Lobby Monitor page% - Demokratiezentrum für Transparenz

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Zuckerberg\u2019s visits to the White House aim to strengthen Meta\u2019s ties with the government. It is particularly aimed at Mr. Trump, following previous conflicts. In December, Meta revealed a $1 million donation to Mr. Trump\u2019s inaugural fund. Additionally, Mr. Zuckerberg elevated Joel Kaplan, a long-serving Republican executive at Meta, to lead the company\u2019s global public policy efforts and enhance connections with the Trump administration.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mark Zuckerberg lobbies Trump over upcoming Meta antitrust trial","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"mark-zuckerberg-lobbies-trump-over-upcoming-meta-antitrust-trial","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-07 15:40:35","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-07 15:40:35","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7479","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":11},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};

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Now a trial is set to start in less than two weeks. The trial will likely involve testimony from Meta's high-profile executives. It includes Mr. Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg, former chief operating officer, and Kevin Systrom, co-founder of Instagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp turned out to be insightful decisions. Instagram now plays a vital role in Meta\u2019s operations, contributing billions in yearly revenue. Meanwhile, WhatsApp has grown fourfold to reach two billion users and has begun to generate substantial revenue for Meta. A federal judge dismissed the antitrust lawsuit in 2021. However, it was quickly reintroduced after the F.T.C. provided additional evidence and analysis to bolster its assertions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Meta has refuted claims that it acquired Instagram and WhatsApp to stifle competition. It emphasises its significant investments in innovation for these apps. Additionally, Meta stated that it still encounters strong competition from rivals such as TikTok, YouTube, Snap, and iMessage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In its complaint, the F.T.C. asserted that Meta broke antitrust law by buying young competitors and robbing consumers of other social media sites. The F.T.C. contended that Meta's 2012 acquisition of the photo-sharing platform Instagram for $1 billion and its 2014 acquisition of the messaging platform WhatsApp for $19 billion must not have been permitted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Andy Stone, a Meta spokesperson and owner of Facebook, stated that the company \u201cfrequently engages with policymakers to address issues related to competitiveness, national security, and economic growth.\u201d Earlier reports<\/a> from The Wall Street Journal provided details on these meetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In 2020, during Mr. Trump\u2019s first term, the Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against Meta. It is alleged that the company hindered competition by acquiring emerging start-ups like Instagram and WhatsApp. Thereby preventing them from evolving into fully developed businesses. Meta might settle the lawsuit, but it remains uncertain if Mr. Zuckerberg\u2019s actions have prompted the Trump administration to contemplate a settlement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mr. Zuckerberg has traveled multiple times to the White House and Mar-a-Lago to address this issue and others, according to sources. His latest visit to the White House was Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The chief executive of Meta, tech giant Mark Zuckerberg<\/a>, has lobbied President Trump and his ministers to resolve a federal antitrust lawsuit against his firm scheduled for trial on April 14, according to sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"US automakers lobby Trump to exempt car parts from tariffs","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-automakers-lobby-trump-to-exempt-car-parts-from-tariffs","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-07 15:54:13","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-07 15:54:13","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7482","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7479,"post_author":"8","post_date":"2025-04-05 15:39:57","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-05 15:39:57","post_content":"\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To gain Trump's favor, automotive representatives are highlighting their support for his objectives of increasing automobile production within the U.S. and boosting America\u2019s manufacturing sector. They have committed to developing strategies to achieve this, but their immediate focus is obtaining a reduction in parts costs first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Since that time, executives and their lobbyists have been striving to inform the administration about the economic intricacies of the global auto parts network production. For instance, inexpensive commodity items such as video screens are primarily produced abroad, where labor costs are lower. If every auto part manufactured overseas faced import taxes, the U.S. market would have hardly any tariff-free cars available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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According to Trump's executive order, 25% tariffs on fully built cars would begin April 3, but levies on major parts like engines, Transmissions and electrical systems are set to start on May 3. Additionally, the president intends to announce reciprocal tariffs affecting several countries on April 2. It\u2019s uncertain if those milestones serve as deadlines for reaching an agreement on auto parts. The automakers believe there's an opportunity to obtain tariff relief on parts since that part of Trump\u2019s executive order was finalized late during the drafting process on March 26.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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With the tariff deadline nearing, automakers have recently dispatched their senior executives to Washington to engage in<\/a> recent days to lobby directly with the administration, as reported by sources.\u00a0 On March 31, Trump said that he held negotiations with Stellantis Chairman John Elkann. Ford Executive Chair Bill Ford, great-grandson of architect Henry Ford, held a meeting last week with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Chief Financial Officer Paul Jacobson, GM CEO Mary Barra and other executives have been conferring with government officials since the president announced the tariffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Detroit automakers have accepted that they are prepared to pay tariffs on finished vehicles and major parts such as engines and transmissions. However, company representatives have informed the administration that tariffs on parts would result in cost increases totaling billions of dollars, leading to layoffs and profit warnings that would run counter to Trump\u2019s goal<\/a> of building up the industry, one of the people said. On March 31, Trump refrained from commenting on whether the administration would exempt certain car parts from the tariffs. He noted that he had already offered automakers \u201ca break\u201d by delaying the tariffs for a month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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President Donald Trump\u2019s tariffs, designed to strengthen the American auto industry, are likely to impact U.S. car manufacturers who have increasingly sourced components from low-cost countries for their modern vehicles. The administration intends to impose taxes on auto components in addition to the upcoming 25% tariffs on fully assembled vehicles, scheduled to begin in April 3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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U.S. automakers Ford Motor Co., Chrysler parent Stellantis NV and General Motors Co. are lobbying <\/a>the Trump administration to exempt certain low-cost car parts from the planned tariffs<\/a>. Executives have consulted with the White House and the office of the U.S. Trade Representative to examine the exclusion, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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NetChoice and various tech organizations have aligned their outreach with DOGE\u2019s priorities, suggesting anti-Microsoft actions that aim to \u201csave taxpayers billions next year.\u201d Amazon and Google assert that Microsoft unfairly confines the government to lengthy, disadvantageous contracts, which could exclude billions in contracts from its rivals.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Google & Amazon lobbies DOGE to challenge Microsoft on US federal contracts","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"google-amazon-lobbies-doge-to-challenge-microsoft-on-us-federal-contracts","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-07 20:57:48","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-07 20:57:48","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7487","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7482,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-07 15:54:11","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-07 15:54:11","post_content":"\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A report from a government-appointed cyber advisory board in April 2024 criticized Microsoft sharply for the hack. Notably, victims of the breach included then-commerce secretary Gina Raimondo and officials from the State Department. Their emails were accessed right before a meeting between then-US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese President Xi Jinping<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Competing with Microsoft, especially alongside Musk\u2019s team of Silicon Valley engineers, highlights its recent performance in cybersecurity. In 2023, hackers linked to the Chinese <\/a>government breached the company\u2019s cloud environment, affecting tens of thousands of individual emails from the US government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In a letter to the DOGE in March, NetChoice- a group that includes Amazon and Google- stressed the need to address Microsoft\u2019s purported \u201cmonopoly\u201d in government software, asserting that it leads to increased prices and poor cybersecurity outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Congress is also undertaking a similar effort. Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican from Iowa and founder of the DOGE Caucus, serves as the lead co-sponsor for a piece of legislation that would direct federal agencies to streamline their software licenses and embrace new enterprise license agreements. Ernst, who mentioned in November that her initiative could potentially save around \u20ac680 million each year, did not reply to a request for comment. The House presented its version of the bill in late March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On March 26, federal chief information officer Greg Barbaccia, previously an executive at Peter Thiel\u2019s Palantir, urged all federal agencies to compile a list of their licenses for the five largest software vendors, a list that Microsoft tops. Barbaccia described it as an effort to \u201cstop wasteful spending.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This is uncharted territory for these companies, whose connections within government agencies have little value when it\u2019s the amorphous group led by Musk <\/a>and mostly made up of young engineers calling the shots. Indications suggest that their initiatives, such as meetings with Acting GSA Administrator Stephen Ehikian, are beginning to yield results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Google aims to expand its software offerings for government agencies. Many of which continue to depend on Microsoft\u2019s outdated productivity tools like Outlook and Word. To strengthen its position in federal cloud computing, Amazon contends that Microsoft has unfairly sidelined competitors by bundling its cloud services with its software offerings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Alex Haurek, a Microsoft spokesperson, said in a statement that it\u2019s \u201cconcerning but unsurprising to see certain industry players trying to manipulate decision makers, through shadowy <\/a>front groups, rather than competing transparently on price and quality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The trade associations are contacting members of the congressional \u201cDOGE caucus,\u201d which consists of lawmakers backing Musk\u2019s initiatives, and DOGE representatives in several federal agencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Amazon and Google are actively promoting this message through technology trade groups such as NetChoice, expanding their lobbying efforts and attributing the blame to Microsoft\u2019s extensive practices contracts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Alphabet, Google, and Amazon have discovered a way to benefit from the tumultuous landscape of Elon Musk\u2019s government efficiency department, according to Bloomberg. The companies\u2019 lobbyists in Washington witness their greatest chance to attain a long-sought goal: breaking Microsoft\u2019s longstanding hold on the multi-billion-dollar government software market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The adjustments indicate that Gazprom Neft no longer holds an absolute majority in NIS. This follows a comparable situation in 2022, when the company evaded EU sanctions related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine<\/a>. However, it remained uncertain if a similar action would appease U.S. regulators.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Serbia hires U.S. lobbyists to navigate sanctions on Russian-backed NIS","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"serbia-hires-u-s-lobbyists-to-navigate-sanctions-on-russian-backed-nis","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-08 21:14:45","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-08 21:14:45","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7497","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7487,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-07 20:57:47","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-07 20:57:47","post_content":"\n

Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Following NIS's first request for a sanctions waiver on February 4, OFAC extended the sanctions by 30 days on February 27 to give the company time to negotiate a resolution with the Russian firms. On February 26, Gazprom Neft transferred approximately 5.15% of its stake in NIS to Gazprom as a strategy to avoid sanctions. Bajatovic stated that this action should have been adequate to guarantee the lifting of the sanctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Russia's oil industry on January 10, with 45 days to sell stakes in NIS granted to Gazprom Neft. \"Their attorneys have informed OFAC they are seeking to be delisted from the sanctions list,\" declared Srbijagas CEO Dusan Bajatovic to the RTS public broadcaster. Srbijagas is also in a partnership with Gazprom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Srbijagas' CEO said that Serbian oil company NIS, whose majority shareholder is Russian Gazprom Neft and Gazprom, applied a second time to the U.S. for a sanctions waiver. Sanctions can lead to reduced crude supply for NIS, which has only one oil refinery in Serbia with a yearly capacity of 4.8 million tons that provides the majority of the needs of the Balkan nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There are no reports as to whether such a contract has been signed. The document also states that Blacksmith will \"participate in political activities\" to help Serbia adhere to the sanctions, states NE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ivica Koji\u0107, chief of staff to the President of Serbia, is identified as the official through whom Blacksmith was employed, according to the document. \"Blexamite's engagement with the Republic of Serbia was agreed upon orally. A formal written contract is expected to be signed<\/a> in the near future,\" the document states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Serbia enlisted the American lobbying company Blacksmith Capital due to the sanctions imposed on NIS. The agreement with this firm is set to be signed soon. Blacksmith will assist Serbia in \"aligning with sanctions recently introduced in relation to the energy sector,\" according to a document from the US Department of Justice, as reported by Filip Rudi\u0107 for The New Economy. Serbia is represented in this deal by the cabinet of President Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 and the Ministry of Finance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Serbia hired the American lobbying firm Blacksmith Capital because of the sanctions against NIS. The agreement with this company will be signed soon. Blacksmith will help Serbia with \"alignment with sanctions which were recently introduced in connection with the energy sector,\" states the document of the US Department of Justice, writes Filip Rudi\u0107 for The New Economy. Serbia is represented in this agreement by the cabinet of President Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 and the Ministry of Finance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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That ties has intensified in response to Turkey\u2019s increasing influence in Syria. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited Israel on March 30, and Greece is in negotiations with Israel to acquire its Barak medium-range air defense systems.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Netanyahu lobbies US\u2019s Rubio to halt F-35 deal with Turkey","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"netanyahu-lobbies-uss-rubio-to-halt-f-35-deal-with-turkey","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-09 16:09:43","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-09 16:09:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7500","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7497,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-08 21:14:44","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-08 21:14:44","post_content":"\n

Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cyprus, Greece, and Israel have been increasingly worried about Turkey's growing influence in the region after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's government in Syria by Islamist rebels towards the end of last year. With Ankara's allies already stationed<\/a> in Damascus, Greece and Cyprus are concerned that Turkey might follow a sea agreement it had made with Libya's Tripoli government. Greece and Israel have been strengthening their military ties for a decade, with US support, partly in response to that maritime deal with Libya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Greece is the regional historical adversary of Turkey. Greece was invaded by Turkey in northern Cyprus in 1974 when an attempt at uniting it with Greece failed in a coup bid. More than 35,000 Turkish troops are stationed in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, a country which is supported by no other UN member apart from Turkey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As a Republican Senator, Rubio took a significant interest in the Eastern Mediterranean. He legislated to enhance security and energy cooperation between Greece, Cyprus, and Israel. Rubio co-sponsored the 2019 Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act, which granted foreign military financing to Greece and lifted a prohibition on the sale of defense articles to the Republic of Cyprus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The sources revealed that Netanyahu has raised the F-35 matter with Rubio on several occasions, including during a call that took place prior to Rubio receiving his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, in Washington, DC on March 25. A transcript of the meeting issued by the State Department stated that the two men discussed \"close cooperation to support a stable, unified, peaceful Syria.\" Rubio and Fidan also shared a warm hug on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Brussels in April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rubio is one of the leading Turkey critics in Trump\u2019s team. He was among the lone American officials who objected to the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on March 19. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rubio and Turkey: A Closer Look<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Rubio is one of the leading Turkey critics in Trump\u2019s team. He was among the lone American officials who objected to the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on March 19. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sources revealed that Netanyahu has raised the F-35 matter with Rubio on several occasions, including during a call that took place prior to Rubio receiving his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, in Washington, DC on March 25. A transcript of the meeting issued by the State Department stated that the two men discussed \"close cooperation to support a stable, unified, peaceful Syria.\" Rubio and Fidan also shared a warm hug on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Brussels in April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a Republican Senator, Rubio took a significant interest in the Eastern Mediterranean. He legislated to enhance security and energy cooperation between Greece, Cyprus, and Israel. Rubio co-sponsored the 2019 Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act, which granted foreign military financing to Greece and lifted a prohibition on the sale of defense articles to the Republic of Cyprus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Greece is the regional historical adversary of Turkey. Greece was invaded by Turkey in northern Cyprus in 1974 when an attempt at uniting it with Greece failed in a coup bid. More than 35,000 Turkish troops are stationed in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, a country which is supported by no other UN member apart from Turkey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cyprus, Greece, and Israel have been increasingly worried about Turkey's growing influence in the region after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's government in Syria by Islamist rebels towards the end of last year. With Ankara's allies already stationed<\/a> in Damascus, Greece and Cyprus are concerned that Turkey might follow a sea agreement it had made with Libya's Tripoli government. Greece and Israel have been strengthening their military ties for a decade, with US support, partly in response to that maritime deal with Libya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That ties has intensified in response to Turkey\u2019s increasing influence in Syria. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited Israel on March 30, and Greece is in negotiations with Israel to acquire its Barak medium-range air defense systems.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Netanyahu lobbies US\u2019s Rubio to halt F-35 deal with Turkey","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"netanyahu-lobbies-uss-rubio-to-halt-f-35-deal-with-turkey","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-09 16:09:43","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-09 16:09:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7500","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7497,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-08 21:14:44","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-08 21:14:44","post_content":"\n
Serbia hired the American lobbying firm Blacksmith Capital because of the sanctions against NIS. The agreement with this company will be signed soon. Blacksmith will help Serbia with \"alignment with sanctions which were recently introduced in connection with the energy sector,\" states the document of the US Department of Justice, writes Filip Rudi\u0107 for The New Economy. Serbia is represented in this agreement by the cabinet of President Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 and the Ministry of Finance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Serbia enlisted the American lobbying company Blacksmith Capital due to the sanctions imposed on NIS. The agreement with this firm is set to be signed soon. Blacksmith will assist Serbia in \"aligning with sanctions recently introduced in relation to the energy sector,\" according to a document from the US Department of Justice, as reported by Filip Rudi\u0107 for The New Economy. Serbia is represented in this deal by the cabinet of President Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 and the Ministry of Finance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivica Koji\u0107, chief of staff to the President of Serbia, is identified as the official through whom Blacksmith was employed, according to the document. \"Blexamite's engagement with the Republic of Serbia was agreed upon orally. A formal written contract is expected to be signed<\/a> in the near future,\" the document states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are no reports as to whether such a contract has been signed. The document also states that Blacksmith will \"participate in political activities\" to help Serbia adhere to the sanctions, states NE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Srbijagas' CEO said that Serbian oil company NIS, whose majority shareholder is Russian Gazprom Neft and Gazprom, applied a second time to the U.S. for a sanctions waiver. Sanctions can lead to reduced crude supply for NIS, which has only one oil refinery in Serbia with a yearly capacity of 4.8 million tons that provides the majority of the needs of the Balkan nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Russia's oil industry on January 10, with 45 days to sell stakes in NIS granted to Gazprom Neft. \"Their attorneys have informed OFAC they are seeking to be delisted from the sanctions list,\" declared Srbijagas CEO Dusan Bajatovic to the RTS public broadcaster. Srbijagas is also in a partnership with Gazprom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following NIS's first request for a sanctions waiver on February 4, OFAC extended the sanctions by 30 days on February 27 to give the company time to negotiate a resolution with the Russian firms. On February 26, Gazprom Neft transferred approximately 5.15% of its stake in NIS to Gazprom as a strategy to avoid sanctions. Bajatovic stated that this action should have been adequate to guarantee the lifting of the sanctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The adjustments indicate that Gazprom Neft no longer holds an absolute majority in NIS. This follows a comparable situation in 2022, when the company evaded EU sanctions related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine<\/a>. However, it remained uncertain if a similar action would appease U.S. regulators.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Serbia hires U.S. lobbyists to navigate sanctions on Russian-backed NIS","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"serbia-hires-u-s-lobbyists-to-navigate-sanctions-on-russian-backed-nis","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-08 21:14:45","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-08 21:14:45","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7497","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7487,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-07 20:57:47","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-07 20:57:47","post_content":"\n
Alphabet, Google, and Amazon have discovered a way to benefit from the tumultuous landscape of Elon Musk\u2019s government efficiency department, according to Bloomberg. The companies\u2019 lobbyists in Washington witness their greatest chance to attain a long-sought goal: breaking Microsoft\u2019s longstanding hold on the multi-billion-dollar government software market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Amazon and Google are actively promoting this message through technology trade groups such as NetChoice, expanding their lobbying efforts and attributing the blame to Microsoft\u2019s extensive practices contracts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trade associations are contacting members of the congressional \u201cDOGE caucus,\u201d which consists of lawmakers backing Musk\u2019s initiatives, and DOGE representatives in several federal agencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alex Haurek, a Microsoft spokesperson, said in a statement that it\u2019s \u201cconcerning but unsurprising to see certain industry players trying to manipulate decision makers, through shadowy <\/a>front groups, rather than competing transparently on price and quality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google aims to expand its software offerings for government agencies. Many of which continue to depend on Microsoft\u2019s outdated productivity tools like Outlook and Word. To strengthen its position in federal cloud computing, Amazon contends that Microsoft has unfairly sidelined competitors by bundling its cloud services with its software offerings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is uncharted territory for these companies, whose connections within government agencies have little value when it\u2019s the amorphous group led by Musk <\/a>and mostly made up of young engineers calling the shots. Indications suggest that their initiatives, such as meetings with Acting GSA Administrator Stephen Ehikian, are beginning to yield results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On March 26, federal chief information officer Greg Barbaccia, previously an executive at Peter Thiel\u2019s Palantir, urged all federal agencies to compile a list of their licenses for the five largest software vendors, a list that Microsoft tops. Barbaccia described it as an effort to \u201cstop wasteful spending.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Congress is also undertaking a similar effort. Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican from Iowa and founder of the DOGE Caucus, serves as the lead co-sponsor for a piece of legislation that would direct federal agencies to streamline their software licenses and embrace new enterprise license agreements. Ernst, who mentioned in November that her initiative could potentially save around \u20ac680 million each year, did not reply to a request for comment. The House presented its version of the bill in late March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a letter to the DOGE in March, NetChoice- a group that includes Amazon and Google- stressed the need to address Microsoft\u2019s purported \u201cmonopoly\u201d in government software, asserting that it leads to increased prices and poor cybersecurity outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Competing with Microsoft, especially alongside Musk\u2019s team of Silicon Valley engineers, highlights its recent performance in cybersecurity. In 2023, hackers linked to the Chinese <\/a>government breached the company\u2019s cloud environment, affecting tens of thousands of individual emails from the US government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A report from a government-appointed cyber advisory board in April 2024 criticized Microsoft sharply for the hack. Notably, victims of the breach included then-commerce secretary Gina Raimondo and officials from the State Department. Their emails were accessed right before a meeting between then-US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese President Xi Jinping<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NetChoice and various tech organizations have aligned their outreach with DOGE\u2019s priorities, suggesting anti-Microsoft actions that aim to \u201csave taxpayers billions next year.\u201d Amazon and Google assert that Microsoft unfairly confines the government to lengthy, disadvantageous contracts, which could exclude billions in contracts from its rivals.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Google & Amazon lobbies DOGE to challenge Microsoft on US federal contracts","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"google-amazon-lobbies-doge-to-challenge-microsoft-on-us-federal-contracts","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-07 20:57:48","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-07 20:57:48","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7487","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7482,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-07 15:54:11","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-07 15:54:11","post_content":"\n
U.S. automakers Ford Motor Co., Chrysler parent Stellantis NV and General Motors Co. are lobbying <\/a>the Trump administration to exempt certain low-cost car parts from the planned tariffs<\/a>. Executives have consulted with the White House and the office of the U.S. Trade Representative to examine the exclusion, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Donald Trump\u2019s tariffs, designed to strengthen the American auto industry, are likely to impact U.S. car manufacturers who have increasingly sourced components from low-cost countries for their modern vehicles. The administration intends to impose taxes on auto components in addition to the upcoming 25% tariffs on fully assembled vehicles, scheduled to begin in April 3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Detroit automakers have accepted that they are prepared to pay tariffs on finished vehicles and major parts such as engines and transmissions. However, company representatives have informed the administration that tariffs on parts would result in cost increases totaling billions of dollars, leading to layoffs and profit warnings that would run counter to Trump\u2019s goal<\/a> of building up the industry, one of the people said. On March 31, Trump refrained from commenting on whether the administration would exempt certain car parts from the tariffs. He noted that he had already offered automakers \u201ca break\u201d by delaying the tariffs for a month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the tariff deadline nearing, automakers have recently dispatched their senior executives to Washington to engage in<\/a> recent days to lobby directly with the administration, as reported by sources.\u00a0 On March 31, Trump said that he held negotiations with Stellantis Chairman John Elkann. Ford Executive Chair Bill Ford, great-grandson of architect Henry Ford, held a meeting last week with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Chief Financial Officer Paul Jacobson, GM CEO Mary Barra and other executives have been conferring with government officials since the president announced the tariffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Trump's executive order, 25% tariffs on fully built cars would begin April 3, but levies on major parts like engines, Transmissions and electrical systems are set to start on May 3. Additionally, the president intends to announce reciprocal tariffs affecting several countries on April 2. It\u2019s uncertain if those milestones serve as deadlines for reaching an agreement on auto parts. The automakers believe there's an opportunity to obtain tariff relief on parts since that part of Trump\u2019s executive order was finalized late during the drafting process on March 26.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since that time, executives and their lobbyists have been striving to inform the administration about the economic intricacies of the global auto parts network production. For instance, inexpensive commodity items such as video screens are primarily produced abroad, where labor costs are lower. If every auto part manufactured overseas faced import taxes, the U.S. market would have hardly any tariff-free cars available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To gain Trump's favor, automotive representatives are highlighting their support for his objectives of increasing automobile production within the U.S. and boosting America\u2019s manufacturing sector. They have committed to developing strategies to achieve this, but their immediate focus is obtaining a reduction in parts costs first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","post_title":"US automakers lobby Trump to exempt car parts from tariffs","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-automakers-lobby-trump-to-exempt-car-parts-from-tariffs","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-07 15:54:13","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-07 15:54:13","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7482","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7479,"post_author":"8","post_date":"2025-04-05 15:39:57","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-05 15:39:57","post_content":"\n
The chief executive of Meta, tech giant Mark Zuckerberg<\/a>, has lobbied President Trump and his ministers to resolve a federal antitrust lawsuit against his firm scheduled for trial on April 14, according to sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr. Zuckerberg has traveled multiple times to the White House and Mar-a-Lago to address this issue and others, according to sources. His latest visit to the White House was Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2020, during Mr. Trump\u2019s first term, the Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against Meta. It is alleged that the company hindered competition by acquiring emerging start-ups like Instagram and WhatsApp. Thereby preventing them from evolving into fully developed businesses. Meta might settle the lawsuit, but it remains uncertain if Mr. Zuckerberg\u2019s actions have prompted the Trump administration to contemplate a settlement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Andy Stone, a Meta spokesperson and owner of Facebook, stated that the company \u201cfrequently engages with policymakers to address issues related to competitiveness, national security, and economic growth.\u201d Earlier reports<\/a> from The Wall Street Journal provided details on these meetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In its complaint, the F.T.C. asserted that Meta broke antitrust law by buying young competitors and robbing consumers of other social media sites. The F.T.C. contended that Meta's 2012 acquisition of the photo-sharing platform Instagram for $1 billion and its 2014 acquisition of the messaging platform WhatsApp for $19 billion must not have been permitted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meta has refuted claims that it acquired Instagram and WhatsApp to stifle competition. It emphasises its significant investments in innovation for these apps. Additionally, Meta stated that it still encounters strong competition from rivals such as TikTok, YouTube, Snap, and iMessage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp turned out to be insightful decisions. Instagram now plays a vital role in Meta\u2019s operations, contributing billions in yearly revenue. Meanwhile, WhatsApp has grown fourfold to reach two billion users and has begun to generate substantial revenue for Meta. A federal judge dismissed the antitrust lawsuit in 2021. However, it was quickly reintroduced after the F.T.C. provided additional evidence and analysis to bolster its assertions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now a trial is set to start in less than two weeks. The trial will likely involve testimony from Meta's high-profile executives. It includes Mr. Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg, former chief operating officer, and Kevin Systrom, co-founder of Instagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr. Zuckerberg\u2019s visits to the White House aim to strengthen Meta\u2019s ties with the government. It is particularly aimed at Mr. Trump, following previous conflicts. In December, Meta revealed a $1 million donation to Mr. Trump\u2019s inaugural fund. Additionally, Mr. Zuckerberg elevated Joel Kaplan, a long-serving Republican executive at Meta, to lead the company\u2019s global public policy efforts and enhance connections with the Trump administration.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mark Zuckerberg lobbies Trump over upcoming Meta antitrust trial","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"mark-zuckerberg-lobbies-trump-over-upcoming-meta-antitrust-trial","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-07 15:40:35","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-07 15:40:35","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7479","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":11},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};

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\n
Turkey\u2019s command of the bases is part of a pending defense agreement that Ankara and Damascus have been negotiating since December. The pact would involve Turkey providing air cover and military protection for Syria\u2019s new government, which currently lacks a functional military. Netanyahu and his counsels view Rubio as a strong ally in efforts to prevent Turkey from acquiring F-35s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rubio and Turkey: A Closer Look<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Rubio is one of the leading Turkey critics in Trump\u2019s team. He was among the lone American officials who objected to the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on March 19. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sources revealed that Netanyahu has raised the F-35 matter with Rubio on several occasions, including during a call that took place prior to Rubio receiving his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, in Washington, DC on March 25. A transcript of the meeting issued by the State Department stated that the two men discussed \"close cooperation to support a stable, unified, peaceful Syria.\" Rubio and Fidan also shared a warm hug on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Brussels in April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a Republican Senator, Rubio took a significant interest in the Eastern Mediterranean. He legislated to enhance security and energy cooperation between Greece, Cyprus, and Israel. Rubio co-sponsored the 2019 Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act, which granted foreign military financing to Greece and lifted a prohibition on the sale of defense articles to the Republic of Cyprus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Greece is the regional historical adversary of Turkey. Greece was invaded by Turkey in northern Cyprus in 1974 when an attempt at uniting it with Greece failed in a coup bid. More than 35,000 Turkish troops are stationed in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, a country which is supported by no other UN member apart from Turkey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cyprus, Greece, and Israel have been increasingly worried about Turkey's growing influence in the region after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's government in Syria by Islamist rebels towards the end of last year. With Ankara's allies already stationed<\/a> in Damascus, Greece and Cyprus are concerned that Turkey might follow a sea agreement it had made with Libya's Tripoli government. Greece and Israel have been strengthening their military ties for a decade, with US support, partly in response to that maritime deal with Libya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That ties has intensified in response to Turkey\u2019s increasing influence in Syria. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited Israel on March 30, and Greece is in negotiations with Israel to acquire its Barak medium-range air defense systems.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Netanyahu lobbies US\u2019s Rubio to halt F-35 deal with Turkey","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"netanyahu-lobbies-uss-rubio-to-halt-f-35-deal-with-turkey","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-09 16:09:43","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-09 16:09:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7500","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7497,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-08 21:14:44","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-08 21:14:44","post_content":"\n
Serbia hired the American lobbying firm Blacksmith Capital because of the sanctions against NIS. The agreement with this company will be signed soon. Blacksmith will help Serbia with \"alignment with sanctions which were recently introduced in connection with the energy sector,\" states the document of the US Department of Justice, writes Filip Rudi\u0107 for The New Economy. Serbia is represented in this agreement by the cabinet of President Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 and the Ministry of Finance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Serbia enlisted the American lobbying company Blacksmith Capital due to the sanctions imposed on NIS. The agreement with this firm is set to be signed soon. Blacksmith will assist Serbia in \"aligning with sanctions recently introduced in relation to the energy sector,\" according to a document from the US Department of Justice, as reported by Filip Rudi\u0107 for The New Economy. Serbia is represented in this deal by the cabinet of President Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 and the Ministry of Finance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivica Koji\u0107, chief of staff to the President of Serbia, is identified as the official through whom Blacksmith was employed, according to the document. \"Blexamite's engagement with the Republic of Serbia was agreed upon orally. A formal written contract is expected to be signed<\/a> in the near future,\" the document states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are no reports as to whether such a contract has been signed. The document also states that Blacksmith will \"participate in political activities\" to help Serbia adhere to the sanctions, states NE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Srbijagas' CEO said that Serbian oil company NIS, whose majority shareholder is Russian Gazprom Neft and Gazprom, applied a second time to the U.S. for a sanctions waiver. Sanctions can lead to reduced crude supply for NIS, which has only one oil refinery in Serbia with a yearly capacity of 4.8 million tons that provides the majority of the needs of the Balkan nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Russia's oil industry on January 10, with 45 days to sell stakes in NIS granted to Gazprom Neft. \"Their attorneys have informed OFAC they are seeking to be delisted from the sanctions list,\" declared Srbijagas CEO Dusan Bajatovic to the RTS public broadcaster. Srbijagas is also in a partnership with Gazprom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following NIS's first request for a sanctions waiver on February 4, OFAC extended the sanctions by 30 days on February 27 to give the company time to negotiate a resolution with the Russian firms. On February 26, Gazprom Neft transferred approximately 5.15% of its stake in NIS to Gazprom as a strategy to avoid sanctions. Bajatovic stated that this action should have been adequate to guarantee the lifting of the sanctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The adjustments indicate that Gazprom Neft no longer holds an absolute majority in NIS. This follows a comparable situation in 2022, when the company evaded EU sanctions related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine<\/a>. However, it remained uncertain if a similar action would appease U.S. regulators.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Serbia hires U.S. lobbyists to navigate sanctions on Russian-backed NIS","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"serbia-hires-u-s-lobbyists-to-navigate-sanctions-on-russian-backed-nis","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-08 21:14:45","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-08 21:14:45","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7497","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7487,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-07 20:57:47","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-07 20:57:47","post_content":"\n
Alphabet, Google, and Amazon have discovered a way to benefit from the tumultuous landscape of Elon Musk\u2019s government efficiency department, according to Bloomberg. The companies\u2019 lobbyists in Washington witness their greatest chance to attain a long-sought goal: breaking Microsoft\u2019s longstanding hold on the multi-billion-dollar government software market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Amazon and Google are actively promoting this message through technology trade groups such as NetChoice, expanding their lobbying efforts and attributing the blame to Microsoft\u2019s extensive practices contracts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trade associations are contacting members of the congressional \u201cDOGE caucus,\u201d which consists of lawmakers backing Musk\u2019s initiatives, and DOGE representatives in several federal agencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alex Haurek, a Microsoft spokesperson, said in a statement that it\u2019s \u201cconcerning but unsurprising to see certain industry players trying to manipulate decision makers, through shadowy <\/a>front groups, rather than competing transparently on price and quality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google aims to expand its software offerings for government agencies. Many of which continue to depend on Microsoft\u2019s outdated productivity tools like Outlook and Word. To strengthen its position in federal cloud computing, Amazon contends that Microsoft has unfairly sidelined competitors by bundling its cloud services with its software offerings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is uncharted territory for these companies, whose connections within government agencies have little value when it\u2019s the amorphous group led by Musk <\/a>and mostly made up of young engineers calling the shots. Indications suggest that their initiatives, such as meetings with Acting GSA Administrator Stephen Ehikian, are beginning to yield results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On March 26, federal chief information officer Greg Barbaccia, previously an executive at Peter Thiel\u2019s Palantir, urged all federal agencies to compile a list of their licenses for the five largest software vendors, a list that Microsoft tops. Barbaccia described it as an effort to \u201cstop wasteful spending.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Congress is also undertaking a similar effort. Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican from Iowa and founder of the DOGE Caucus, serves as the lead co-sponsor for a piece of legislation that would direct federal agencies to streamline their software licenses and embrace new enterprise license agreements. Ernst, who mentioned in November that her initiative could potentially save around \u20ac680 million each year, did not reply to a request for comment. The House presented its version of the bill in late March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a letter to the DOGE in March, NetChoice- a group that includes Amazon and Google- stressed the need to address Microsoft\u2019s purported \u201cmonopoly\u201d in government software, asserting that it leads to increased prices and poor cybersecurity outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Competing with Microsoft, especially alongside Musk\u2019s team of Silicon Valley engineers, highlights its recent performance in cybersecurity. In 2023, hackers linked to the Chinese <\/a>government breached the company\u2019s cloud environment, affecting tens of thousands of individual emails from the US government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A report from a government-appointed cyber advisory board in April 2024 criticized Microsoft sharply for the hack. Notably, victims of the breach included then-commerce secretary Gina Raimondo and officials from the State Department. Their emails were accessed right before a meeting between then-US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese President Xi Jinping<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NetChoice and various tech organizations have aligned their outreach with DOGE\u2019s priorities, suggesting anti-Microsoft actions that aim to \u201csave taxpayers billions next year.\u201d Amazon and Google assert that Microsoft unfairly confines the government to lengthy, disadvantageous contracts, which could exclude billions in contracts from its rivals.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Google & Amazon lobbies DOGE to challenge Microsoft on US federal contracts","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"google-amazon-lobbies-doge-to-challenge-microsoft-on-us-federal-contracts","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-07 20:57:48","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-07 20:57:48","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7487","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7482,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-07 15:54:11","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-07 15:54:11","post_content":"\n
U.S. automakers Ford Motor Co., Chrysler parent Stellantis NV and General Motors Co. are lobbying <\/a>the Trump administration to exempt certain low-cost car parts from the planned tariffs<\/a>. Executives have consulted with the White House and the office of the U.S. Trade Representative to examine the exclusion, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Donald Trump\u2019s tariffs, designed to strengthen the American auto industry, are likely to impact U.S. car manufacturers who have increasingly sourced components from low-cost countries for their modern vehicles. The administration intends to impose taxes on auto components in addition to the upcoming 25% tariffs on fully assembled vehicles, scheduled to begin in April 3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Detroit automakers have accepted that they are prepared to pay tariffs on finished vehicles and major parts such as engines and transmissions. However, company representatives have informed the administration that tariffs on parts would result in cost increases totaling billions of dollars, leading to layoffs and profit warnings that would run counter to Trump\u2019s goal<\/a> of building up the industry, one of the people said. On March 31, Trump refrained from commenting on whether the administration would exempt certain car parts from the tariffs. He noted that he had already offered automakers \u201ca break\u201d by delaying the tariffs for a month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the tariff deadline nearing, automakers have recently dispatched their senior executives to Washington to engage in<\/a> recent days to lobby directly with the administration, as reported by sources.\u00a0 On March 31, Trump said that he held negotiations with Stellantis Chairman John Elkann. Ford Executive Chair Bill Ford, great-grandson of architect Henry Ford, held a meeting last week with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Chief Financial Officer Paul Jacobson, GM CEO Mary Barra and other executives have been conferring with government officials since the president announced the tariffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Trump's executive order, 25% tariffs on fully built cars would begin April 3, but levies on major parts like engines, Transmissions and electrical systems are set to start on May 3. Additionally, the president intends to announce reciprocal tariffs affecting several countries on April 2. It\u2019s uncertain if those milestones serve as deadlines for reaching an agreement on auto parts. The automakers believe there's an opportunity to obtain tariff relief on parts since that part of Trump\u2019s executive order was finalized late during the drafting process on March 26.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since that time, executives and their lobbyists have been striving to inform the administration about the economic intricacies of the global auto parts network production. For instance, inexpensive commodity items such as video screens are primarily produced abroad, where labor costs are lower. If every auto part manufactured overseas faced import taxes, the U.S. market would have hardly any tariff-free cars available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To gain Trump's favor, automotive representatives are highlighting their support for his objectives of increasing automobile production within the U.S. and boosting America\u2019s manufacturing sector. They have committed to developing strategies to achieve this, but their immediate focus is obtaining a reduction in parts costs first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","post_title":"US automakers lobby Trump to exempt car parts from tariffs","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-automakers-lobby-trump-to-exempt-car-parts-from-tariffs","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-07 15:54:13","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-07 15:54:13","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7482","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7479,"post_author":"8","post_date":"2025-04-05 15:39:57","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-05 15:39:57","post_content":"\n
The chief executive of Meta, tech giant Mark Zuckerberg<\/a>, has lobbied President Trump and his ministers to resolve a federal antitrust lawsuit against his firm scheduled for trial on April 14, according to sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr. Zuckerberg has traveled multiple times to the White House and Mar-a-Lago to address this issue and others, according to sources. His latest visit to the White House was Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2020, during Mr. Trump\u2019s first term, the Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against Meta. It is alleged that the company hindered competition by acquiring emerging start-ups like Instagram and WhatsApp. Thereby preventing them from evolving into fully developed businesses. Meta might settle the lawsuit, but it remains uncertain if Mr. Zuckerberg\u2019s actions have prompted the Trump administration to contemplate a settlement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Andy Stone, a Meta spokesperson and owner of Facebook, stated that the company \u201cfrequently engages with policymakers to address issues related to competitiveness, national security, and economic growth.\u201d Earlier reports<\/a> from The Wall Street Journal provided details on these meetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In its complaint, the F.T.C. asserted that Meta broke antitrust law by buying young competitors and robbing consumers of other social media sites. The F.T.C. contended that Meta's 2012 acquisition of the photo-sharing platform Instagram for $1 billion and its 2014 acquisition of the messaging platform WhatsApp for $19 billion must not have been permitted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meta has refuted claims that it acquired Instagram and WhatsApp to stifle competition. It emphasises its significant investments in innovation for these apps. Additionally, Meta stated that it still encounters strong competition from rivals such as TikTok, YouTube, Snap, and iMessage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp turned out to be insightful decisions. Instagram now plays a vital role in Meta\u2019s operations, contributing billions in yearly revenue. Meanwhile, WhatsApp has grown fourfold to reach two billion users and has begun to generate substantial revenue for Meta. A federal judge dismissed the antitrust lawsuit in 2021. However, it was quickly reintroduced after the F.T.C. provided additional evidence and analysis to bolster its assertions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now a trial is set to start in less than two weeks. The trial will likely involve testimony from Meta's high-profile executives. It includes Mr. Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg, former chief operating officer, and Kevin Systrom, co-founder of Instagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr. Zuckerberg\u2019s visits to the White House aim to strengthen Meta\u2019s ties with the government. It is particularly aimed at Mr. Trump, following previous conflicts. In December, Meta revealed a $1 million donation to Mr. Trump\u2019s inaugural fund. Additionally, Mr. Zuckerberg elevated Joel Kaplan, a long-serving Republican executive at Meta, to lead the company\u2019s global public policy efforts and enhance connections with the Trump administration.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mark Zuckerberg lobbies Trump over upcoming Meta antitrust trial","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"mark-zuckerberg-lobbies-trump-over-upcoming-meta-antitrust-trial","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-07 15:40:35","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-07 15:40:35","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7479","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":11},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};

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Last week, Israel targeted three military bases in the country, including Syria\u2019s Tiyas air base, commonly referred to as T4. The strikes occurred as Israel identified a narrow window of opportunity to attack the bases before Turkey moved its military assets in. Turkey is deploying a Hisar-type air defense system to the T4 base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Turkey\u2019s command of the bases is part of a pending defense agreement that Ankara and Damascus have been negotiating since December. The pact would involve Turkey providing air cover and military protection for Syria\u2019s new government, which currently lacks a functional military. Netanyahu and his counsels view Rubio as a strong ally in efforts to prevent Turkey from acquiring F-35s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rubio and Turkey: A Closer Look<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Rubio is one of the leading Turkey critics in Trump\u2019s team. He was among the lone American officials who objected to the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on March 19. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sources revealed that Netanyahu has raised the F-35 matter with Rubio on several occasions, including during a call that took place prior to Rubio receiving his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, in Washington, DC on March 25. A transcript of the meeting issued by the State Department stated that the two men discussed \"close cooperation to support a stable, unified, peaceful Syria.\" Rubio and Fidan also shared a warm hug on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Brussels in April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a Republican Senator, Rubio took a significant interest in the Eastern Mediterranean. He legislated to enhance security and energy cooperation between Greece, Cyprus, and Israel. Rubio co-sponsored the 2019 Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act, which granted foreign military financing to Greece and lifted a prohibition on the sale of defense articles to the Republic of Cyprus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Greece is the regional historical adversary of Turkey. Greece was invaded by Turkey in northern Cyprus in 1974 when an attempt at uniting it with Greece failed in a coup bid. More than 35,000 Turkish troops are stationed in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, a country which is supported by no other UN member apart from Turkey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cyprus, Greece, and Israel have been increasingly worried about Turkey's growing influence in the region after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's government in Syria by Islamist rebels towards the end of last year. With Ankara's allies already stationed<\/a> in Damascus, Greece and Cyprus are concerned that Turkey might follow a sea agreement it had made with Libya's Tripoli government. Greece and Israel have been strengthening their military ties for a decade, with US support, partly in response to that maritime deal with Libya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That ties has intensified in response to Turkey\u2019s increasing influence in Syria. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited Israel on March 30, and Greece is in negotiations with Israel to acquire its Barak medium-range air defense systems.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Netanyahu lobbies US\u2019s Rubio to halt F-35 deal with Turkey","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"netanyahu-lobbies-uss-rubio-to-halt-f-35-deal-with-turkey","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-09 16:09:43","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-09 16:09:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7500","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7497,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-08 21:14:44","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-08 21:14:44","post_content":"\n
Serbia hired the American lobbying firm Blacksmith Capital because of the sanctions against NIS. The agreement with this company will be signed soon. Blacksmith will help Serbia with \"alignment with sanctions which were recently introduced in connection with the energy sector,\" states the document of the US Department of Justice, writes Filip Rudi\u0107 for The New Economy. Serbia is represented in this agreement by the cabinet of President Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 and the Ministry of Finance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Serbia enlisted the American lobbying company Blacksmith Capital due to the sanctions imposed on NIS. The agreement with this firm is set to be signed soon. Blacksmith will assist Serbia in \"aligning with sanctions recently introduced in relation to the energy sector,\" according to a document from the US Department of Justice, as reported by Filip Rudi\u0107 for The New Economy. Serbia is represented in this deal by the cabinet of President Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 and the Ministry of Finance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivica Koji\u0107, chief of staff to the President of Serbia, is identified as the official through whom Blacksmith was employed, according to the document. \"Blexamite's engagement with the Republic of Serbia was agreed upon orally. A formal written contract is expected to be signed<\/a> in the near future,\" the document states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are no reports as to whether such a contract has been signed. The document also states that Blacksmith will \"participate in political activities\" to help Serbia adhere to the sanctions, states NE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Srbijagas' CEO said that Serbian oil company NIS, whose majority shareholder is Russian Gazprom Neft and Gazprom, applied a second time to the U.S. for a sanctions waiver. Sanctions can lead to reduced crude supply for NIS, which has only one oil refinery in Serbia with a yearly capacity of 4.8 million tons that provides the majority of the needs of the Balkan nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Russia's oil industry on January 10, with 45 days to sell stakes in NIS granted to Gazprom Neft. \"Their attorneys have informed OFAC they are seeking to be delisted from the sanctions list,\" declared Srbijagas CEO Dusan Bajatovic to the RTS public broadcaster. Srbijagas is also in a partnership with Gazprom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following NIS's first request for a sanctions waiver on February 4, OFAC extended the sanctions by 30 days on February 27 to give the company time to negotiate a resolution with the Russian firms. On February 26, Gazprom Neft transferred approximately 5.15% of its stake in NIS to Gazprom as a strategy to avoid sanctions. Bajatovic stated that this action should have been adequate to guarantee the lifting of the sanctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The adjustments indicate that Gazprom Neft no longer holds an absolute majority in NIS. This follows a comparable situation in 2022, when the company evaded EU sanctions related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine<\/a>. However, it remained uncertain if a similar action would appease U.S. regulators.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Serbia hires U.S. lobbyists to navigate sanctions on Russian-backed NIS","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"serbia-hires-u-s-lobbyists-to-navigate-sanctions-on-russian-backed-nis","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-08 21:14:45","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-08 21:14:45","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7497","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7487,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-07 20:57:47","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-07 20:57:47","post_content":"\n
Alphabet, Google, and Amazon have discovered a way to benefit from the tumultuous landscape of Elon Musk\u2019s government efficiency department, according to Bloomberg. The companies\u2019 lobbyists in Washington witness their greatest chance to attain a long-sought goal: breaking Microsoft\u2019s longstanding hold on the multi-billion-dollar government software market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Amazon and Google are actively promoting this message through technology trade groups such as NetChoice, expanding their lobbying efforts and attributing the blame to Microsoft\u2019s extensive practices contracts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trade associations are contacting members of the congressional \u201cDOGE caucus,\u201d which consists of lawmakers backing Musk\u2019s initiatives, and DOGE representatives in several federal agencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alex Haurek, a Microsoft spokesperson, said in a statement that it\u2019s \u201cconcerning but unsurprising to see certain industry players trying to manipulate decision makers, through shadowy <\/a>front groups, rather than competing transparently on price and quality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google aims to expand its software offerings for government agencies. Many of which continue to depend on Microsoft\u2019s outdated productivity tools like Outlook and Word. To strengthen its position in federal cloud computing, Amazon contends that Microsoft has unfairly sidelined competitors by bundling its cloud services with its software offerings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is uncharted territory for these companies, whose connections within government agencies have little value when it\u2019s the amorphous group led by Musk <\/a>and mostly made up of young engineers calling the shots. Indications suggest that their initiatives, such as meetings with Acting GSA Administrator Stephen Ehikian, are beginning to yield results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On March 26, federal chief information officer Greg Barbaccia, previously an executive at Peter Thiel\u2019s Palantir, urged all federal agencies to compile a list of their licenses for the five largest software vendors, a list that Microsoft tops. Barbaccia described it as an effort to \u201cstop wasteful spending.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Congress is also undertaking a similar effort. Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican from Iowa and founder of the DOGE Caucus, serves as the lead co-sponsor for a piece of legislation that would direct federal agencies to streamline their software licenses and embrace new enterprise license agreements. Ernst, who mentioned in November that her initiative could potentially save around \u20ac680 million each year, did not reply to a request for comment. The House presented its version of the bill in late March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a letter to the DOGE in March, NetChoice- a group that includes Amazon and Google- stressed the need to address Microsoft\u2019s purported \u201cmonopoly\u201d in government software, asserting that it leads to increased prices and poor cybersecurity outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Competing with Microsoft, especially alongside Musk\u2019s team of Silicon Valley engineers, highlights its recent performance in cybersecurity. In 2023, hackers linked to the Chinese <\/a>government breached the company\u2019s cloud environment, affecting tens of thousands of individual emails from the US government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A report from a government-appointed cyber advisory board in April 2024 criticized Microsoft sharply for the hack. Notably, victims of the breach included then-commerce secretary Gina Raimondo and officials from the State Department. Their emails were accessed right before a meeting between then-US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese President Xi Jinping<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NetChoice and various tech organizations have aligned their outreach with DOGE\u2019s priorities, suggesting anti-Microsoft actions that aim to \u201csave taxpayers billions next year.\u201d Amazon and Google assert that Microsoft unfairly confines the government to lengthy, disadvantageous contracts, which could exclude billions in contracts from its rivals.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Google & Amazon lobbies DOGE to challenge Microsoft on US federal contracts","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"google-amazon-lobbies-doge-to-challenge-microsoft-on-us-federal-contracts","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-07 20:57:48","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-07 20:57:48","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7487","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7482,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-07 15:54:11","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-07 15:54:11","post_content":"\n
U.S. automakers Ford Motor Co., Chrysler parent Stellantis NV and General Motors Co. are lobbying <\/a>the Trump administration to exempt certain low-cost car parts from the planned tariffs<\/a>. Executives have consulted with the White House and the office of the U.S. Trade Representative to examine the exclusion, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Donald Trump\u2019s tariffs, designed to strengthen the American auto industry, are likely to impact U.S. car manufacturers who have increasingly sourced components from low-cost countries for their modern vehicles. The administration intends to impose taxes on auto components in addition to the upcoming 25% tariffs on fully assembled vehicles, scheduled to begin in April 3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Detroit automakers have accepted that they are prepared to pay tariffs on finished vehicles and major parts such as engines and transmissions. However, company representatives have informed the administration that tariffs on parts would result in cost increases totaling billions of dollars, leading to layoffs and profit warnings that would run counter to Trump\u2019s goal<\/a> of building up the industry, one of the people said. On March 31, Trump refrained from commenting on whether the administration would exempt certain car parts from the tariffs. He noted that he had already offered automakers \u201ca break\u201d by delaying the tariffs for a month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the tariff deadline nearing, automakers have recently dispatched their senior executives to Washington to engage in<\/a> recent days to lobby directly with the administration, as reported by sources.\u00a0 On March 31, Trump said that he held negotiations with Stellantis Chairman John Elkann. Ford Executive Chair Bill Ford, great-grandson of architect Henry Ford, held a meeting last week with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Chief Financial Officer Paul Jacobson, GM CEO Mary Barra and other executives have been conferring with government officials since the president announced the tariffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Trump's executive order, 25% tariffs on fully built cars would begin April 3, but levies on major parts like engines, Transmissions and electrical systems are set to start on May 3. Additionally, the president intends to announce reciprocal tariffs affecting several countries on April 2. It\u2019s uncertain if those milestones serve as deadlines for reaching an agreement on auto parts. The automakers believe there's an opportunity to obtain tariff relief on parts since that part of Trump\u2019s executive order was finalized late during the drafting process on March 26.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since that time, executives and their lobbyists have been striving to inform the administration about the economic intricacies of the global auto parts network production. For instance, inexpensive commodity items such as video screens are primarily produced abroad, where labor costs are lower. If every auto part manufactured overseas faced import taxes, the U.S. market would have hardly any tariff-free cars available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To gain Trump's favor, automotive representatives are highlighting their support for his objectives of increasing automobile production within the U.S. and boosting America\u2019s manufacturing sector. They have committed to developing strategies to achieve this, but their immediate focus is obtaining a reduction in parts costs first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","post_title":"US automakers lobby Trump to exempt car parts from tariffs","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-automakers-lobby-trump-to-exempt-car-parts-from-tariffs","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-07 15:54:13","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-07 15:54:13","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7482","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7479,"post_author":"8","post_date":"2025-04-05 15:39:57","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-05 15:39:57","post_content":"\n
The chief executive of Meta, tech giant Mark Zuckerberg<\/a>, has lobbied President Trump and his ministers to resolve a federal antitrust lawsuit against his firm scheduled for trial on April 14, according to sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr. Zuckerberg has traveled multiple times to the White House and Mar-a-Lago to address this issue and others, according to sources. His latest visit to the White House was Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2020, during Mr. Trump\u2019s first term, the Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against Meta. It is alleged that the company hindered competition by acquiring emerging start-ups like Instagram and WhatsApp. Thereby preventing them from evolving into fully developed businesses. Meta might settle the lawsuit, but it remains uncertain if Mr. Zuckerberg\u2019s actions have prompted the Trump administration to contemplate a settlement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Andy Stone, a Meta spokesperson and owner of Facebook, stated that the company \u201cfrequently engages with policymakers to address issues related to competitiveness, national security, and economic growth.\u201d Earlier reports<\/a> from The Wall Street Journal provided details on these meetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In its complaint, the F.T.C. asserted that Meta broke antitrust law by buying young competitors and robbing consumers of other social media sites. The F.T.C. contended that Meta's 2012 acquisition of the photo-sharing platform Instagram for $1 billion and its 2014 acquisition of the messaging platform WhatsApp for $19 billion must not have been permitted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meta has refuted claims that it acquired Instagram and WhatsApp to stifle competition. It emphasises its significant investments in innovation for these apps. Additionally, Meta stated that it still encounters strong competition from rivals such as TikTok, YouTube, Snap, and iMessage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp turned out to be insightful decisions. Instagram now plays a vital role in Meta\u2019s operations, contributing billions in yearly revenue. Meanwhile, WhatsApp has grown fourfold to reach two billion users and has begun to generate substantial revenue for Meta. A federal judge dismissed the antitrust lawsuit in 2021. However, it was quickly reintroduced after the F.T.C. provided additional evidence and analysis to bolster its assertions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now a trial is set to start in less than two weeks. The trial will likely involve testimony from Meta's high-profile executives. It includes Mr. Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg, former chief operating officer, and Kevin Systrom, co-founder of Instagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr. Zuckerberg\u2019s visits to the White House aim to strengthen Meta\u2019s ties with the government. It is particularly aimed at Mr. Trump, following previous conflicts. In December, Meta revealed a $1 million donation to Mr. Trump\u2019s inaugural fund. Additionally, Mr. Zuckerberg elevated Joel Kaplan, a long-serving Republican executive at Meta, to lead the company\u2019s global public policy efforts and enhance connections with the Trump administration.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mark Zuckerberg lobbies Trump over upcoming Meta antitrust trial","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"mark-zuckerberg-lobbies-trump-over-upcoming-meta-antitrust-trial","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-07 15:40:35","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-07 15:40:35","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7479","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":11},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};

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\n

Israel and Turkey\u2019s rivalry is intensifying in Syria<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Last week, Israel targeted three military bases in the country, including Syria\u2019s Tiyas air base, commonly referred to as T4. The strikes occurred as Israel identified a narrow window of opportunity to attack the bases before Turkey moved its military assets in. Turkey is deploying a Hisar-type air defense system to the T4 base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Turkey\u2019s command of the bases is part of a pending defense agreement that Ankara and Damascus have been negotiating since December. The pact would involve Turkey providing air cover and military protection for Syria\u2019s new government, which currently lacks a functional military. Netanyahu and his counsels view Rubio as a strong ally in efforts to prevent Turkey from acquiring F-35s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rubio and Turkey: A Closer Look<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Rubio is one of the leading Turkey critics in Trump\u2019s team. He was among the lone American officials who objected to the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on March 19. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sources revealed that Netanyahu has raised the F-35 matter with Rubio on several occasions, including during a call that took place prior to Rubio receiving his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, in Washington, DC on March 25. A transcript of the meeting issued by the State Department stated that the two men discussed \"close cooperation to support a stable, unified, peaceful Syria.\" Rubio and Fidan also shared a warm hug on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Brussels in April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a Republican Senator, Rubio took a significant interest in the Eastern Mediterranean. He legislated to enhance security and energy cooperation between Greece, Cyprus, and Israel. Rubio co-sponsored the 2019 Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act, which granted foreign military financing to Greece and lifted a prohibition on the sale of defense articles to the Republic of Cyprus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Greece is the regional historical adversary of Turkey. Greece was invaded by Turkey in northern Cyprus in 1974 when an attempt at uniting it with Greece failed in a coup bid. More than 35,000 Turkish troops are stationed in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, a country which is supported by no other UN member apart from Turkey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cyprus, Greece, and Israel have been increasingly worried about Turkey's growing influence in the region after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's government in Syria by Islamist rebels towards the end of last year. With Ankara's allies already stationed<\/a> in Damascus, Greece and Cyprus are concerned that Turkey might follow a sea agreement it had made with Libya's Tripoli government. Greece and Israel have been strengthening their military ties for a decade, with US support, partly in response to that maritime deal with Libya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That ties has intensified in response to Turkey\u2019s increasing influence in Syria. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited Israel on March 30, and Greece is in negotiations with Israel to acquire its Barak medium-range air defense systems.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Netanyahu lobbies US\u2019s Rubio to halt F-35 deal with Turkey","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"netanyahu-lobbies-uss-rubio-to-halt-f-35-deal-with-turkey","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-09 16:09:43","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-09 16:09:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7500","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7497,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-08 21:14:44","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-08 21:14:44","post_content":"\n
Serbia hired the American lobbying firm Blacksmith Capital because of the sanctions against NIS. The agreement with this company will be signed soon. Blacksmith will help Serbia with \"alignment with sanctions which were recently introduced in connection with the energy sector,\" states the document of the US Department of Justice, writes Filip Rudi\u0107 for The New Economy. Serbia is represented in this agreement by the cabinet of President Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 and the Ministry of Finance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Serbia enlisted the American lobbying company Blacksmith Capital due to the sanctions imposed on NIS. The agreement with this firm is set to be signed soon. Blacksmith will assist Serbia in \"aligning with sanctions recently introduced in relation to the energy sector,\" according to a document from the US Department of Justice, as reported by Filip Rudi\u0107 for The New Economy. Serbia is represented in this deal by the cabinet of President Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 and the Ministry of Finance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivica Koji\u0107, chief of staff to the President of Serbia, is identified as the official through whom Blacksmith was employed, according to the document. \"Blexamite's engagement with the Republic of Serbia was agreed upon orally. A formal written contract is expected to be signed<\/a> in the near future,\" the document states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are no reports as to whether such a contract has been signed. The document also states that Blacksmith will \"participate in political activities\" to help Serbia adhere to the sanctions, states NE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Srbijagas' CEO said that Serbian oil company NIS, whose majority shareholder is Russian Gazprom Neft and Gazprom, applied a second time to the U.S. for a sanctions waiver. Sanctions can lead to reduced crude supply for NIS, which has only one oil refinery in Serbia with a yearly capacity of 4.8 million tons that provides the majority of the needs of the Balkan nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Russia's oil industry on January 10, with 45 days to sell stakes in NIS granted to Gazprom Neft. \"Their attorneys have informed OFAC they are seeking to be delisted from the sanctions list,\" declared Srbijagas CEO Dusan Bajatovic to the RTS public broadcaster. Srbijagas is also in a partnership with Gazprom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following NIS's first request for a sanctions waiver on February 4, OFAC extended the sanctions by 30 days on February 27 to give the company time to negotiate a resolution with the Russian firms. On February 26, Gazprom Neft transferred approximately 5.15% of its stake in NIS to Gazprom as a strategy to avoid sanctions. Bajatovic stated that this action should have been adequate to guarantee the lifting of the sanctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The adjustments indicate that Gazprom Neft no longer holds an absolute majority in NIS. This follows a comparable situation in 2022, when the company evaded EU sanctions related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine<\/a>. However, it remained uncertain if a similar action would appease U.S. regulators.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Serbia hires U.S. lobbyists to navigate sanctions on Russian-backed NIS","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"serbia-hires-u-s-lobbyists-to-navigate-sanctions-on-russian-backed-nis","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-08 21:14:45","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-08 21:14:45","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7497","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7487,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-07 20:57:47","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-07 20:57:47","post_content":"\n
Alphabet, Google, and Amazon have discovered a way to benefit from the tumultuous landscape of Elon Musk\u2019s government efficiency department, according to Bloomberg. The companies\u2019 lobbyists in Washington witness their greatest chance to attain a long-sought goal: breaking Microsoft\u2019s longstanding hold on the multi-billion-dollar government software market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Amazon and Google are actively promoting this message through technology trade groups such as NetChoice, expanding their lobbying efforts and attributing the blame to Microsoft\u2019s extensive practices contracts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trade associations are contacting members of the congressional \u201cDOGE caucus,\u201d which consists of lawmakers backing Musk\u2019s initiatives, and DOGE representatives in several federal agencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alex Haurek, a Microsoft spokesperson, said in a statement that it\u2019s \u201cconcerning but unsurprising to see certain industry players trying to manipulate decision makers, through shadowy <\/a>front groups, rather than competing transparently on price and quality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google aims to expand its software offerings for government agencies. Many of which continue to depend on Microsoft\u2019s outdated productivity tools like Outlook and Word. To strengthen its position in federal cloud computing, Amazon contends that Microsoft has unfairly sidelined competitors by bundling its cloud services with its software offerings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is uncharted territory for these companies, whose connections within government agencies have little value when it\u2019s the amorphous group led by Musk <\/a>and mostly made up of young engineers calling the shots. Indications suggest that their initiatives, such as meetings with Acting GSA Administrator Stephen Ehikian, are beginning to yield results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On March 26, federal chief information officer Greg Barbaccia, previously an executive at Peter Thiel\u2019s Palantir, urged all federal agencies to compile a list of their licenses for the five largest software vendors, a list that Microsoft tops. Barbaccia described it as an effort to \u201cstop wasteful spending.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Congress is also undertaking a similar effort. Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican from Iowa and founder of the DOGE Caucus, serves as the lead co-sponsor for a piece of legislation that would direct federal agencies to streamline their software licenses and embrace new enterprise license agreements. Ernst, who mentioned in November that her initiative could potentially save around \u20ac680 million each year, did not reply to a request for comment. The House presented its version of the bill in late March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a letter to the DOGE in March, NetChoice- a group that includes Amazon and Google- stressed the need to address Microsoft\u2019s purported \u201cmonopoly\u201d in government software, asserting that it leads to increased prices and poor cybersecurity outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Competing with Microsoft, especially alongside Musk\u2019s team of Silicon Valley engineers, highlights its recent performance in cybersecurity. In 2023, hackers linked to the Chinese <\/a>government breached the company\u2019s cloud environment, affecting tens of thousands of individual emails from the US government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A report from a government-appointed cyber advisory board in April 2024 criticized Microsoft sharply for the hack. Notably, victims of the breach included then-commerce secretary Gina Raimondo and officials from the State Department. Their emails were accessed right before a meeting between then-US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese President Xi Jinping<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NetChoice and various tech organizations have aligned their outreach with DOGE\u2019s priorities, suggesting anti-Microsoft actions that aim to \u201csave taxpayers billions next year.\u201d Amazon and Google assert that Microsoft unfairly confines the government to lengthy, disadvantageous contracts, which could exclude billions in contracts from its rivals.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Google & Amazon lobbies DOGE to challenge Microsoft on US federal contracts","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"google-amazon-lobbies-doge-to-challenge-microsoft-on-us-federal-contracts","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-07 20:57:48","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-07 20:57:48","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7487","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7482,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-07 15:54:11","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-07 15:54:11","post_content":"\n
U.S. automakers Ford Motor Co., Chrysler parent Stellantis NV and General Motors Co. are lobbying <\/a>the Trump administration to exempt certain low-cost car parts from the planned tariffs<\/a>. Executives have consulted with the White House and the office of the U.S. Trade Representative to examine the exclusion, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Donald Trump\u2019s tariffs, designed to strengthen the American auto industry, are likely to impact U.S. car manufacturers who have increasingly sourced components from low-cost countries for their modern vehicles. The administration intends to impose taxes on auto components in addition to the upcoming 25% tariffs on fully assembled vehicles, scheduled to begin in April 3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Detroit automakers have accepted that they are prepared to pay tariffs on finished vehicles and major parts such as engines and transmissions. However, company representatives have informed the administration that tariffs on parts would result in cost increases totaling billions of dollars, leading to layoffs and profit warnings that would run counter to Trump\u2019s goal<\/a> of building up the industry, one of the people said. On March 31, Trump refrained from commenting on whether the administration would exempt certain car parts from the tariffs. He noted that he had already offered automakers \u201ca break\u201d by delaying the tariffs for a month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the tariff deadline nearing, automakers have recently dispatched their senior executives to Washington to engage in<\/a> recent days to lobby directly with the administration, as reported by sources.\u00a0 On March 31, Trump said that he held negotiations with Stellantis Chairman John Elkann. Ford Executive Chair Bill Ford, great-grandson of architect Henry Ford, held a meeting last week with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Chief Financial Officer Paul Jacobson, GM CEO Mary Barra and other executives have been conferring with government officials since the president announced the tariffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Trump's executive order, 25% tariffs on fully built cars would begin April 3, but levies on major parts like engines, Transmissions and electrical systems are set to start on May 3. Additionally, the president intends to announce reciprocal tariffs affecting several countries on April 2. It\u2019s uncertain if those milestones serve as deadlines for reaching an agreement on auto parts. The automakers believe there's an opportunity to obtain tariff relief on parts since that part of Trump\u2019s executive order was finalized late during the drafting process on March 26.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since that time, executives and their lobbyists have been striving to inform the administration about the economic intricacies of the global auto parts network production. For instance, inexpensive commodity items such as video screens are primarily produced abroad, where labor costs are lower. If every auto part manufactured overseas faced import taxes, the U.S. market would have hardly any tariff-free cars available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To gain Trump's favor, automotive representatives are highlighting their support for his objectives of increasing automobile production within the U.S. and boosting America\u2019s manufacturing sector. They have committed to developing strategies to achieve this, but their immediate focus is obtaining a reduction in parts costs first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","post_title":"US automakers lobby Trump to exempt car parts from tariffs","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-automakers-lobby-trump-to-exempt-car-parts-from-tariffs","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-07 15:54:13","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-07 15:54:13","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7482","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7479,"post_author":"8","post_date":"2025-04-05 15:39:57","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-05 15:39:57","post_content":"\n
The chief executive of Meta, tech giant Mark Zuckerberg<\/a>, has lobbied President Trump and his ministers to resolve a federal antitrust lawsuit against his firm scheduled for trial on April 14, according to sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr. Zuckerberg has traveled multiple times to the White House and Mar-a-Lago to address this issue and others, according to sources. His latest visit to the White House was Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2020, during Mr. Trump\u2019s first term, the Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against Meta. It is alleged that the company hindered competition by acquiring emerging start-ups like Instagram and WhatsApp. Thereby preventing them from evolving into fully developed businesses. Meta might settle the lawsuit, but it remains uncertain if Mr. Zuckerberg\u2019s actions have prompted the Trump administration to contemplate a settlement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Andy Stone, a Meta spokesperson and owner of Facebook, stated that the company \u201cfrequently engages with policymakers to address issues related to competitiveness, national security, and economic growth.\u201d Earlier reports<\/a> from The Wall Street Journal provided details on these meetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In its complaint, the F.T.C. asserted that Meta broke antitrust law by buying young competitors and robbing consumers of other social media sites. The F.T.C. contended that Meta's 2012 acquisition of the photo-sharing platform Instagram for $1 billion and its 2014 acquisition of the messaging platform WhatsApp for $19 billion must not have been permitted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meta has refuted claims that it acquired Instagram and WhatsApp to stifle competition. It emphasises its significant investments in innovation for these apps. Additionally, Meta stated that it still encounters strong competition from rivals such as TikTok, YouTube, Snap, and iMessage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp turned out to be insightful decisions. Instagram now plays a vital role in Meta\u2019s operations, contributing billions in yearly revenue. Meanwhile, WhatsApp has grown fourfold to reach two billion users and has begun to generate substantial revenue for Meta. A federal judge dismissed the antitrust lawsuit in 2021. However, it was quickly reintroduced after the F.T.C. provided additional evidence and analysis to bolster its assertions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now a trial is set to start in less than two weeks. The trial will likely involve testimony from Meta's high-profile executives. It includes Mr. Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg, former chief operating officer, and Kevin Systrom, co-founder of Instagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr. Zuckerberg\u2019s visits to the White House aim to strengthen Meta\u2019s ties with the government. It is particularly aimed at Mr. Trump, following previous conflicts. In December, Meta revealed a $1 million donation to Mr. Trump\u2019s inaugural fund. Additionally, Mr. Zuckerberg elevated Joel Kaplan, a long-serving Republican executive at Meta, to lead the company\u2019s global public policy efforts and enhance connections with the Trump administration.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mark Zuckerberg lobbies Trump over upcoming Meta antitrust trial","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"mark-zuckerberg-lobbies-trump-over-upcoming-meta-antitrust-trial","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-07 15:40:35","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-07 15:40:35","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7479","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":11},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};

Page 11 of 20 Previous 1 … 10 11 12 … 20 Next

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Netanyahu brought up the F-35 matter during several calls with Rubio in March and April. Netanyahu has privately stated he will pressure Trump against the F-35 sale but has not yet discussed it with him. Netanyahu has a range of issues to address with Trump, from unexpected tariffs imposed on Israel and potential nuclear negotiations with Iran to the disarmament of Hezbollah and Israel\u2019s ongoing conflict with Gaza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Israel and Turkey\u2019s rivalry is intensifying in Syria<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Last week, Israel targeted three military bases in the country, including Syria\u2019s Tiyas air base, commonly referred to as T4. The strikes occurred as Israel identified a narrow window of opportunity to attack the bases before Turkey moved its military assets in. Turkey is deploying a Hisar-type air defense system to the T4 base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Turkey\u2019s command of the bases is part of a pending defense agreement that Ankara and Damascus have been negotiating since December. The pact would involve Turkey providing air cover and military protection for Syria\u2019s new government, which currently lacks a functional military. Netanyahu and his counsels view Rubio as a strong ally in efforts to prevent Turkey from acquiring F-35s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rubio and Turkey: A Closer Look<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Rubio is one of the leading Turkey critics in Trump\u2019s team. He was among the lone American officials who objected to the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on March 19. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sources revealed that Netanyahu has raised the F-35 matter with Rubio on several occasions, including during a call that took place prior to Rubio receiving his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, in Washington, DC on March 25. A transcript of the meeting issued by the State Department stated that the two men discussed \"close cooperation to support a stable, unified, peaceful Syria.\" Rubio and Fidan also shared a warm hug on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Brussels in April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a Republican Senator, Rubio took a significant interest in the Eastern Mediterranean. He legislated to enhance security and energy cooperation between Greece, Cyprus, and Israel. Rubio co-sponsored the 2019 Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act, which granted foreign military financing to Greece and lifted a prohibition on the sale of defense articles to the Republic of Cyprus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Greece is the regional historical adversary of Turkey. Greece was invaded by Turkey in northern Cyprus in 1974 when an attempt at uniting it with Greece failed in a coup bid. More than 35,000 Turkish troops are stationed in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, a country which is supported by no other UN member apart from Turkey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cyprus, Greece, and Israel have been increasingly worried about Turkey's growing influence in the region after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's government in Syria by Islamist rebels towards the end of last year. With Ankara's allies already stationed<\/a> in Damascus, Greece and Cyprus are concerned that Turkey might follow a sea agreement it had made with Libya's Tripoli government. Greece and Israel have been strengthening their military ties for a decade, with US support, partly in response to that maritime deal with Libya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That ties has intensified in response to Turkey\u2019s increasing influence in Syria. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited Israel on March 30, and Greece is in negotiations with Israel to acquire its Barak medium-range air defense systems.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Netanyahu lobbies US\u2019s Rubio to halt F-35 deal with Turkey","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"netanyahu-lobbies-uss-rubio-to-halt-f-35-deal-with-turkey","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-09 16:09:43","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-09 16:09:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7500","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7497,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-08 21:14:44","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-08 21:14:44","post_content":"\n
Serbia hired the American lobbying firm Blacksmith Capital because of the sanctions against NIS. The agreement with this company will be signed soon. Blacksmith will help Serbia with \"alignment with sanctions which were recently introduced in connection with the energy sector,\" states the document of the US Department of Justice, writes Filip Rudi\u0107 for The New Economy. Serbia is represented in this agreement by the cabinet of President Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 and the Ministry of Finance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Serbia enlisted the American lobbying company Blacksmith Capital due to the sanctions imposed on NIS. The agreement with this firm is set to be signed soon. Blacksmith will assist Serbia in \"aligning with sanctions recently introduced in relation to the energy sector,\" according to a document from the US Department of Justice, as reported by Filip Rudi\u0107 for The New Economy. Serbia is represented in this deal by the cabinet of President Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 and the Ministry of Finance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivica Koji\u0107, chief of staff to the President of Serbia, is identified as the official through whom Blacksmith was employed, according to the document. \"Blexamite's engagement with the Republic of Serbia was agreed upon orally. A formal written contract is expected to be signed<\/a> in the near future,\" the document states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are no reports as to whether such a contract has been signed. The document also states that Blacksmith will \"participate in political activities\" to help Serbia adhere to the sanctions, states NE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Srbijagas' CEO said that Serbian oil company NIS, whose majority shareholder is Russian Gazprom Neft and Gazprom, applied a second time to the U.S. for a sanctions waiver. Sanctions can lead to reduced crude supply for NIS, which has only one oil refinery in Serbia with a yearly capacity of 4.8 million tons that provides the majority of the needs of the Balkan nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Russia's oil industry on January 10, with 45 days to sell stakes in NIS granted to Gazprom Neft. \"Their attorneys have informed OFAC they are seeking to be delisted from the sanctions list,\" declared Srbijagas CEO Dusan Bajatovic to the RTS public broadcaster. Srbijagas is also in a partnership with Gazprom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following NIS's first request for a sanctions waiver on February 4, OFAC extended the sanctions by 30 days on February 27 to give the company time to negotiate a resolution with the Russian firms. On February 26, Gazprom Neft transferred approximately 5.15% of its stake in NIS to Gazprom as a strategy to avoid sanctions. Bajatovic stated that this action should have been adequate to guarantee the lifting of the sanctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The adjustments indicate that Gazprom Neft no longer holds an absolute majority in NIS. This follows a comparable situation in 2022, when the company evaded EU sanctions related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine<\/a>. However, it remained uncertain if a similar action would appease U.S. regulators.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Serbia hires U.S. lobbyists to navigate sanctions on Russian-backed NIS","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"serbia-hires-u-s-lobbyists-to-navigate-sanctions-on-russian-backed-nis","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-08 21:14:45","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-08 21:14:45","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7497","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7487,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-07 20:57:47","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-07 20:57:47","post_content":"\n
Alphabet, Google, and Amazon have discovered a way to benefit from the tumultuous landscape of Elon Musk\u2019s government efficiency department, according to Bloomberg. The companies\u2019 lobbyists in Washington witness their greatest chance to attain a long-sought goal: breaking Microsoft\u2019s longstanding hold on the multi-billion-dollar government software market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Amazon and Google are actively promoting this message through technology trade groups such as NetChoice, expanding their lobbying efforts and attributing the blame to Microsoft\u2019s extensive practices contracts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trade associations are contacting members of the congressional \u201cDOGE caucus,\u201d which consists of lawmakers backing Musk\u2019s initiatives, and DOGE representatives in several federal agencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alex Haurek, a Microsoft spokesperson, said in a statement that it\u2019s \u201cconcerning but unsurprising to see certain industry players trying to manipulate decision makers, through shadowy <\/a>front groups, rather than competing transparently on price and quality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google aims to expand its software offerings for government agencies. Many of which continue to depend on Microsoft\u2019s outdated productivity tools like Outlook and Word. To strengthen its position in federal cloud computing, Amazon contends that Microsoft has unfairly sidelined competitors by bundling its cloud services with its software offerings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is uncharted territory for these companies, whose connections within government agencies have little value when it\u2019s the amorphous group led by Musk <\/a>and mostly made up of young engineers calling the shots. Indications suggest that their initiatives, such as meetings with Acting GSA Administrator Stephen Ehikian, are beginning to yield results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On March 26, federal chief information officer Greg Barbaccia, previously an executive at Peter Thiel\u2019s Palantir, urged all federal agencies to compile a list of their licenses for the five largest software vendors, a list that Microsoft tops. Barbaccia described it as an effort to \u201cstop wasteful spending.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Congress is also undertaking a similar effort. Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican from Iowa and founder of the DOGE Caucus, serves as the lead co-sponsor for a piece of legislation that would direct federal agencies to streamline their software licenses and embrace new enterprise license agreements. Ernst, who mentioned in November that her initiative could potentially save around \u20ac680 million each year, did not reply to a request for comment. The House presented its version of the bill in late March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a letter to the DOGE in March, NetChoice- a group that includes Amazon and Google- stressed the need to address Microsoft\u2019s purported \u201cmonopoly\u201d in government software, asserting that it leads to increased prices and poor cybersecurity outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Competing with Microsoft, especially alongside Musk\u2019s team of Silicon Valley engineers, highlights its recent performance in cybersecurity. In 2023, hackers linked to the Chinese <\/a>government breached the company\u2019s cloud environment, affecting tens of thousands of individual emails from the US government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A report from a government-appointed cyber advisory board in April 2024 criticized Microsoft sharply for the hack. Notably, victims of the breach included then-commerce secretary Gina Raimondo and officials from the State Department. Their emails were accessed right before a meeting between then-US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese President Xi Jinping<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NetChoice and various tech organizations have aligned their outreach with DOGE\u2019s priorities, suggesting anti-Microsoft actions that aim to \u201csave taxpayers billions next year.\u201d Amazon and Google assert that Microsoft unfairly confines the government to lengthy, disadvantageous contracts, which could exclude billions in contracts from its rivals.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Google & Amazon lobbies DOGE to challenge Microsoft on US federal contracts","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"google-amazon-lobbies-doge-to-challenge-microsoft-on-us-federal-contracts","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-07 20:57:48","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-07 20:57:48","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7487","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7482,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-07 15:54:11","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-07 15:54:11","post_content":"\n
U.S. automakers Ford Motor Co., Chrysler parent Stellantis NV and General Motors Co. are lobbying <\/a>the Trump administration to exempt certain low-cost car parts from the planned tariffs<\/a>. Executives have consulted with the White House and the office of the U.S. Trade Representative to examine the exclusion, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Donald Trump\u2019s tariffs, designed to strengthen the American auto industry, are likely to impact U.S. car manufacturers who have increasingly sourced components from low-cost countries for their modern vehicles. The administration intends to impose taxes on auto components in addition to the upcoming 25% tariffs on fully assembled vehicles, scheduled to begin in April 3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Detroit automakers have accepted that they are prepared to pay tariffs on finished vehicles and major parts such as engines and transmissions. However, company representatives have informed the administration that tariffs on parts would result in cost increases totaling billions of dollars, leading to layoffs and profit warnings that would run counter to Trump\u2019s goal<\/a> of building up the industry, one of the people said. On March 31, Trump refrained from commenting on whether the administration would exempt certain car parts from the tariffs. He noted that he had already offered automakers \u201ca break\u201d by delaying the tariffs for a month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the tariff deadline nearing, automakers have recently dispatched their senior executives to Washington to engage in<\/a> recent days to lobby directly with the administration, as reported by sources.\u00a0 On March 31, Trump said that he held negotiations with Stellantis Chairman John Elkann. Ford Executive Chair Bill Ford, great-grandson of architect Henry Ford, held a meeting last week with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Chief Financial Officer Paul Jacobson, GM CEO Mary Barra and other executives have been conferring with government officials since the president announced the tariffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Trump's executive order, 25% tariffs on fully built cars would begin April 3, but levies on major parts like engines, Transmissions and electrical systems are set to start on May 3. Additionally, the president intends to announce reciprocal tariffs affecting several countries on April 2. It\u2019s uncertain if those milestones serve as deadlines for reaching an agreement on auto parts. The automakers believe there's an opportunity to obtain tariff relief on parts since that part of Trump\u2019s executive order was finalized late during the drafting process on March 26.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since that time, executives and their lobbyists have been striving to inform the administration about the economic intricacies of the global auto parts network production. For instance, inexpensive commodity items such as video screens are primarily produced abroad, where labor costs are lower. If every auto part manufactured overseas faced import taxes, the U.S. market would have hardly any tariff-free cars available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To gain Trump's favor, automotive representatives are highlighting their support for his objectives of increasing automobile production within the U.S. and boosting America\u2019s manufacturing sector. They have committed to developing strategies to achieve this, but their immediate focus is obtaining a reduction in parts costs first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","post_title":"US automakers lobby Trump to exempt car parts from tariffs","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-automakers-lobby-trump-to-exempt-car-parts-from-tariffs","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-07 15:54:13","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-07 15:54:13","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7482","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7479,"post_author":"8","post_date":"2025-04-05 15:39:57","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-05 15:39:57","post_content":"\n
The chief executive of Meta, tech giant Mark Zuckerberg<\/a>, has lobbied President Trump and his ministers to resolve a federal antitrust lawsuit against his firm scheduled for trial on April 14, according to sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr. Zuckerberg has traveled multiple times to the White House and Mar-a-Lago to address this issue and others, according to sources. His latest visit to the White House was Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2020, during Mr. Trump\u2019s first term, the Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against Meta. It is alleged that the company hindered competition by acquiring emerging start-ups like Instagram and WhatsApp. Thereby preventing them from evolving into fully developed businesses. Meta might settle the lawsuit, but it remains uncertain if Mr. Zuckerberg\u2019s actions have prompted the Trump administration to contemplate a settlement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Andy Stone, a Meta spokesperson and owner of Facebook, stated that the company \u201cfrequently engages with policymakers to address issues related to competitiveness, national security, and economic growth.\u201d Earlier reports<\/a> from The Wall Street Journal provided details on these meetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In its complaint, the F.T.C. asserted that Meta broke antitrust law by buying young competitors and robbing consumers of other social media sites. The F.T.C. contended that Meta's 2012 acquisition of the photo-sharing platform Instagram for $1 billion and its 2014 acquisition of the messaging platform WhatsApp for $19 billion must not have been permitted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meta has refuted claims that it acquired Instagram and WhatsApp to stifle competition. It emphasises its significant investments in innovation for these apps. Additionally, Meta stated that it still encounters strong competition from rivals such as TikTok, YouTube, Snap, and iMessage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp turned out to be insightful decisions. Instagram now plays a vital role in Meta\u2019s operations, contributing billions in yearly revenue. Meanwhile, WhatsApp has grown fourfold to reach two billion users and has begun to generate substantial revenue for Meta. A federal judge dismissed the antitrust lawsuit in 2021. However, it was quickly reintroduced after the F.T.C. provided additional evidence and analysis to bolster its assertions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now a trial is set to start in less than two weeks. The trial will likely involve testimony from Meta's high-profile executives. It includes Mr. Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg, former chief operating officer, and Kevin Systrom, co-founder of Instagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr. Zuckerberg\u2019s visits to the White House aim to strengthen Meta\u2019s ties with the government. It is particularly aimed at Mr. Trump, following previous conflicts. In December, Meta revealed a $1 million donation to Mr. Trump\u2019s inaugural fund. Additionally, Mr. Zuckerberg elevated Joel Kaplan, a long-serving Republican executive at Meta, to lead the company\u2019s global public policy efforts and enhance connections with the Trump administration.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mark Zuckerberg lobbies Trump over upcoming Meta antitrust trial","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"mark-zuckerberg-lobbies-trump-over-upcoming-meta-antitrust-trial","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-07 15:40:35","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-07 15:40:35","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7479","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":11},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};

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In an effort to block the sale of F-35 warplanes to Turkey<\/a>, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been lobbying US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, citing concerns about Turkish influence in Syria, Middle East<\/a> Eye reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Netanyahu brought up the F-35 matter during several calls with Rubio in March and April. Netanyahu has privately stated he will pressure Trump against the F-35 sale but has not yet discussed it with him. Netanyahu has a range of issues to address with Trump, from unexpected tariffs imposed on Israel and potential nuclear negotiations with Iran to the disarmament of Hezbollah and Israel\u2019s ongoing conflict with Gaza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Israel and Turkey\u2019s rivalry is intensifying in Syria<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Last week, Israel targeted three military bases in the country, including Syria\u2019s Tiyas air base, commonly referred to as T4. The strikes occurred as Israel identified a narrow window of opportunity to attack the bases before Turkey moved its military assets in. Turkey is deploying a Hisar-type air defense system to the T4 base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Turkey\u2019s command of the bases is part of a pending defense agreement that Ankara and Damascus have been negotiating since December. The pact would involve Turkey providing air cover and military protection for Syria\u2019s new government, which currently lacks a functional military. Netanyahu and his counsels view Rubio as a strong ally in efforts to prevent Turkey from acquiring F-35s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rubio and Turkey: A Closer Look<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Rubio is one of the leading Turkey critics in Trump\u2019s team. He was among the lone American officials who objected to the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on March 19. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sources revealed that Netanyahu has raised the F-35 matter with Rubio on several occasions, including during a call that took place prior to Rubio receiving his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, in Washington, DC on March 25. A transcript of the meeting issued by the State Department stated that the two men discussed \"close cooperation to support a stable, unified, peaceful Syria.\" Rubio and Fidan also shared a warm hug on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Brussels in April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a Republican Senator, Rubio took a significant interest in the Eastern Mediterranean. He legislated to enhance security and energy cooperation between Greece, Cyprus, and Israel. Rubio co-sponsored the 2019 Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act, which granted foreign military financing to Greece and lifted a prohibition on the sale of defense articles to the Republic of Cyprus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Greece is the regional historical adversary of Turkey. Greece was invaded by Turkey in northern Cyprus in 1974 when an attempt at uniting it with Greece failed in a coup bid. More than 35,000 Turkish troops are stationed in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, a country which is supported by no other UN member apart from Turkey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cyprus, Greece, and Israel have been increasingly worried about Turkey's growing influence in the region after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's government in Syria by Islamist rebels towards the end of last year. With Ankara's allies already stationed<\/a> in Damascus, Greece and Cyprus are concerned that Turkey might follow a sea agreement it had made with Libya's Tripoli government. Greece and Israel have been strengthening their military ties for a decade, with US support, partly in response to that maritime deal with Libya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That ties has intensified in response to Turkey\u2019s increasing influence in Syria. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited Israel on March 30, and Greece is in negotiations with Israel to acquire its Barak medium-range air defense systems.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Netanyahu lobbies US\u2019s Rubio to halt F-35 deal with Turkey","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"netanyahu-lobbies-uss-rubio-to-halt-f-35-deal-with-turkey","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-09 16:09:43","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-09 16:09:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7500","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7497,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-08 21:14:44","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-08 21:14:44","post_content":"\n
Serbia hired the American lobbying firm Blacksmith Capital because of the sanctions against NIS. The agreement with this company will be signed soon. Blacksmith will help Serbia with \"alignment with sanctions which were recently introduced in connection with the energy sector,\" states the document of the US Department of Justice, writes Filip Rudi\u0107 for The New Economy. Serbia is represented in this agreement by the cabinet of President Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 and the Ministry of Finance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Serbia enlisted the American lobbying company Blacksmith Capital due to the sanctions imposed on NIS. The agreement with this firm is set to be signed soon. Blacksmith will assist Serbia in \"aligning with sanctions recently introduced in relation to the energy sector,\" according to a document from the US Department of Justice, as reported by Filip Rudi\u0107 for The New Economy. Serbia is represented in this deal by the cabinet of President Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 and the Ministry of Finance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivica Koji\u0107, chief of staff to the President of Serbia, is identified as the official through whom Blacksmith was employed, according to the document. \"Blexamite's engagement with the Republic of Serbia was agreed upon orally. A formal written contract is expected to be signed<\/a> in the near future,\" the document states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are no reports as to whether such a contract has been signed. The document also states that Blacksmith will \"participate in political activities\" to help Serbia adhere to the sanctions, states NE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Srbijagas' CEO said that Serbian oil company NIS, whose majority shareholder is Russian Gazprom Neft and Gazprom, applied a second time to the U.S. for a sanctions waiver. Sanctions can lead to reduced crude supply for NIS, which has only one oil refinery in Serbia with a yearly capacity of 4.8 million tons that provides the majority of the needs of the Balkan nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Russia's oil industry on January 10, with 45 days to sell stakes in NIS granted to Gazprom Neft. \"Their attorneys have informed OFAC they are seeking to be delisted from the sanctions list,\" declared Srbijagas CEO Dusan Bajatovic to the RTS public broadcaster. Srbijagas is also in a partnership with Gazprom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following NIS's first request for a sanctions waiver on February 4, OFAC extended the sanctions by 30 days on February 27 to give the company time to negotiate a resolution with the Russian firms. On February 26, Gazprom Neft transferred approximately 5.15% of its stake in NIS to Gazprom as a strategy to avoid sanctions. Bajatovic stated that this action should have been adequate to guarantee the lifting of the sanctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The adjustments indicate that Gazprom Neft no longer holds an absolute majority in NIS. This follows a comparable situation in 2022, when the company evaded EU sanctions related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine<\/a>. However, it remained uncertain if a similar action would appease U.S. regulators.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Serbia hires U.S. lobbyists to navigate sanctions on Russian-backed NIS","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"serbia-hires-u-s-lobbyists-to-navigate-sanctions-on-russian-backed-nis","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-08 21:14:45","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-08 21:14:45","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7497","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7487,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-07 20:57:47","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-07 20:57:47","post_content":"\n
Alphabet, Google, and Amazon have discovered a way to benefit from the tumultuous landscape of Elon Musk\u2019s government efficiency department, according to Bloomberg. The companies\u2019 lobbyists in Washington witness their greatest chance to attain a long-sought goal: breaking Microsoft\u2019s longstanding hold on the multi-billion-dollar government software market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Amazon and Google are actively promoting this message through technology trade groups such as NetChoice, expanding their lobbying efforts and attributing the blame to Microsoft\u2019s extensive practices contracts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trade associations are contacting members of the congressional \u201cDOGE caucus,\u201d which consists of lawmakers backing Musk\u2019s initiatives, and DOGE representatives in several federal agencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alex Haurek, a Microsoft spokesperson, said in a statement that it\u2019s \u201cconcerning but unsurprising to see certain industry players trying to manipulate decision makers, through shadowy <\/a>front groups, rather than competing transparently on price and quality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google aims to expand its software offerings for government agencies. Many of which continue to depend on Microsoft\u2019s outdated productivity tools like Outlook and Word. To strengthen its position in federal cloud computing, Amazon contends that Microsoft has unfairly sidelined competitors by bundling its cloud services with its software offerings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is uncharted territory for these companies, whose connections within government agencies have little value when it\u2019s the amorphous group led by Musk <\/a>and mostly made up of young engineers calling the shots. Indications suggest that their initiatives, such as meetings with Acting GSA Administrator Stephen Ehikian, are beginning to yield results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On March 26, federal chief information officer Greg Barbaccia, previously an executive at Peter Thiel\u2019s Palantir, urged all federal agencies to compile a list of their licenses for the five largest software vendors, a list that Microsoft tops. Barbaccia described it as an effort to \u201cstop wasteful spending.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Congress is also undertaking a similar effort. Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican from Iowa and founder of the DOGE Caucus, serves as the lead co-sponsor for a piece of legislation that would direct federal agencies to streamline their software licenses and embrace new enterprise license agreements. Ernst, who mentioned in November that her initiative could potentially save around \u20ac680 million each year, did not reply to a request for comment. The House presented its version of the bill in late March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a letter to the DOGE in March, NetChoice- a group that includes Amazon and Google- stressed the need to address Microsoft\u2019s purported \u201cmonopoly\u201d in government software, asserting that it leads to increased prices and poor cybersecurity outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Competing with Microsoft, especially alongside Musk\u2019s team of Silicon Valley engineers, highlights its recent performance in cybersecurity. In 2023, hackers linked to the Chinese <\/a>government breached the company\u2019s cloud environment, affecting tens of thousands of individual emails from the US government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A report from a government-appointed cyber advisory board in April 2024 criticized Microsoft sharply for the hack. Notably, victims of the breach included then-commerce secretary Gina Raimondo and officials from the State Department. Their emails were accessed right before a meeting between then-US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese President Xi Jinping<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Microsoft's competitors saw the exposure as an irresistible opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NetChoice and various tech organizations have aligned their outreach with DOGE\u2019s priorities, suggesting anti-Microsoft actions that aim to \u201csave taxpayers billions next year.\u201d Amazon and Google assert that Microsoft unfairly confines the government to lengthy, disadvantageous contracts, which could exclude billions in contracts from its rivals.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Google & Amazon lobbies DOGE to challenge Microsoft on US federal contracts","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"google-amazon-lobbies-doge-to-challenge-microsoft-on-us-federal-contracts","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-07 20:57:48","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-07 20:57:48","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7487","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7482,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-04-07 15:54:11","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-07 15:54:11","post_content":"\n
U.S. automakers Ford Motor Co., Chrysler parent Stellantis NV and General Motors Co. are lobbying <\/a>the Trump administration to exempt certain low-cost car parts from the planned tariffs<\/a>. Executives have consulted with the White House and the office of the U.S. Trade Representative to examine the exclusion, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Donald Trump\u2019s tariffs, designed to strengthen the American auto industry, are likely to impact U.S. car manufacturers who have increasingly sourced components from low-cost countries for their modern vehicles. The administration intends to impose taxes on auto components in addition to the upcoming 25% tariffs on fully assembled vehicles, scheduled to begin in April 3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Detroit automakers have accepted that they are prepared to pay tariffs on finished vehicles and major parts such as engines and transmissions. However, company representatives have informed the administration that tariffs on parts would result in cost increases totaling billions of dollars, leading to layoffs and profit warnings that would run counter to Trump\u2019s goal<\/a> of building up the industry, one of the people said. On March 31, Trump refrained from commenting on whether the administration would exempt certain car parts from the tariffs. He noted that he had already offered automakers \u201ca break\u201d by delaying the tariffs for a month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the tariff deadline nearing, automakers have recently dispatched their senior executives to Washington to engage in<\/a> recent days to lobby directly with the administration, as reported by sources.\u00a0 On March 31, Trump said that he held negotiations with Stellantis Chairman John Elkann. Ford Executive Chair Bill Ford, great-grandson of architect Henry Ford, held a meeting last week with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Chief Financial Officer Paul Jacobson, GM CEO Mary Barra and other executives have been conferring with government officials since the president announced the tariffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Trump's executive order, 25% tariffs on fully built cars would begin April 3, but levies on major parts like engines, Transmissions and electrical systems are set to start on May 3. Additionally, the president intends to announce reciprocal tariffs affecting several countries on April 2. It\u2019s uncertain if those milestones serve as deadlines for reaching an agreement on auto parts. The automakers believe there's an opportunity to obtain tariff relief on parts since that part of Trump\u2019s executive order was finalized late during the drafting process on March 26.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since that time, executives and their lobbyists have been striving to inform the administration about the economic intricacies of the global auto parts network production. For instance, inexpensive commodity items such as video screens are primarily produced abroad, where labor costs are lower. If every auto part manufactured overseas faced import taxes, the U.S. market would have hardly any tariff-free cars available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To gain Trump's favor, automotive representatives are highlighting their support for his objectives of increasing automobile production within the U.S. and boosting America\u2019s manufacturing sector. They have committed to developing strategies to achieve this, but their immediate focus is obtaining a reduction in parts costs first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","post_title":"US automakers lobby Trump to exempt car parts from tariffs","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"us-automakers-lobby-trump-to-exempt-car-parts-from-tariffs","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-07 15:54:13","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-07 15:54:13","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7482","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7479,"post_author":"8","post_date":"2025-04-05 15:39:57","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-05 15:39:57","post_content":"\n
The chief executive of Meta, tech giant Mark Zuckerberg<\/a>, has lobbied President Trump and his ministers to resolve a federal antitrust lawsuit against his firm scheduled for trial on April 14, according to sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr. Zuckerberg has traveled multiple times to the White House and Mar-a-Lago to address this issue and others, according to sources. His latest visit to the White House was Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2020, during Mr. Trump\u2019s first term, the Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against Meta. It is alleged that the company hindered competition by acquiring emerging start-ups like Instagram and WhatsApp. Thereby preventing them from evolving into fully developed businesses. Meta might settle the lawsuit, but it remains uncertain if Mr. Zuckerberg\u2019s actions have prompted the Trump administration to contemplate a settlement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Andy Stone, a Meta spokesperson and owner of Facebook, stated that the company \u201cfrequently engages with policymakers to address issues related to competitiveness, national security, and economic growth.\u201d Earlier reports<\/a> from The Wall Street Journal provided details on these meetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In its complaint, the F.T.C. asserted that Meta broke antitrust law by buying young competitors and robbing consumers of other social media sites. The F.T.C. contended that Meta's 2012 acquisition of the photo-sharing platform Instagram for $1 billion and its 2014 acquisition of the messaging platform WhatsApp for $19 billion must not have been permitted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The company aimed to \u201cbuy or bury innovators that posed a threat to outcompete Facebook in the emerging mobile landscape,\u201d the F.T.C. stated in its complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meta has refuted claims that it acquired Instagram and WhatsApp to stifle competition. It emphasises its significant investments in innovation for these apps. Additionally, Meta stated that it still encounters strong competition from rivals such as TikTok, YouTube, Snap, and iMessage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp turned out to be insightful decisions. Instagram now plays a vital role in Meta\u2019s operations, contributing billions in yearly revenue. Meanwhile, WhatsApp has grown fourfold to reach two billion users and has begun to generate substantial revenue for Meta. A federal judge dismissed the antitrust lawsuit in 2021. However, it was quickly reintroduced after the F.T.C. provided additional evidence and analysis to bolster its assertions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now a trial is set to start in less than two weeks. The trial will likely involve testimony from Meta's high-profile executives. It includes Mr. Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg, former chief operating officer, and Kevin Systrom, co-founder of Instagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meta executives have been preparing diligently for the trial for months in consultation with external counsel in case they are subpoenaed to testify, sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr. Zuckerberg\u2019s visits to the White House aim to strengthen Meta\u2019s ties with the government. It is particularly aimed at Mr. Trump, following previous conflicts. In December, Meta revealed a $1 million donation to Mr. Trump\u2019s inaugural fund. Additionally, Mr. Zuckerberg elevated Joel Kaplan, a long-serving Republican executive at Meta, to lead the company\u2019s global public policy efforts and enhance connections with the Trump administration.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mark Zuckerberg lobbies Trump over upcoming Meta antitrust trial","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"mark-zuckerberg-lobbies-trump-over-upcoming-meta-antitrust-trial","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-07 15:40:35","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-07 15:40:35","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7479","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":11},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};

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