u2019 legislators,\" the ethics commission said in their response to the petition. These portrayals are inconsistent with the factual evidence that a Texas court grantedsummary judgments in favour of the Commission based on the allegations that Sullivan had broken Texas law.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Supreme court rejects GOP activist\u2019s appeal over Texas lobbying fine","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"supreme-court-rejects-gop-activists-appeal-over-texas-lobbying-fine","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-06-04 17:00:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-06-04 17:00:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7937","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7929,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_date_gmt":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_content":"\n In its attempt to acquire US Steel, Japanese-owned Nippon Steel has invested over $6.1 million in federal lobbying, employing a plethora of powerful politicians, some of whom have close relationships with President Donald Trump<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just days after the purchase announcement in December 2023, Nippon Steel brought in lobbying company Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. The corporation has international clients, including the governments of KSA, the UAE, and Japan, as shown by their registration documents. According to a Washington Examiner review of disclosure data, Nippon Steel has since paid Akin Gump more than $5.5 million, which represents around 90% of its lobbying expenses used to advance the US Steel acquisition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbyists at Akin Gump arguing Nippon Steel's case in the nation's capital include Hunter Bates, former chief of staff for former Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY); Reginald Babin, former chief counsel to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY); and Brian Pomper, who advised the Senate Finance Committee on international trade matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the last election campaign, Geoffrey Verhoff, another Akin Gump lobbyist hired to help Nippon Steel, was by far the biggest known money bundler for Trump. According to a Federal Election Commission report, Verhoff, who served as vice chairman of the Republican National Committee's financial arm from 2017 to 2021, bundled at least $3.6 million for the Trump 47 Committee. While lobbying for Nippon Steel, Bates also personally donated $10,000 to the Trump 47 Committee, according to campaign finance reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the main lobbying firm on Nippon Steel's roster is Akin Gump, a few other powerful figures in the business with strong ties to Capitol Hill have been enlisted to assist in influencing public opinion on the merger issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Akin Gump hired the Trump-affiliated lobbying company Ballard Partners, a foreign agent for the Japanese Embassy, as a subcontractor on the Nippon Steel team last year in exchange<\/a> for a $25,000 monthly fee. According to lobbying activities disclosed under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, Ballard Partners reportedly arranged a phone conversation between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to examine the U.S. election one day following the 2024 presidential contest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brian Ballard, a prominent Trump donor and the agency's namesake president, leads his Florida firm's efforts on the Nippon Steel client. He is joined in lobbying by other Trump associates: Daniel McFaul, a member of Trump's transitional team, and Hunter Morgen, a Trump White House policy consultant with expertise in manufacturing and trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ballard and Morgen both made direct contributions to Trump's 2024 campaign; the founder of the business sent cheques to the Trump 47 Committee and Trump Save America PAC totalling $250,000 and $11,600, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through Akin Gump, the Gephardt Group's government affairs branch, strategic communications agency VOX Global, and government affairs consultancy Valiant Strategies LLC also advocated on behalf of Nippon Steel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n James Baril, a former senior staffer to Sen. John Cornyn and current chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, led VOX Global's just-ended Nippon Steel assignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to disclosure filings, Nippon Steel's agents have pushed for the planned purchase through the White House, Congress, and several government departments that have jurisdiction over international transactions, including the Department of Commerce, the State Department, and the U.S. Treasury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the second half of 2024, Nippon Steel significantly increased its lobbying expenditures, spending $1.45 million in Q3 and $1.71 million in Q4, more than doubling the total amount spent by the company during the first two quarters. A Washington Examiner analysis of quarterly activity records indicates that Nippon Steel has already disbursed an extra $1.83 million this year as it tries to finalise a contract.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Nippon Steel spends $6.1M on D.C. lobbying to win U.S. Steel bid, taps Trump allies","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"nippon-steel-spends-6-1m-on-d-c-lobbying-to-win-u-s-steel-bid-taps-trump-allies","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_modified_gmt":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7929","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7907,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content":"\n Northeastern spent $1,080,000 lobbying the federal government in 2024, ranking first among private colleges and sixth overall. Only the institution of California, California State University, University of Texas, and University of Colorado State University systems outspent the institution, which reported $270,000 in expenditures per quarter, according to public lobbying filings submitted under the Lobbying Disclosure Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The university's expenditures more than quadrupled from $110,000 to $270,000 during the second and third quarters. The institution did not specify any significant changes in the policy subjects it campaigned on in its filings despite the notable increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Including financial aid schemes, work placements, cooperative education, international students, and lifelong learning,\" Northeastern stated in its quarterly filings, along with lobbying <\/a>action involving funding for higher education programs and policy problems. Additionally, the institution provided funding to assist government research projects at the Department of Homeland Security, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, or NSF. The businesses mentioned lobbying for Northeastern on several pieces of legislation, including the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act, the NSF AI Education Act, and Department of Defense expenditures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities have been wondering how to adjust to a shifting admissions environment since the Supreme Court invalidated affirmative action in June 2023<\/a>. Joseph E., President, Northeast. In a joint statement following the decision, Aoun was one of more than 130 leaders of Massachusetts's higher education institutions, advocacy groups. The percentage of Black students in Northeastern's first-year class fell by 35% from the year before in the first admissions cycle following the Supreme Court's decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fast growth of generative AI programs last year has attracted increased attention to the future of AI in higher education. Longtime AI supporter Aoun wrote an essay in July 2024 suggesting that universities should keep integrating AI research and teaching into their curricula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities prepared for disruptions in the higher education sector following President Donald Trump's reelection. By the end of 2024, colleges took proactive measures to protect international students and curtail contentious behaviors like as political declarations and diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Northeastern tops private universities in federal lobbying spending in 2024","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"northeastern-tops-private-universities-in-federal-lobbying-spending-in-2024","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7907","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7900,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content":"\n A US legal company has received substantial payments from two Russian oligarchs in order to advocate for the lifting of personal US sanctions. According to American journalist Katie Livingstone and the US Department of Justice, Sergey Chemezov and Vasily Brovko are prominent executives of the Russian defence company Rostec and are important associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an attempt to reverse US sanctions, Brovko and Chemezov engaged the Washington-based legal firm Rathmell Short LLP in early 2025, according to Livingston. Due to their backing of Russia's aggression against Ukraine<\/a>, both oligarchs are subject to sanctions. However, a legal gap that experts say falls into a legal gray area allows them to lawfully use the services of attorneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rathmell Short LLP agreed to pay $2.6 million in March to provide Putin's billionaires with legal advice on US sanctions. Among the services are drafting delisting requests and corresponding with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the US State Department. In order to bolster attempts to ease the restrictions, the contract also permits collaboration with a US lobbying company. This is another contentious issue that, in theory, stays within the law's parameters, according to Livingston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sanctioned people are permitted by OFAC regulations to retain legal representation in order to contest their designation. Nonetheless, the Chemezov and Brovko case demonstrates how individuals with strong ties to the Kremlin nonetheless look for weaknesses. Journalist Livingston went on to say that Trump's accusations that Putin is playing with fire are unfounded as his oligarchs are able to enter US power structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from the US Department of Justice's official website, which posts disclosures about foreign agents, supports Livingston's claims. There, RBC-Ukraine discovered a number of agreements between Rathmell Short LLP, which would represent their interests in the US, and Sergey Chemezov and his advisor Vasily Brovko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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 court, Sullivan repeatedly tried to argue that the ethics commission lacked the constitutional authority to enforce the state's ethical laws. By first claiming that he had moved to Denton County, Sullivan was able to have the case heard in a district court there instead of Travis County.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even though a judge in Denton County ruled in Sullivan's favour, the verdict was reversed, and the case was sent back to Travis County when an appeals court found that Sullivan did not really meet the residency requirements to have the case heard in Denton County from the start<\/a>. The Travis County court decided in favour of the TEC. Therefore, Sullivan lost his appeal. In the meanwhile, Sullivan filed a number of further cases against the commission, all of which were dismissed in federal or state district court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many of the authors of these friend-of-the-court briefs, including those authored by Cruz, Cornyn, and Paxton, \"appear to assume, without any real analysis of the record that Sullivan did nothing more than write a newsletter and work on a website that \u2018rated\u2019 legislators,\" the ethics commission said in their response to the petition. These portrayals are inconsistent with the factual evidence that a Texas court grantedsummary judgments in favour of the Commission based on the allegations that Sullivan had broken Texas law.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Supreme court rejects GOP activist\u2019s appeal over Texas lobbying fine","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"supreme-court-rejects-gop-activists-appeal-over-texas-lobbying-fine","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-06-04 17:00:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-06-04 17:00:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7937","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7929,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_date_gmt":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_content":"\n In its attempt to acquire US Steel, Japanese-owned Nippon Steel has invested over $6.1 million in federal lobbying, employing a plethora of powerful politicians, some of whom have close relationships with President Donald Trump<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just days after the purchase announcement in December 2023, Nippon Steel brought in lobbying company Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. The corporation has international clients, including the governments of KSA, the UAE, and Japan, as shown by their registration documents. According to a Washington Examiner review of disclosure data, Nippon Steel has since paid Akin Gump more than $5.5 million, which represents around 90% of its lobbying expenses used to advance the US Steel acquisition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbyists at Akin Gump arguing Nippon Steel's case in the nation's capital include Hunter Bates, former chief of staff for former Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY); Reginald Babin, former chief counsel to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY); and Brian Pomper, who advised the Senate Finance Committee on international trade matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the last election campaign, Geoffrey Verhoff, another Akin Gump lobbyist hired to help Nippon Steel, was by far the biggest known money bundler for Trump. According to a Federal Election Commission report, Verhoff, who served as vice chairman of the Republican National Committee's financial arm from 2017 to 2021, bundled at least $3.6 million for the Trump 47 Committee. While lobbying for Nippon Steel, Bates also personally donated $10,000 to the Trump 47 Committee, according to campaign finance reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the main lobbying firm on Nippon Steel's roster is Akin Gump, a few other powerful figures in the business with strong ties to Capitol Hill have been enlisted to assist in influencing public opinion on the merger issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Akin Gump hired the Trump-affiliated lobbying company Ballard Partners, a foreign agent for the Japanese Embassy, as a subcontractor on the Nippon Steel team last year in exchange<\/a> for a $25,000 monthly fee. According to lobbying activities disclosed under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, Ballard Partners reportedly arranged a phone conversation between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to examine the U.S. election one day following the 2024 presidential contest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brian Ballard, a prominent Trump donor and the agency's namesake president, leads his Florida firm's efforts on the Nippon Steel client. He is joined in lobbying by other Trump associates: Daniel McFaul, a member of Trump's transitional team, and Hunter Morgen, a Trump White House policy consultant with expertise in manufacturing and trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ballard and Morgen both made direct contributions to Trump's 2024 campaign; the founder of the business sent cheques to the Trump 47 Committee and Trump Save America PAC totalling $250,000 and $11,600, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through Akin Gump, the Gephardt Group's government affairs branch, strategic communications agency VOX Global, and government affairs consultancy Valiant Strategies LLC also advocated on behalf of Nippon Steel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n James Baril, a former senior staffer to Sen. John Cornyn and current chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, led VOX Global's just-ended Nippon Steel assignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to disclosure filings, Nippon Steel's agents have pushed for the planned purchase through the White House, Congress, and several government departments that have jurisdiction over international transactions, including the Department of Commerce, the State Department, and the U.S. Treasury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the second half of 2024, Nippon Steel significantly increased its lobbying expenditures, spending $1.45 million in Q3 and $1.71 million in Q4, more than doubling the total amount spent by the company during the first two quarters. A Washington Examiner analysis of quarterly activity records indicates that Nippon Steel has already disbursed an extra $1.83 million this year as it tries to finalise a contract.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Nippon Steel spends $6.1M on D.C. lobbying to win U.S. Steel bid, taps Trump allies","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"nippon-steel-spends-6-1m-on-d-c-lobbying-to-win-u-s-steel-bid-taps-trump-allies","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_modified_gmt":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7929","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7907,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content":"\n Northeastern spent $1,080,000 lobbying the federal government in 2024, ranking first among private colleges and sixth overall. Only the institution of California, California State University, University of Texas, and University of Colorado State University systems outspent the institution, which reported $270,000 in expenditures per quarter, according to public lobbying filings submitted under the Lobbying Disclosure Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The university's expenditures more than quadrupled from $110,000 to $270,000 during the second and third quarters. The institution did not specify any significant changes in the policy subjects it campaigned on in its filings despite the notable increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Including financial aid schemes, work placements, cooperative education, international students, and lifelong learning,\" Northeastern stated in its quarterly filings, along with lobbying <\/a>action involving funding for higher education programs and policy problems. Additionally, the institution provided funding to assist government research projects at the Department of Homeland Security, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, or NSF. The businesses mentioned lobbying for Northeastern on several pieces of legislation, including the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act, the NSF AI Education Act, and Department of Defense expenditures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities have been wondering how to adjust to a shifting admissions environment since the Supreme Court invalidated affirmative action in June 2023<\/a>. Joseph E., President, Northeast. In a joint statement following the decision, Aoun was one of more than 130 leaders of Massachusetts's higher education institutions, advocacy groups. The percentage of Black students in Northeastern's first-year class fell by 35% from the year before in the first admissions cycle following the Supreme Court's decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fast growth of generative AI programs last year has attracted increased attention to the future of AI in higher education. Longtime AI supporter Aoun wrote an essay in July 2024 suggesting that universities should keep integrating AI research and teaching into their curricula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities prepared for disruptions in the higher education sector following President Donald Trump's reelection. By the end of 2024, colleges took proactive measures to protect international students and curtail contentious behaviors like as political declarations and diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Northeastern tops private universities in federal lobbying spending in 2024","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"northeastern-tops-private-universities-in-federal-lobbying-spending-in-2024","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7907","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7900,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content":"\n A US legal company has received substantial payments from two Russian oligarchs in order to advocate for the lifting of personal US sanctions. According to American journalist Katie Livingstone and the US Department of Justice, Sergey Chemezov and Vasily Brovko are prominent executives of the Russian defence company Rostec and are important associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an attempt to reverse US sanctions, Brovko and Chemezov engaged the Washington-based legal firm Rathmell Short LLP in early 2025, according to Livingston. Due to their backing of Russia's aggression against Ukraine<\/a>, both oligarchs are subject to sanctions. However, a legal gap that experts say falls into a legal gray area allows them to lawfully use the services of attorneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rathmell Short LLP agreed to pay $2.6 million in March to provide Putin's billionaires with legal advice on US sanctions. Among the services are drafting delisting requests and corresponding with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the US State Department. In order to bolster attempts to ease the restrictions, the contract also permits collaboration with a US lobbying company. This is another contentious issue that, in theory, stays within the law's parameters, according to Livingston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sanctioned people are permitted by OFAC regulations to retain legal representation in order to contest their designation. Nonetheless, the Chemezov and Brovko case demonstrates how individuals with strong ties to the Kremlin nonetheless look for weaknesses. Journalist Livingston went on to say that Trump's accusations that Putin is playing with fire are unfounded as his oligarchs are able to enter US power structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from the US Department of Justice's official website, which posts disclosures about foreign agents, supports Livingston's claims. There, RBC-Ukraine discovered a number of agreements between Rathmell Short LLP, which would represent their interests in the US, and Sergey Chemezov and his advisor Vasily Brovko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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"};
Additionally, Sullivan released a Fiscal Responsibility Index that rates the conservative credentials of members according to their voting record in each session. In another instance of lobbying, the panel discovered that Sullivan utilized that scorecard to sway members' votes while working for Empower Texans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In court, Sullivan repeatedly tried to argue that the ethics commission lacked the constitutional authority to enforce the state's ethical laws. By first claiming that he had moved to Denton County, Sullivan was able to have the case heard in a district court there instead of Travis County.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even though a judge in Denton County ruled in Sullivan's favour, the verdict was reversed, and the case was sent back to Travis County when an appeals court found that Sullivan did not really meet the residency requirements to have the case heard in Denton County from the start<\/a>. The Travis County court decided in favour of the TEC. Therefore, Sullivan lost his appeal. In the meanwhile, Sullivan filed a number of further cases against the commission, all of which were dismissed in federal or state district court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many of the authors of these friend-of-the-court briefs, including those authored by Cruz, Cornyn, and Paxton, \"appear to assume, without any real analysis of the record that Sullivan did nothing more than write a newsletter and work on a website that \u2018rated\u2019 legislators,\" the ethics commission said in their response to the petition. These portrayals are inconsistent with the factual evidence that a Texas court grantedsummary judgments in favour of the Commission based on the allegations that Sullivan had broken Texas law.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Supreme court rejects GOP activist\u2019s appeal over Texas lobbying fine","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"supreme-court-rejects-gop-activists-appeal-over-texas-lobbying-fine","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-06-04 17:00:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-06-04 17:00:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7937","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7929,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_date_gmt":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_content":"\n In its attempt to acquire US Steel, Japanese-owned Nippon Steel has invested over $6.1 million in federal lobbying, employing a plethora of powerful politicians, some of whom have close relationships with President Donald Trump<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just days after the purchase announcement in December 2023, Nippon Steel brought in lobbying company Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. The corporation has international clients, including the governments of KSA, the UAE, and Japan, as shown by their registration documents. According to a Washington Examiner review of disclosure data, Nippon Steel has since paid Akin Gump more than $5.5 million, which represents around 90% of its lobbying expenses used to advance the US Steel acquisition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbyists at Akin Gump arguing Nippon Steel's case in the nation's capital include Hunter Bates, former chief of staff for former Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY); Reginald Babin, former chief counsel to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY); and Brian Pomper, who advised the Senate Finance Committee on international trade matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the last election campaign, Geoffrey Verhoff, another Akin Gump lobbyist hired to help Nippon Steel, was by far the biggest known money bundler for Trump. According to a Federal Election Commission report, Verhoff, who served as vice chairman of the Republican National Committee's financial arm from 2017 to 2021, bundled at least $3.6 million for the Trump 47 Committee. While lobbying for Nippon Steel, Bates also personally donated $10,000 to the Trump 47 Committee, according to campaign finance reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the main lobbying firm on Nippon Steel's roster is Akin Gump, a few other powerful figures in the business with strong ties to Capitol Hill have been enlisted to assist in influencing public opinion on the merger issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Akin Gump hired the Trump-affiliated lobbying company Ballard Partners, a foreign agent for the Japanese Embassy, as a subcontractor on the Nippon Steel team last year in exchange<\/a> for a $25,000 monthly fee. According to lobbying activities disclosed under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, Ballard Partners reportedly arranged a phone conversation between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to examine the U.S. election one day following the 2024 presidential contest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brian Ballard, a prominent Trump donor and the agency's namesake president, leads his Florida firm's efforts on the Nippon Steel client. He is joined in lobbying by other Trump associates: Daniel McFaul, a member of Trump's transitional team, and Hunter Morgen, a Trump White House policy consultant with expertise in manufacturing and trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ballard and Morgen both made direct contributions to Trump's 2024 campaign; the founder of the business sent cheques to the Trump 47 Committee and Trump Save America PAC totalling $250,000 and $11,600, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through Akin Gump, the Gephardt Group's government affairs branch, strategic communications agency VOX Global, and government affairs consultancy Valiant Strategies LLC also advocated on behalf of Nippon Steel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n James Baril, a former senior staffer to Sen. John Cornyn and current chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, led VOX Global's just-ended Nippon Steel assignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to disclosure filings, Nippon Steel's agents have pushed for the planned purchase through the White House, Congress, and several government departments that have jurisdiction over international transactions, including the Department of Commerce, the State Department, and the U.S. Treasury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the second half of 2024, Nippon Steel significantly increased its lobbying expenditures, spending $1.45 million in Q3 and $1.71 million in Q4, more than doubling the total amount spent by the company during the first two quarters. A Washington Examiner analysis of quarterly activity records indicates that Nippon Steel has already disbursed an extra $1.83 million this year as it tries to finalise a contract.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Nippon Steel spends $6.1M on D.C. lobbying to win U.S. Steel bid, taps Trump allies","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"nippon-steel-spends-6-1m-on-d-c-lobbying-to-win-u-s-steel-bid-taps-trump-allies","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_modified_gmt":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7929","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7907,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content":"\n Northeastern spent $1,080,000 lobbying the federal government in 2024, ranking first among private colleges and sixth overall. Only the institution of California, California State University, University of Texas, and University of Colorado State University systems outspent the institution, which reported $270,000 in expenditures per quarter, according to public lobbying filings submitted under the Lobbying Disclosure Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The university's expenditures more than quadrupled from $110,000 to $270,000 during the second and third quarters. The institution did not specify any significant changes in the policy subjects it campaigned on in its filings despite the notable increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Including financial aid schemes, work placements, cooperative education, international students, and lifelong learning,\" Northeastern stated in its quarterly filings, along with lobbying <\/a>action involving funding for higher education programs and policy problems. Additionally, the institution provided funding to assist government research projects at the Department of Homeland Security, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, or NSF. The businesses mentioned lobbying for Northeastern on several pieces of legislation, including the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act, the NSF AI Education Act, and Department of Defense expenditures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities have been wondering how to adjust to a shifting admissions environment since the Supreme Court invalidated affirmative action in June 2023<\/a>. Joseph E., President, Northeast. In a joint statement following the decision, Aoun was one of more than 130 leaders of Massachusetts's higher education institutions, advocacy groups. The percentage of Black students in Northeastern's first-year class fell by 35% from the year before in the first admissions cycle following the Supreme Court's decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fast growth of generative AI programs last year has attracted increased attention to the future of AI in higher education. Longtime AI supporter Aoun wrote an essay in July 2024 suggesting that universities should keep integrating AI research and teaching into their curricula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities prepared for disruptions in the higher education sector following President Donald Trump's reelection. By the end of 2024, colleges took proactive measures to protect international students and curtail contentious behaviors like as political declarations and diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Northeastern tops private universities in federal lobbying spending in 2024","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"northeastern-tops-private-universities-in-federal-lobbying-spending-in-2024","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7907","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7900,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content":"\n A US legal company has received substantial payments from two Russian oligarchs in order to advocate for the lifting of personal US sanctions. According to American journalist Katie Livingstone and the US Department of Justice, Sergey Chemezov and Vasily Brovko are prominent executives of the Russian defence company Rostec and are important associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an attempt to reverse US sanctions, Brovko and Chemezov engaged the Washington-based legal firm Rathmell Short LLP in early 2025, according to Livingston. Due to their backing of Russia's aggression against Ukraine<\/a>, both oligarchs are subject to sanctions. However, a legal gap that experts say falls into a legal gray area allows them to lawfully use the services of attorneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rathmell Short LLP agreed to pay $2.6 million in March to provide Putin's billionaires with legal advice on US sanctions. Among the services are drafting delisting requests and corresponding with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the US State Department. In order to bolster attempts to ease the restrictions, the contract also permits collaboration with a US lobbying company. This is another contentious issue that, in theory, stays within the law's parameters, according to Livingston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sanctioned people are permitted by OFAC regulations to retain legal representation in order to contest their designation. Nonetheless, the Chemezov and Brovko case demonstrates how individuals with strong ties to the Kremlin nonetheless look for weaknesses. Journalist Livingston went on to say that Trump's accusations that Putin is playing with fire are unfounded as his oligarchs are able to enter US power structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from the US Department of Justice's official website, which posts disclosures about foreign agents, supports Livingston's claims. There, RBC-Ukraine discovered a number of agreements between Rathmell Short LLP, which would represent their interests in the US, and Sergey Chemezov and his advisor Vasily Brovko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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 two former state senators complained that Sullivan had engaged in unregistered lobbying, the ethics commission began looking into the matter. For a long time, Sullivan has maintained that his work with the now-defunct Empower Texans was journalism rather than lobbying. However, such an argument was dismissed by the ethics committee. In their 2014 decision, they cited hundreds of letters he often addressed to Republican members to debate legislation and amendments, urging them to support the principles of his group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, Sullivan released a Fiscal Responsibility Index that rates the conservative credentials of members according to their voting record in each session. In another instance of lobbying, the panel discovered that Sullivan utilized that scorecard to sway members' votes while working for Empower Texans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In court, Sullivan repeatedly tried to argue that the ethics commission lacked the constitutional authority to enforce the state's ethical laws. By first claiming that he had moved to Denton County, Sullivan was able to have the case heard in a district court there instead of Travis County.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even though a judge in Denton County ruled in Sullivan's favour, the verdict was reversed, and the case was sent back to Travis County when an appeals court found that Sullivan did not really meet the residency requirements to have the case heard in Denton County from the start<\/a>. The Travis County court decided in favour of the TEC. Therefore, Sullivan lost his appeal. In the meanwhile, Sullivan filed a number of further cases against the commission, all of which were dismissed in federal or state district court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many of the authors of these friend-of-the-court briefs, including those authored by Cruz, Cornyn, and Paxton, \"appear to assume, without any real analysis of the record that Sullivan did nothing more than write a newsletter and work on a website that \u2018rated\u2019 legislators,\" the ethics commission said in their response to the petition. These portrayals are inconsistent with the factual evidence that a Texas court grantedsummary judgments in favour of the Commission based on the allegations that Sullivan had broken Texas law.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Supreme court rejects GOP activist\u2019s appeal over Texas lobbying fine","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"supreme-court-rejects-gop-activists-appeal-over-texas-lobbying-fine","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-06-04 17:00:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-06-04 17:00:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7937","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7929,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_date_gmt":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_content":"\n In its attempt to acquire US Steel, Japanese-owned Nippon Steel has invested over $6.1 million in federal lobbying, employing a plethora of powerful politicians, some of whom have close relationships with President Donald Trump<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just days after the purchase announcement in December 2023, Nippon Steel brought in lobbying company Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. The corporation has international clients, including the governments of KSA, the UAE, and Japan, as shown by their registration documents. According to a Washington Examiner review of disclosure data, Nippon Steel has since paid Akin Gump more than $5.5 million, which represents around 90% of its lobbying expenses used to advance the US Steel acquisition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbyists at Akin Gump arguing Nippon Steel's case in the nation's capital include Hunter Bates, former chief of staff for former Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY); Reginald Babin, former chief counsel to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY); and Brian Pomper, who advised the Senate Finance Committee on international trade matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the last election campaign, Geoffrey Verhoff, another Akin Gump lobbyist hired to help Nippon Steel, was by far the biggest known money bundler for Trump. According to a Federal Election Commission report, Verhoff, who served as vice chairman of the Republican National Committee's financial arm from 2017 to 2021, bundled at least $3.6 million for the Trump 47 Committee. While lobbying for Nippon Steel, Bates also personally donated $10,000 to the Trump 47 Committee, according to campaign finance reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the main lobbying firm on Nippon Steel's roster is Akin Gump, a few other powerful figures in the business with strong ties to Capitol Hill have been enlisted to assist in influencing public opinion on the merger issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Akin Gump hired the Trump-affiliated lobbying company Ballard Partners, a foreign agent for the Japanese Embassy, as a subcontractor on the Nippon Steel team last year in exchange<\/a> for a $25,000 monthly fee. According to lobbying activities disclosed under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, Ballard Partners reportedly arranged a phone conversation between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to examine the U.S. election one day following the 2024 presidential contest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brian Ballard, a prominent Trump donor and the agency's namesake president, leads his Florida firm's efforts on the Nippon Steel client. He is joined in lobbying by other Trump associates: Daniel McFaul, a member of Trump's transitional team, and Hunter Morgen, a Trump White House policy consultant with expertise in manufacturing and trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ballard and Morgen both made direct contributions to Trump's 2024 campaign; the founder of the business sent cheques to the Trump 47 Committee and Trump Save America PAC totalling $250,000 and $11,600, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through Akin Gump, the Gephardt Group's government affairs branch, strategic communications agency VOX Global, and government affairs consultancy Valiant Strategies LLC also advocated on behalf of Nippon Steel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n James Baril, a former senior staffer to Sen. John Cornyn and current chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, led VOX Global's just-ended Nippon Steel assignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to disclosure filings, Nippon Steel's agents have pushed for the planned purchase through the White House, Congress, and several government departments that have jurisdiction over international transactions, including the Department of Commerce, the State Department, and the U.S. Treasury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the second half of 2024, Nippon Steel significantly increased its lobbying expenditures, spending $1.45 million in Q3 and $1.71 million in Q4, more than doubling the total amount spent by the company during the first two quarters. A Washington Examiner analysis of quarterly activity records indicates that Nippon Steel has already disbursed an extra $1.83 million this year as it tries to finalise a contract.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Nippon Steel spends $6.1M on D.C. lobbying to win U.S. Steel bid, taps Trump allies","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"nippon-steel-spends-6-1m-on-d-c-lobbying-to-win-u-s-steel-bid-taps-trump-allies","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_modified_gmt":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7929","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7907,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content":"\n Northeastern spent $1,080,000 lobbying the federal government in 2024, ranking first among private colleges and sixth overall. Only the institution of California, California State University, University of Texas, and University of Colorado State University systems outspent the institution, which reported $270,000 in expenditures per quarter, according to public lobbying filings submitted under the Lobbying Disclosure Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The university's expenditures more than quadrupled from $110,000 to $270,000 during the second and third quarters. The institution did not specify any significant changes in the policy subjects it campaigned on in its filings despite the notable increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Including financial aid schemes, work placements, cooperative education, international students, and lifelong learning,\" Northeastern stated in its quarterly filings, along with lobbying <\/a>action involving funding for higher education programs and policy problems. Additionally, the institution provided funding to assist government research projects at the Department of Homeland Security, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, or NSF. The businesses mentioned lobbying for Northeastern on several pieces of legislation, including the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act, the NSF AI Education Act, and Department of Defense expenditures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities have been wondering how to adjust to a shifting admissions environment since the Supreme Court invalidated affirmative action in June 2023<\/a>. Joseph E., President, Northeast. In a joint statement following the decision, Aoun was one of more than 130 leaders of Massachusetts's higher education institutions, advocacy groups. The percentage of Black students in Northeastern's first-year class fell by 35% from the year before in the first admissions cycle following the Supreme Court's decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fast growth of generative AI programs last year has attracted increased attention to the future of AI in higher education. Longtime AI supporter Aoun wrote an essay in July 2024 suggesting that universities should keep integrating AI research and teaching into their curricula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities prepared for disruptions in the higher education sector following President Donald Trump's reelection. By the end of 2024, colleges took proactive measures to protect international students and curtail contentious behaviors like as political declarations and diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Northeastern tops private universities in federal lobbying spending in 2024","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"northeastern-tops-private-universities-in-federal-lobbying-spending-in-2024","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7907","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7900,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content":"\n A US legal company has received substantial payments from two Russian oligarchs in order to advocate for the lifting of personal US sanctions. According to American journalist Katie Livingstone and the US Department of Justice, Sergey Chemezov and Vasily Brovko are prominent executives of the Russian defence company Rostec and are important associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an attempt to reverse US sanctions, Brovko and Chemezov engaged the Washington-based legal firm Rathmell Short LLP in early 2025, according to Livingston. Due to their backing of Russia's aggression against Ukraine<\/a>, both oligarchs are subject to sanctions. However, a legal gap that experts say falls into a legal gray area allows them to lawfully use the services of attorneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rathmell Short LLP agreed to pay $2.6 million in March to provide Putin's billionaires with legal advice on US sanctions. Among the services are drafting delisting requests and corresponding with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the US State Department. In order to bolster attempts to ease the restrictions, the contract also permits collaboration with a US lobbying company. This is another contentious issue that, in theory, stays within the law's parameters, according to Livingston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sanctioned people are permitted by OFAC regulations to retain legal representation in order to contest their designation. Nonetheless, the Chemezov and Brovko case demonstrates how individuals with strong ties to the Kremlin nonetheless look for weaknesses. Journalist Livingston went on to say that Trump's accusations that Putin is playing with fire are unfounded as his oligarchs are able to enter US power structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from the US Department of Justice's official website, which posts disclosures about foreign agents, supports Livingston's claims. There, RBC-Ukraine discovered a number of agreements between Rathmell Short LLP, which would represent their interests in the US, and Sergey Chemezov and his advisor Vasily Brovko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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 court's decision supports the ethics commission's appeals court verdict. Sullivan will go back to a district court for a jury trial to determine the amount he must pay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After two former state senators complained that Sullivan had engaged in unregistered lobbying, the ethics commission began looking into the matter. For a long time, Sullivan has maintained that his work with the now-defunct Empower Texans was journalism rather than lobbying. However, such an argument was dismissed by the ethics committee. In their 2014 decision, they cited hundreds of letters he often addressed to Republican members to debate legislation and amendments, urging them to support the principles of his group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, Sullivan released a Fiscal Responsibility Index that rates the conservative credentials of members according to their voting record in each session. In another instance of lobbying, the panel discovered that Sullivan utilized that scorecard to sway members' votes while working for Empower Texans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In court, Sullivan repeatedly tried to argue that the ethics commission lacked the constitutional authority to enforce the state's ethical laws. By first claiming that he had moved to Denton County, Sullivan was able to have the case heard in a district court there instead of Travis County.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even though a judge in Denton County ruled in Sullivan's favour, the verdict was reversed, and the case was sent back to Travis County when an appeals court found that Sullivan did not really meet the residency requirements to have the case heard in Denton County from the start<\/a>. The Travis County court decided in favour of the TEC. Therefore, Sullivan lost his appeal. In the meanwhile, Sullivan filed a number of further cases against the commission, all of which were dismissed in federal or state district court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many of the authors of these friend-of-the-court briefs, including those authored by Cruz, Cornyn, and Paxton, \"appear to assume, without any real analysis of the record that Sullivan did nothing more than write a newsletter and work on a website that \u2018rated\u2019 legislators,\" the ethics commission said in their response to the petition. These portrayals are inconsistent with the factual evidence that a Texas court grantedsummary judgments in favour of the Commission based on the allegations that Sullivan had broken Texas law.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Supreme court rejects GOP activist\u2019s appeal over Texas lobbying fine","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"supreme-court-rejects-gop-activists-appeal-over-texas-lobbying-fine","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-06-04 17:00:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-06-04 17:00:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7937","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7929,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_date_gmt":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_content":"\n In its attempt to acquire US Steel, Japanese-owned Nippon Steel has invested over $6.1 million in federal lobbying, employing a plethora of powerful politicians, some of whom have close relationships with President Donald Trump<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just days after the purchase announcement in December 2023, Nippon Steel brought in lobbying company Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. The corporation has international clients, including the governments of KSA, the UAE, and Japan, as shown by their registration documents. According to a Washington Examiner review of disclosure data, Nippon Steel has since paid Akin Gump more than $5.5 million, which represents around 90% of its lobbying expenses used to advance the US Steel acquisition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbyists at Akin Gump arguing Nippon Steel's case in the nation's capital include Hunter Bates, former chief of staff for former Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY); Reginald Babin, former chief counsel to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY); and Brian Pomper, who advised the Senate Finance Committee on international trade matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the last election campaign, Geoffrey Verhoff, another Akin Gump lobbyist hired to help Nippon Steel, was by far the biggest known money bundler for Trump. According to a Federal Election Commission report, Verhoff, who served as vice chairman of the Republican National Committee's financial arm from 2017 to 2021, bundled at least $3.6 million for the Trump 47 Committee. While lobbying for Nippon Steel, Bates also personally donated $10,000 to the Trump 47 Committee, according to campaign finance reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the main lobbying firm on Nippon Steel's roster is Akin Gump, a few other powerful figures in the business with strong ties to Capitol Hill have been enlisted to assist in influencing public opinion on the merger issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Akin Gump hired the Trump-affiliated lobbying company Ballard Partners, a foreign agent for the Japanese Embassy, as a subcontractor on the Nippon Steel team last year in exchange<\/a> for a $25,000 monthly fee. According to lobbying activities disclosed under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, Ballard Partners reportedly arranged a phone conversation between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to examine the U.S. election one day following the 2024 presidential contest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brian Ballard, a prominent Trump donor and the agency's namesake president, leads his Florida firm's efforts on the Nippon Steel client. He is joined in lobbying by other Trump associates: Daniel McFaul, a member of Trump's transitional team, and Hunter Morgen, a Trump White House policy consultant with expertise in manufacturing and trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ballard and Morgen both made direct contributions to Trump's 2024 campaign; the founder of the business sent cheques to the Trump 47 Committee and Trump Save America PAC totalling $250,000 and $11,600, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through Akin Gump, the Gephardt Group's government affairs branch, strategic communications agency VOX Global, and government affairs consultancy Valiant Strategies LLC also advocated on behalf of Nippon Steel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n James Baril, a former senior staffer to Sen. John Cornyn and current chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, led VOX Global's just-ended Nippon Steel assignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to disclosure filings, Nippon Steel's agents have pushed for the planned purchase through the White House, Congress, and several government departments that have jurisdiction over international transactions, including the Department of Commerce, the State Department, and the U.S. Treasury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the second half of 2024, Nippon Steel significantly increased its lobbying expenditures, spending $1.45 million in Q3 and $1.71 million in Q4, more than doubling the total amount spent by the company during the first two quarters. A Washington Examiner analysis of quarterly activity records indicates that Nippon Steel has already disbursed an extra $1.83 million this year as it tries to finalise a contract.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Nippon Steel spends $6.1M on D.C. lobbying to win U.S. Steel bid, taps Trump allies","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"nippon-steel-spends-6-1m-on-d-c-lobbying-to-win-u-s-steel-bid-taps-trump-allies","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_modified_gmt":"2025-06-03 17:43:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7929","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7907,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content":"\n Northeastern spent $1,080,000 lobbying the federal government in 2024, ranking first among private colleges and sixth overall. Only the institution of California, California State University, University of Texas, and University of Colorado State University systems outspent the institution, which reported $270,000 in expenditures per quarter, according to public lobbying filings submitted under the Lobbying Disclosure Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The university's expenditures more than quadrupled from $110,000 to $270,000 during the second and third quarters. The institution did not specify any significant changes in the policy subjects it campaigned on in its filings despite the notable increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Including financial aid schemes, work placements, cooperative education, international students, and lifelong learning,\" Northeastern stated in its quarterly filings, along with lobbying <\/a>action involving funding for higher education programs and policy problems. Additionally, the institution provided funding to assist government research projects at the Department of Homeland Security, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, or NSF. The businesses mentioned lobbying for Northeastern on several pieces of legislation, including the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act, the NSF AI Education Act, and Department of Defense expenditures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities have been wondering how to adjust to a shifting admissions environment since the Supreme Court invalidated affirmative action in June 2023<\/a>. Joseph E., President, Northeast. In a joint statement following the decision, Aoun was one of more than 130 leaders of Massachusetts's higher education institutions, advocacy groups. The percentage of Black students in Northeastern's first-year class fell by 35% from the year before in the first admissions cycle following the Supreme Court's decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fast growth of generative AI programs last year has attracted increased attention to the future of AI in higher education. Longtime AI supporter Aoun wrote an essay in July 2024 suggesting that universities should keep integrating AI research and teaching into their curricula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universities prepared for disruptions in the higher education sector following President Donald Trump's reelection. By the end of 2024, colleges took proactive measures to protect international students and curtail contentious behaviors like as political declarations and diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Northeastern tops private universities in federal lobbying spending in 2024","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"northeastern-tops-private-universities-in-federal-lobbying-spending-in-2024","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 20:40:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7907","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7900,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content":"\n A US legal company has received substantial payments from two Russian oligarchs in order to advocate for the lifting of personal US sanctions. According to American journalist Katie Livingstone and the US Department of Justice, Sergey Chemezov and Vasily Brovko are prominent executives of the Russian defence company Rostec and are important associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an attempt to reverse US sanctions, Brovko and Chemezov engaged the Washington-based legal firm Rathmell Short LLP in early 2025, according to Livingston. Due to their backing of Russia's aggression against Ukraine<\/a>, both oligarchs are subject to sanctions. However, a legal gap that experts say falls into a legal gray area allows them to lawfully use the services of attorneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rathmell Short LLP agreed to pay $2.6 million in March to provide Putin's billionaires with legal advice on US sanctions. Among the services are drafting delisting requests and corresponding with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the US State Department. In order to bolster attempts to ease the restrictions, the contract also permits collaboration with a US lobbying company. This is another contentious issue that, in theory, stays within the law's parameters, according to Livingston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sanctioned people are permitted by OFAC regulations to retain legal representation in order to contest their designation. Nonetheless, the Chemezov and Brovko case demonstrates how individuals with strong ties to the Kremlin nonetheless look for weaknesses. Journalist Livingston went on to say that Trump's accusations that Putin is playing with fire are unfounded as his oligarchs are able to enter US power structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from the US Department of Justice's official website, which posts disclosures about foreign agents, supports Livingston's claims. There, RBC-Ukraine discovered a number of agreements between Rathmell Short LLP, which would represent their interests in the US, and Sergey Chemezov and his advisor Vasily Brovko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lobbying company Sonoran Policy Group (Stryk Global Diplomacy) is also a party to the arrangement. Supporting initiatives to review and lift the sanctions is its declared objective. According to the documents, Chemezov and Brovko are expressly asking for the<\/a> personal sanctions on them to be lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The matter is obviously a top priority for Putin's government, even if he has claimed that Western sanctions presumably strengthen Russia. At least some sanctions might be lifted as part of a planned peace pact on Ukraine, according to Reuters. In the meantime, internal pressure on US President Donald Trump over Russia sanctions is increasing, according to Reuters. According to the agency, he could be forced to make them stronger.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Russian elites funnel millions into U.S. lobbying to challenge sanctions tied to Ukraine war","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-elites-funnel-millions-into-u-s-lobbying-to-challenge-sanctions-tied-to-ukraine-war","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 14:15:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7900","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"};
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