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They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\u201cIf I had to wager my house on it, I would... \" would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\n\u201cIf I had to wager my house on it, I would... \" would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\nEduardo informed the Financial Times in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cIf I had to wager my house on it, I would... \" would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\n\u201cI would estimate there is an 85 per cent likelihood of sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes,\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Eduardo informed the Financial Times in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cIf I had to wager my house on it, I would... \" would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\n\n\u201cI would estimate there is an 85 per cent likelihood of sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes,\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Eduardo informed the Financial Times in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cIf I had to wager my house on it, I would... \" would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\nRubio\u2019s remarks came after a lobbying campaign in the US by Bolsonaro\u2019s congressman son Eduardo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI would estimate there is an 85 per cent likelihood of sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes,\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Eduardo informed the Financial Times in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cIf I had to wager my house on it, I would... \" would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\nAnother said that Brazil's embassy in Washington was attempting to clarify our interpretation of the facts by claiming that democracy and freedom of speech were secure in Brazil. The US administration is becoming more receptive to claims made by Bolsonaro's family and conservative Brazilians that former president Jair Bolsonaro, a supporter of Donald Trump, is being persecuted for his political views and that free expression in Brazil is in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rubio\u2019s remarks came after a lobbying campaign in the US by Bolsonaro\u2019s congressman son Eduardo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI would estimate there is an 85 per cent likelihood of sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes,\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Eduardo informed the Financial Times in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cIf I had to wager my house on it, I would... \" would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\nA government official commented that Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira is leading the diplomatic effort. He noted that the pressure from major tech companies, which are facing restrictions from Brazil\u2019s highest court, seems to be influencing the debate against the court's decisions in Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another said that Brazil's embassy in Washington was attempting to clarify our interpretation of the facts by claiming that democracy and freedom of speech were secure in Brazil. The US administration is becoming more receptive to claims made by Bolsonaro's family and conservative Brazilians that former president Jair Bolsonaro, a supporter of Donald Trump, is being persecuted for his political views and that free expression in Brazil is in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rubio\u2019s remarks came after a lobbying campaign in the US by Bolsonaro\u2019s congressman son Eduardo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI would estimate there is an 85 per cent likelihood of sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes,\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Eduardo informed the Financial Times in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cIf I had to wager my house on it, I would... \" would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\n\u201cWe are working to prevent the blood from flowing into the river.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
A government official commented that Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira is leading the diplomatic effort. He noted that the pressure from major tech companies, which are facing restrictions from Brazil\u2019s highest court, seems to be influencing the debate against the court's decisions in Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another said that Brazil's embassy in Washington was attempting to clarify our interpretation of the facts by claiming that democracy and freedom of speech were secure in Brazil. The US administration is becoming more receptive to claims made by Bolsonaro's family and conservative Brazilians that former president Jair Bolsonaro, a supporter of Donald Trump, is being persecuted for his political views and that free expression in Brazil is in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rubio\u2019s remarks came after a lobbying campaign in the US by Bolsonaro\u2019s congressman son Eduardo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI would estimate there is an 85 per cent likelihood of sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes,\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Eduardo informed the Financial Times in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cIf I had to wager my house on it, I would... \" would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\n\n\u201cWe are working to prevent the blood from flowing into the river.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
A government official commented that Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira is leading the diplomatic effort. He noted that the pressure from major tech companies, which are facing restrictions from Brazil\u2019s highest court, seems to be influencing the debate against the court's decisions in Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another said that Brazil's embassy in Washington was attempting to clarify our interpretation of the facts by claiming that democracy and freedom of speech were secure in Brazil. The US administration is becoming more receptive to claims made by Bolsonaro's family and conservative Brazilians that former president Jair Bolsonaro, a supporter of Donald Trump, is being persecuted for his political views and that free expression in Brazil is in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rubio\u2019s remarks came after a lobbying campaign in the US by Bolsonaro\u2019s congressman son Eduardo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI would estimate there is an 85 per cent likelihood of sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes,\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Eduardo informed the Financial Times in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cIf I had to wager my house on it, I would... \" would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\nBrazilian authorities worry that the possibility of financial and visa restrictions may put the two most populous countries in the Americas on a collision course, despite US Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a>'s statement last week that Washington was considering punishment against top judge Alexandre de Moraes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cWe are working to prevent the blood from flowing into the river.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
A government official commented that Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira is leading the diplomatic effort. He noted that the pressure from major tech companies, which are facing restrictions from Brazil\u2019s highest court, seems to be influencing the debate against the court's decisions in Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another said that Brazil's embassy in Washington was attempting to clarify our interpretation of the facts by claiming that democracy and freedom of speech were secure in Brazil. The US administration is becoming more receptive to claims made by Bolsonaro's family and conservative Brazilians that former president Jair Bolsonaro, a supporter of Donald Trump, is being persecuted for his political views and that free expression in Brazil is in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rubio\u2019s remarks came after a lobbying campaign in the US by Bolsonaro\u2019s congressman son Eduardo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI would estimate there is an 85 per cent likelihood of sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes,\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Eduardo informed the Financial Times in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cIf I had to wager my house on it, I would... \" would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\nA Brazilian Supreme Court judge who is presiding over a case in which former President Jair Bolsonaro is being charged with coup d'etat is the target of a last-ditch lobbying effort by the country's left-wing administration to prevent the United States from putting sanctions on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brazilian authorities worry that the possibility of financial and visa restrictions may put the two most populous countries in the Americas on a collision course, despite US Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a>'s statement last week that Washington was considering punishment against top judge Alexandre de Moraes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cWe are working to prevent the blood from flowing into the river.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
A government official commented that Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira is leading the diplomatic effort. He noted that the pressure from major tech companies, which are facing restrictions from Brazil\u2019s highest court, seems to be influencing the debate against the court's decisions in Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another said that Brazil's embassy in Washington was attempting to clarify our interpretation of the facts by claiming that democracy and freedom of speech were secure in Brazil. The US administration is becoming more receptive to claims made by Bolsonaro's family and conservative Brazilians that former president Jair Bolsonaro, a supporter of Donald Trump, is being persecuted for his political views and that free expression in Brazil is in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rubio\u2019s remarks came after a lobbying campaign in the US by Bolsonaro\u2019s congressman son Eduardo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI would estimate there is an 85 per cent likelihood of sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes,\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Eduardo informed the Financial Times in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cIf I had to wager my house on it, I would... \" would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\nChina's increasing influence in Panama, particularly through the Belt and Road Initiative and CK Hutchison's port activities, was seen as a strategic danger by the Trump administration. To offset China's influence, the U.S. responded by promoting American investments, closely examining concessions held by China, and pursuing diplomatic initiatives. In order to improve bilateral relations and allay worries about China's involvement in the canal's operations, Secretary of State Marco Rubio held discussions with Panama.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Panama turns to U.S. lobbyists to deal with Trump\u2019s canal threats","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"panama-turns-to-u-s-lobbyists-to-deal-with-trumps-canal-threats","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7878","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7870,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content":"\n
A Brazilian Supreme Court judge who is presiding over a case in which former President Jair Bolsonaro is being charged with coup d'etat is the target of a last-ditch lobbying effort by the country's left-wing administration to prevent the United States from putting sanctions on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brazilian authorities worry that the possibility of financial and visa restrictions may put the two most populous countries in the Americas on a collision course, despite US Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a>'s statement last week that Washington was considering punishment against top judge Alexandre de Moraes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cWe are working to prevent the blood from flowing into the river.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
A government official commented that Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira is leading the diplomatic effort. He noted that the pressure from major tech companies, which are facing restrictions from Brazil\u2019s highest court, seems to be influencing the debate against the court's decisions in Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another said that Brazil's embassy in Washington was attempting to clarify our interpretation of the facts by claiming that democracy and freedom of speech were secure in Brazil. The US administration is becoming more receptive to claims made by Bolsonaro's family and conservative Brazilians that former president Jair Bolsonaro, a supporter of Donald Trump, is being persecuted for his political views and that free expression in Brazil is in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rubio\u2019s remarks came after a lobbying campaign in the US by Bolsonaro\u2019s congressman son Eduardo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI would estimate there is an 85 per cent likelihood of sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes,\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Eduardo informed the Financial Times in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cIf I had to wager my house on it, I would... \" would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\nU.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently visited Panama and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen military cooperation and support for the Panama Canal security. Through training, rotating U.S. troop deployments, and collaboration to counter Chinese influence in the area, this pact seeks to enhance cooperative security operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China's increasing influence in Panama, particularly through the Belt and Road Initiative and CK Hutchison's port activities, was seen as a strategic danger by the Trump administration. To offset China's influence, the U.S. responded by promoting American investments, closely examining concessions held by China, and pursuing diplomatic initiatives. In order to improve bilateral relations and allay worries about China's involvement in the canal's operations, Secretary of State Marco Rubio held discussions with Panama.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Panama turns to U.S. lobbyists to deal with Trump\u2019s canal threats","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"panama-turns-to-u-s-lobbyists-to-deal-with-trumps-canal-threats","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7878","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7870,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content":"\n
A Brazilian Supreme Court judge who is presiding over a case in which former President Jair Bolsonaro is being charged with coup d'etat is the target of a last-ditch lobbying effort by the country's left-wing administration to prevent the United States from putting sanctions on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brazilian authorities worry that the possibility of financial and visa restrictions may put the two most populous countries in the Americas on a collision course, despite US Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a>'s statement last week that Washington was considering punishment against top judge Alexandre de Moraes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cWe are working to prevent the blood from flowing into the river.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
A government official commented that Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira is leading the diplomatic effort. He noted that the pressure from major tech companies, which are facing restrictions from Brazil\u2019s highest court, seems to be influencing the debate against the court's decisions in Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another said that Brazil's embassy in Washington was attempting to clarify our interpretation of the facts by claiming that democracy and freedom of speech were secure in Brazil. The US administration is becoming more receptive to claims made by Bolsonaro's family and conservative Brazilians that former president Jair Bolsonaro, a supporter of Donald Trump, is being persecuted for his political views and that free expression in Brazil is in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rubio\u2019s remarks came after a lobbying campaign in the US by Bolsonaro\u2019s congressman son Eduardo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI would estimate there is an 85 per cent likelihood of sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes,\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Eduardo informed the Financial Times in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cIf I had to wager my house on it, I would... \" would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\nTrump's rhetoric escalated with threats to demand the return of the canal to U.S. control if Panama did not treat American shippers fairly, referencing the 1977 treaty that transferred control to Panama in 1999. He suggested that if the treaty's principles were not respected, the U.S. would reclaim the canal \"quickly and without question,\" a stance firmly rejected by Panama's president, who emphasized Panama's sovereign control over the canal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently visited Panama and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen military cooperation and support for the Panama Canal security. Through training, rotating U.S. troop deployments, and collaboration to counter Chinese influence in the area, this pact seeks to enhance cooperative security operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China's increasing influence in Panama, particularly through the Belt and Road Initiative and CK Hutchison's port activities, was seen as a strategic danger by the Trump administration. To offset China's influence, the U.S. responded by promoting American investments, closely examining concessions held by China, and pursuing diplomatic initiatives. In order to improve bilateral relations and allay worries about China's involvement in the canal's operations, Secretary of State Marco Rubio held discussions with Panama.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Panama turns to U.S. lobbyists to deal with Trump\u2019s canal threats","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"panama-turns-to-u-s-lobbyists-to-deal-with-trumps-canal-threats","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7878","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7870,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content":"\n
A Brazilian Supreme Court judge who is presiding over a case in which former President Jair Bolsonaro is being charged with coup d'etat is the target of a last-ditch lobbying effort by the country's left-wing administration to prevent the United States from putting sanctions on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brazilian authorities worry that the possibility of financial and visa restrictions may put the two most populous countries in the Americas on a collision course, despite US Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a>'s statement last week that Washington was considering punishment against top judge Alexandre de Moraes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cWe are working to prevent the blood from flowing into the river.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
A government official commented that Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira is leading the diplomatic effort. He noted that the pressure from major tech companies, which are facing restrictions from Brazil\u2019s highest court, seems to be influencing the debate against the court's decisions in Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another said that Brazil's embassy in Washington was attempting to clarify our interpretation of the facts by claiming that democracy and freedom of speech were secure in Brazil. The US administration is becoming more receptive to claims made by Bolsonaro's family and conservative Brazilians that former president Jair Bolsonaro, a supporter of Donald Trump, is being persecuted for his political views and that free expression in Brazil is in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rubio\u2019s remarks came after a lobbying campaign in the US by Bolsonaro\u2019s congressman son Eduardo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI would estimate there is an 85 per cent likelihood of sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes,\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Eduardo informed the Financial Times in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cIf I had to wager my house on it, I would... \" would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\nPresident Donald Trump has frequently denounced what he considers to be undue Chinese influence over the Panama Canal, focusing in particular on the<\/a> Hong Kong-based corporation CK Hutchison Holdings' control of the ports of Balboa and Cristobal. Asserting that the canal was first constructed by the United States and that \"we didn\u2019t give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we\u2019re taking it back,\" Trump asserted in his inaugural speech that \"China is operating the Panama Canal\" and that the United States would \"take it back.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump's rhetoric escalated with threats to demand the return of the canal to U.S. control if Panama did not treat American shippers fairly, referencing the 1977 treaty that transferred control to Panama in 1999. He suggested that if the treaty's principles were not respected, the U.S. would reclaim the canal \"quickly and without question,\" a stance firmly rejected by Panama's president, who emphasized Panama's sovereign control over the canal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently visited Panama and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen military cooperation and support for the Panama Canal security. Through training, rotating U.S. troop deployments, and collaboration to counter Chinese influence in the area, this pact seeks to enhance cooperative security operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China's increasing influence in Panama, particularly through the Belt and Road Initiative and CK Hutchison's port activities, was seen as a strategic danger by the Trump administration. To offset China's influence, the U.S. responded by promoting American investments, closely examining concessions held by China, and pursuing diplomatic initiatives. In order to improve bilateral relations and allay worries about China's involvement in the canal's operations, Secretary of State Marco Rubio held discussions with Panama.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Panama turns to U.S. lobbyists to deal with Trump\u2019s canal threats","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"panama-turns-to-u-s-lobbyists-to-deal-with-trumps-canal-threats","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7878","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7870,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content":"\n
A Brazilian Supreme Court judge who is presiding over a case in which former President Jair Bolsonaro is being charged with coup d'etat is the target of a last-ditch lobbying effort by the country's left-wing administration to prevent the United States from putting sanctions on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brazilian authorities worry that the possibility of financial and visa restrictions may put the two most populous countries in the Americas on a collision course, despite US Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a>'s statement last week that Washington was considering punishment against top judge Alexandre de Moraes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cWe are working to prevent the blood from flowing into the river.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
A government official commented that Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira is leading the diplomatic effort. He noted that the pressure from major tech companies, which are facing restrictions from Brazil\u2019s highest court, seems to be influencing the debate against the court's decisions in Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another said that Brazil's embassy in Washington was attempting to clarify our interpretation of the facts by claiming that democracy and freedom of speech were secure in Brazil. The US administration is becoming more receptive to claims made by Bolsonaro's family and conservative Brazilians that former president Jair Bolsonaro, a supporter of Donald Trump, is being persecuted for his political views and that free expression in Brazil is in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rubio\u2019s remarks came after a lobbying campaign in the US by Bolsonaro\u2019s congressman son Eduardo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI would estimate there is an 85 per cent likelihood of sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes,\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Eduardo informed the Financial Times in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cIf I had to wager my house on it, I would... \" would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\nThe AMP is run by Checkmate managing partner Ches McDowell, who is reportedly close to Donald Trump Jr., along with partners Fritz Vaughan and Ryan O'Dwyer. Thanks to its connections to Trump, the lobbying tactic from North Carolina has lately spread to Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Donald Trump has frequently denounced what he considers to be undue Chinese influence over the Panama Canal, focusing in particular on the<\/a> Hong Kong-based corporation CK Hutchison Holdings' control of the ports of Balboa and Cristobal. Asserting that the canal was first constructed by the United States and that \"we didn\u2019t give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we\u2019re taking it back,\" Trump asserted in his inaugural speech that \"China is operating the Panama Canal\" and that the United States would \"take it back.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump's rhetoric escalated with threats to demand the return of the canal to U.S. control if Panama did not treat American shippers fairly, referencing the 1977 treaty that transferred control to Panama in 1999. He suggested that if the treaty's principles were not respected, the U.S. would reclaim the canal \"quickly and without question,\" a stance firmly rejected by Panama's president, who emphasized Panama's sovereign control over the canal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently visited Panama and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen military cooperation and support for the Panama Canal security. Through training, rotating U.S. troop deployments, and collaboration to counter Chinese influence in the area, this pact seeks to enhance cooperative security operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China's increasing influence in Panama, particularly through the Belt and Road Initiative and CK Hutchison's port activities, was seen as a strategic danger by the Trump administration. To offset China's influence, the U.S. responded by promoting American investments, closely examining concessions held by China, and pursuing diplomatic initiatives. In order to improve bilateral relations and allay worries about China's involvement in the canal's operations, Secretary of State Marco Rubio held discussions with Panama.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Panama turns to U.S. lobbyists to deal with Trump\u2019s canal threats","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"panama-turns-to-u-s-lobbyists-to-deal-with-trumps-canal-threats","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7878","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7870,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content":"\n
A Brazilian Supreme Court judge who is presiding over a case in which former President Jair Bolsonaro is being charged with coup d'etat is the target of a last-ditch lobbying effort by the country's left-wing administration to prevent the United States from putting sanctions on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brazilian authorities worry that the possibility of financial and visa restrictions may put the two most populous countries in the Americas on a collision course, despite US Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a>'s statement last week that Washington was considering punishment against top judge Alexandre de Moraes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cWe are working to prevent the blood from flowing into the river.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
A government official commented that Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira is leading the diplomatic effort. He noted that the pressure from major tech companies, which are facing restrictions from Brazil\u2019s highest court, seems to be influencing the debate against the court's decisions in Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another said that Brazil's embassy in Washington was attempting to clarify our interpretation of the facts by claiming that democracy and freedom of speech were secure in Brazil. The US administration is becoming more receptive to claims made by Bolsonaro's family and conservative Brazilians that former president Jair Bolsonaro, a supporter of Donald Trump, is being persecuted for his political views and that free expression in Brazil is in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rubio\u2019s remarks came after a lobbying campaign in the US by Bolsonaro\u2019s congressman son Eduardo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI would estimate there is an 85 per cent likelihood of sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes,\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Eduardo informed the Financial Times in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cIf I had to wager my house on it, I would... \" would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\nReports state that the deal started in May and that the AMP would pay a cost of $195,000 each month for six months. Although the Panama Maritime Authority, which is in charge of managing Panama's vast maritime registry and ports, has previously engaged a number of US corporations for lobbying, this is the first time the Panamanian government has done so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The AMP is run by Checkmate managing partner Ches McDowell, who is reportedly close to Donald Trump Jr., along with partners Fritz Vaughan and Ryan O'Dwyer. Thanks to its connections to Trump, the lobbying tactic from North Carolina has lately spread to Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Donald Trump has frequently denounced what he considers to be undue Chinese influence over the Panama Canal, focusing in particular on the<\/a> Hong Kong-based corporation CK Hutchison Holdings' control of the ports of Balboa and Cristobal. Asserting that the canal was first constructed by the United States and that \"we didn\u2019t give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we\u2019re taking it back,\" Trump asserted in his inaugural speech that \"China is operating the Panama Canal\" and that the United States would \"take it back.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump's rhetoric escalated with threats to demand the return of the canal to U.S. control if Panama did not treat American shippers fairly, referencing the 1977 treaty that transferred control to Panama in 1999. He suggested that if the treaty's principles were not respected, the U.S. would reclaim the canal \"quickly and without question,\" a stance firmly rejected by Panama's president, who emphasized Panama's sovereign control over the canal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently visited Panama and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen military cooperation and support for the Panama Canal security. Through training, rotating U.S. troop deployments, and collaboration to counter Chinese influence in the area, this pact seeks to enhance cooperative security operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China's increasing influence in Panama, particularly through the Belt and Road Initiative and CK Hutchison's port activities, was seen as a strategic danger by the Trump administration. To offset China's influence, the U.S. responded by promoting American investments, closely examining concessions held by China, and pursuing diplomatic initiatives. In order to improve bilateral relations and allay worries about China's involvement in the canal's operations, Secretary of State Marco Rubio held discussions with Panama.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Panama turns to U.S. lobbyists to deal with Trump\u2019s canal threats","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"panama-turns-to-u-s-lobbyists-to-deal-with-trumps-canal-threats","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7878","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7870,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content":"\n
A Brazilian Supreme Court judge who is presiding over a case in which former President Jair Bolsonaro is being charged with coup d'etat is the target of a last-ditch lobbying effort by the country's left-wing administration to prevent the United States from putting sanctions on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brazilian authorities worry that the possibility of financial and visa restrictions may put the two most populous countries in the Americas on a collision course, despite US Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a>'s statement last week that Washington was considering punishment against top judge Alexandre de Moraes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cWe are working to prevent the blood from flowing into the river.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
A government official commented that Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira is leading the diplomatic effort. He noted that the pressure from major tech companies, which are facing restrictions from Brazil\u2019s highest court, seems to be influencing the debate against the court's decisions in Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another said that Brazil's embassy in Washington was attempting to clarify our interpretation of the facts by claiming that democracy and freedom of speech were secure in Brazil. The US administration is becoming more receptive to claims made by Bolsonaro's family and conservative Brazilians that former president Jair Bolsonaro, a supporter of Donald Trump, is being persecuted for his political views and that free expression in Brazil is in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rubio\u2019s remarks came after a lobbying campaign in the US by Bolsonaro\u2019s congressman son Eduardo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI would estimate there is an 85 per cent likelihood of sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes,\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Eduardo informed the Financial Times in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cIf I had to wager my house on it, I would... \" would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\nAccording to Politico and O'Dwyer, the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) has agreed to a six-month contract with Checkmate Government Interactions, a US company associated with Trump, to help with interactions with US officials and the Trump administration<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reports state that the deal started in May and that the AMP would pay a cost of $195,000 each month for six months. Although the Panama Maritime Authority, which is in charge of managing Panama's vast maritime registry and ports, has previously engaged a number of US corporations for lobbying, this is the first time the Panamanian government has done so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The AMP is run by Checkmate managing partner Ches McDowell, who is reportedly close to Donald Trump Jr., along with partners Fritz Vaughan and Ryan O'Dwyer. Thanks to its connections to Trump, the lobbying tactic from North Carolina has lately spread to Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Donald Trump has frequently denounced what he considers to be undue Chinese influence over the Panama Canal, focusing in particular on the<\/a> Hong Kong-based corporation CK Hutchison Holdings' control of the ports of Balboa and Cristobal. Asserting that the canal was first constructed by the United States and that \"we didn\u2019t give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we\u2019re taking it back,\" Trump asserted in his inaugural speech that \"China is operating the Panama Canal\" and that the United States would \"take it back.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump's rhetoric escalated with threats to demand the return of the canal to U.S. control if Panama did not treat American shippers fairly, referencing the 1977 treaty that transferred control to Panama in 1999. He suggested that if the treaty's principles were not respected, the U.S. would reclaim the canal \"quickly and without question,\" a stance firmly rejected by Panama's president, who emphasized Panama's sovereign control over the canal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently visited Panama and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen military cooperation and support for the Panama Canal security. Through training, rotating U.S. troop deployments, and collaboration to counter Chinese influence in the area, this pact seeks to enhance cooperative security operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China's increasing influence in Panama, particularly through the Belt and Road Initiative and CK Hutchison's port activities, was seen as a strategic danger by the Trump administration. To offset China's influence, the U.S. responded by promoting American investments, closely examining concessions held by China, and pursuing diplomatic initiatives. In order to improve bilateral relations and allay worries about China's involvement in the canal's operations, Secretary of State Marco Rubio held discussions with Panama.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Panama turns to U.S. lobbyists to deal with Trump\u2019s canal threats","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"panama-turns-to-u-s-lobbyists-to-deal-with-trumps-canal-threats","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7878","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7870,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content":"\n
A Brazilian Supreme Court judge who is presiding over a case in which former President Jair Bolsonaro is being charged with coup d'etat is the target of a last-ditch lobbying effort by the country's left-wing administration to prevent the United States from putting sanctions on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brazilian authorities worry that the possibility of financial and visa restrictions may put the two most populous countries in the Americas on a collision course, despite US Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a>'s statement last week that Washington was considering punishment against top judge Alexandre de Moraes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cWe are working to prevent the blood from flowing into the river.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
A government official commented that Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira is leading the diplomatic effort. He noted that the pressure from major tech companies, which are facing restrictions from Brazil\u2019s highest court, seems to be influencing the debate against the court's decisions in Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another said that Brazil's embassy in Washington was attempting to clarify our interpretation of the facts by claiming that democracy and freedom of speech were secure in Brazil. The US administration is becoming more receptive to claims made by Bolsonaro's family and conservative Brazilians that former president Jair Bolsonaro, a supporter of Donald Trump, is being persecuted for his political views and that free expression in Brazil is in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rubio\u2019s remarks came after a lobbying campaign in the US by Bolsonaro\u2019s congressman son Eduardo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI would estimate there is an 85 per cent likelihood of sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes,\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Eduardo informed the Financial Times in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cIf I had to wager my house on it, I would... \" would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\nEfforts to ban taxpayer-funded lobbying, such as Texas Senate Bill 19, have faced setbacks. While initially aiming to prohibit political subdivisions from using public funds to hire lobbyists or pay dues to lobby organisations, amendments weakened the bill, allowing nonprofit associations to continue lobbying <\/a>with taxpayer funds.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Harris County\u2019s wallet wide open for lobbyists","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"harris-countys-wallet-wide-open-for-lobbyists","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:43:29","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:43:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7886","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7878,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-29 13:25:54","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-29 13:25:54","post_content":"\n
According to Politico and O'Dwyer, the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) has agreed to a six-month contract with Checkmate Government Interactions, a US company associated with Trump, to help with interactions with US officials and the Trump administration<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reports state that the deal started in May and that the AMP would pay a cost of $195,000 each month for six months. Although the Panama Maritime Authority, which is in charge of managing Panama's vast maritime registry and ports, has previously engaged a number of US corporations for lobbying, this is the first time the Panamanian government has done so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The AMP is run by Checkmate managing partner Ches McDowell, who is reportedly close to Donald Trump Jr., along with partners Fritz Vaughan and Ryan O'Dwyer. Thanks to its connections to Trump, the lobbying tactic from North Carolina has lately spread to Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Donald Trump has frequently denounced what he considers to be undue Chinese influence over the Panama Canal, focusing in particular on the<\/a> Hong Kong-based corporation CK Hutchison Holdings' control of the ports of Balboa and Cristobal. Asserting that the canal was first constructed by the United States and that \"we didn\u2019t give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we\u2019re taking it back,\" Trump asserted in his inaugural speech that \"China is operating the Panama Canal\" and that the United States would \"take it back.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump's rhetoric escalated with threats to demand the return of the canal to U.S. control if Panama did not treat American shippers fairly, referencing the 1977 treaty that transferred control to Panama in 1999. He suggested that if the treaty's principles were not respected, the U.S. would reclaim the canal \"quickly and without question,\" a stance firmly rejected by Panama's president, who emphasized Panama's sovereign control over the canal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently visited Panama and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen military cooperation and support for the Panama Canal security. Through training, rotating U.S. troop deployments, and collaboration to counter Chinese influence in the area, this pact seeks to enhance cooperative security operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China's increasing influence in Panama, particularly through the Belt and Road Initiative and CK Hutchison's port activities, was seen as a strategic danger by the Trump administration. To offset China's influence, the U.S. responded by promoting American investments, closely examining concessions held by China, and pursuing diplomatic initiatives. In order to improve bilateral relations and allay worries about China's involvement in the canal's operations, Secretary of State Marco Rubio held discussions with Panama.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Panama turns to U.S. lobbyists to deal with Trump\u2019s canal threats","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"panama-turns-to-u-s-lobbyists-to-deal-with-trumps-canal-threats","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7878","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7870,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content":"\n
A Brazilian Supreme Court judge who is presiding over a case in which former President Jair Bolsonaro is being charged with coup d'etat is the target of a last-ditch lobbying effort by the country's left-wing administration to prevent the United States from putting sanctions on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brazilian authorities worry that the possibility of financial and visa restrictions may put the two most populous countries in the Americas on a collision course, despite US Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a>'s statement last week that Washington was considering punishment against top judge Alexandre de Moraes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cWe are working to prevent the blood from flowing into the river.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
A government official commented that Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira is leading the diplomatic effort. He noted that the pressure from major tech companies, which are facing restrictions from Brazil\u2019s highest court, seems to be influencing the debate against the court's decisions in Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another said that Brazil's embassy in Washington was attempting to clarify our interpretation of the facts by claiming that democracy and freedom of speech were secure in Brazil. The US administration is becoming more receptive to claims made by Bolsonaro's family and conservative Brazilians that former president Jair Bolsonaro, a supporter of Donald Trump, is being persecuted for his political views and that free expression in Brazil is in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rubio\u2019s remarks came after a lobbying campaign in the US by Bolsonaro\u2019s congressman son Eduardo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI would estimate there is an 85 per cent likelihood of sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes,\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Eduardo informed the Financial Times in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cIf I had to wager my house on it, I would... \" would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\nMoreover, In 2025, Harris County and its subsidiaries have spent approximately $160,000 on federal lobbying so far. This includes $40,000 each from the Harris County Sheriff's Office and Harris County Precinct 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Efforts to ban taxpayer-funded lobbying, such as Texas Senate Bill 19, have faced setbacks. While initially aiming to prohibit political subdivisions from using public funds to hire lobbyists or pay dues to lobby organisations, amendments weakened the bill, allowing nonprofit associations to continue lobbying <\/a>with taxpayer funds.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Harris County\u2019s wallet wide open for lobbyists","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"harris-countys-wallet-wide-open-for-lobbyists","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:43:29","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:43:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7886","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7878,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-29 13:25:54","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-29 13:25:54","post_content":"\n
According to Politico and O'Dwyer, the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) has agreed to a six-month contract with Checkmate Government Interactions, a US company associated with Trump, to help with interactions with US officials and the Trump administration<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reports state that the deal started in May and that the AMP would pay a cost of $195,000 each month for six months. Although the Panama Maritime Authority, which is in charge of managing Panama's vast maritime registry and ports, has previously engaged a number of US corporations for lobbying, this is the first time the Panamanian government has done so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The AMP is run by Checkmate managing partner Ches McDowell, who is reportedly close to Donald Trump Jr., along with partners Fritz Vaughan and Ryan O'Dwyer. Thanks to its connections to Trump, the lobbying tactic from North Carolina has lately spread to Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Donald Trump has frequently denounced what he considers to be undue Chinese influence over the Panama Canal, focusing in particular on the<\/a> Hong Kong-based corporation CK Hutchison Holdings' control of the ports of Balboa and Cristobal. Asserting that the canal was first constructed by the United States and that \"we didn\u2019t give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we\u2019re taking it back,\" Trump asserted in his inaugural speech that \"China is operating the Panama Canal\" and that the United States would \"take it back.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump's rhetoric escalated with threats to demand the return of the canal to U.S. control if Panama did not treat American shippers fairly, referencing the 1977 treaty that transferred control to Panama in 1999. He suggested that if the treaty's principles were not respected, the U.S. would reclaim the canal \"quickly and without question,\" a stance firmly rejected by Panama's president, who emphasized Panama's sovereign control over the canal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently visited Panama and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen military cooperation and support for the Panama Canal security. Through training, rotating U.S. troop deployments, and collaboration to counter Chinese influence in the area, this pact seeks to enhance cooperative security operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China's increasing influence in Panama, particularly through the Belt and Road Initiative and CK Hutchison's port activities, was seen as a strategic danger by the Trump administration. To offset China's influence, the U.S. responded by promoting American investments, closely examining concessions held by China, and pursuing diplomatic initiatives. In order to improve bilateral relations and allay worries about China's involvement in the canal's operations, Secretary of State Marco Rubio held discussions with Panama.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Panama turns to U.S. lobbyists to deal with Trump\u2019s canal threats","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"panama-turns-to-u-s-lobbyists-to-deal-with-trumps-canal-threats","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7878","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7870,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content":"\n
A Brazilian Supreme Court judge who is presiding over a case in which former President Jair Bolsonaro is being charged with coup d'etat is the target of a last-ditch lobbying effort by the country's left-wing administration to prevent the United States from putting sanctions on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brazilian authorities worry that the possibility of financial and visa restrictions may put the two most populous countries in the Americas on a collision course, despite US Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a>'s statement last week that Washington was considering punishment against top judge Alexandre de Moraes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cWe are working to prevent the blood from flowing into the river.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
A government official commented that Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira is leading the diplomatic effort. He noted that the pressure from major tech companies, which are facing restrictions from Brazil\u2019s highest court, seems to be influencing the debate against the court's decisions in Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another said that Brazil's embassy in Washington was attempting to clarify our interpretation of the facts by claiming that democracy and freedom of speech were secure in Brazil. The US administration is becoming more receptive to claims made by Bolsonaro's family and conservative Brazilians that former president Jair Bolsonaro, a supporter of Donald Trump, is being persecuted for his political views and that free expression in Brazil is in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rubio\u2019s remarks came after a lobbying campaign in the US by Bolsonaro\u2019s congressman son Eduardo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI would estimate there is an 85 per cent likelihood of sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes,\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Eduardo informed the Financial Times in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cIf I had to wager my house on it, I would... \" would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\nRegretfully, a bill that would have done so was<\/a> defeated in this session's Texas House, which is controlled by Dade Phelan. According to Siegel, voters must remove elected politicians who favour using taxpayer dollars in this manner, such as County Judge Lina Hidalgo and the Democratic county commissioners running for reelection in 2026, since the legislature did not take action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moreover, In 2025, Harris County and its subsidiaries have spent approximately $160,000 on federal lobbying so far. This includes $40,000 each from the Harris County Sheriff's Office and Harris County Precinct 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Efforts to ban taxpayer-funded lobbying, such as Texas Senate Bill 19, have faced setbacks. While initially aiming to prohibit political subdivisions from using public funds to hire lobbyists or pay dues to lobby organisations, amendments weakened the bill, allowing nonprofit associations to continue lobbying <\/a>with taxpayer funds.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Harris County\u2019s wallet wide open for lobbyists","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"harris-countys-wallet-wide-open-for-lobbyists","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:43:29","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:43:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7886","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7878,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-29 13:25:54","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-29 13:25:54","post_content":"\n
According to Politico and O'Dwyer, the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) has agreed to a six-month contract with Checkmate Government Interactions, a US company associated with Trump, to help with interactions with US officials and the Trump administration<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reports state that the deal started in May and that the AMP would pay a cost of $195,000 each month for six months. Although the Panama Maritime Authority, which is in charge of managing Panama's vast maritime registry and ports, has previously engaged a number of US corporations for lobbying, this is the first time the Panamanian government has done so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The AMP is run by Checkmate managing partner Ches McDowell, who is reportedly close to Donald Trump Jr., along with partners Fritz Vaughan and Ryan O'Dwyer. Thanks to its connections to Trump, the lobbying tactic from North Carolina has lately spread to Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Donald Trump has frequently denounced what he considers to be undue Chinese influence over the Panama Canal, focusing in particular on the<\/a> Hong Kong-based corporation CK Hutchison Holdings' control of the ports of Balboa and Cristobal. Asserting that the canal was first constructed by the United States and that \"we didn\u2019t give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we\u2019re taking it back,\" Trump asserted in his inaugural speech that \"China is operating the Panama Canal\" and that the United States would \"take it back.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump's rhetoric escalated with threats to demand the return of the canal to U.S. control if Panama did not treat American shippers fairly, referencing the 1977 treaty that transferred control to Panama in 1999. He suggested that if the treaty's principles were not respected, the U.S. would reclaim the canal \"quickly and without question,\" a stance firmly rejected by Panama's president, who emphasized Panama's sovereign control over the canal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently visited Panama and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen military cooperation and support for the Panama Canal security. Through training, rotating U.S. troop deployments, and collaboration to counter Chinese influence in the area, this pact seeks to enhance cooperative security operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China's increasing influence in Panama, particularly through the Belt and Road Initiative and CK Hutchison's port activities, was seen as a strategic danger by the Trump administration. To offset China's influence, the U.S. responded by promoting American investments, closely examining concessions held by China, and pursuing diplomatic initiatives. In order to improve bilateral relations and allay worries about China's involvement in the canal's operations, Secretary of State Marco Rubio held discussions with Panama.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Panama turns to U.S. lobbyists to deal with Trump\u2019s canal threats","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"panama-turns-to-u-s-lobbyists-to-deal-with-trumps-canal-threats","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7878","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7870,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content":"\n
A Brazilian Supreme Court judge who is presiding over a case in which former President Jair Bolsonaro is being charged with coup d'etat is the target of a last-ditch lobbying effort by the country's left-wing administration to prevent the United States from putting sanctions on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brazilian authorities worry that the possibility of financial and visa restrictions may put the two most populous countries in the Americas on a collision course, despite US Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a>'s statement last week that Washington was considering punishment against top judge Alexandre de Moraes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cWe are working to prevent the blood from flowing into the river.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
A government official commented that Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira is leading the diplomatic effort. He noted that the pressure from major tech companies, which are facing restrictions from Brazil\u2019s highest court, seems to be influencing the debate against the court's decisions in Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another said that Brazil's embassy in Washington was attempting to clarify our interpretation of the facts by claiming that democracy and freedom of speech were secure in Brazil. The US administration is becoming more receptive to claims made by Bolsonaro's family and conservative Brazilians that former president Jair Bolsonaro, a supporter of Donald Trump, is being persecuted for his political views and that free expression in Brazil is in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rubio\u2019s remarks came after a lobbying campaign in the US by Bolsonaro\u2019s congressman son Eduardo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI would estimate there is an 85 per cent likelihood of sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes,\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Eduardo informed the Financial Times in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cIf I had to wager my house on it, I would... \" would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\nAccording to Siegel, this has been a major concern among Texans for a number of years, and the Texas GOP platform presently calls for the elimination of taxpayer-funded lobbying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regretfully, a bill that would have done so was<\/a> defeated in this session's Texas House, which is controlled by Dade Phelan. According to Siegel, voters must remove elected politicians who favour using taxpayer dollars in this manner, such as County Judge Lina Hidalgo and the Democratic county commissioners running for reelection in 2026, since the legislature did not take action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moreover, In 2025, Harris County and its subsidiaries have spent approximately $160,000 on federal lobbying so far. This includes $40,000 each from the Harris County Sheriff's Office and Harris County Precinct 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Efforts to ban taxpayer-funded lobbying, such as Texas Senate Bill 19, have faced setbacks. While initially aiming to prohibit political subdivisions from using public funds to hire lobbyists or pay dues to lobby organisations, amendments weakened the bill, allowing nonprofit associations to continue lobbying <\/a>with taxpayer funds.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Harris County\u2019s wallet wide open for lobbyists","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"harris-countys-wallet-wide-open-for-lobbyists","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:43:29","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:43:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7886","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7878,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-29 13:25:54","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-29 13:25:54","post_content":"\n
According to Politico and O'Dwyer, the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) has agreed to a six-month contract with Checkmate Government Interactions, a US company associated with Trump, to help with interactions with US officials and the Trump administration<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reports state that the deal started in May and that the AMP would pay a cost of $195,000 each month for six months. Although the Panama Maritime Authority, which is in charge of managing Panama's vast maritime registry and ports, has previously engaged a number of US corporations for lobbying, this is the first time the Panamanian government has done so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The AMP is run by Checkmate managing partner Ches McDowell, who is reportedly close to Donald Trump Jr., along with partners Fritz Vaughan and Ryan O'Dwyer. Thanks to its connections to Trump, the lobbying tactic from North Carolina has lately spread to Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Donald Trump has frequently denounced what he considers to be undue Chinese influence over the Panama Canal, focusing in particular on the<\/a> Hong Kong-based corporation CK Hutchison Holdings' control of the ports of Balboa and Cristobal. Asserting that the canal was first constructed by the United States and that \"we didn\u2019t give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we\u2019re taking it back,\" Trump asserted in his inaugural speech that \"China is operating the Panama Canal\" and that the United States would \"take it back.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump's rhetoric escalated with threats to demand the return of the canal to U.S. control if Panama did not treat American shippers fairly, referencing the 1977 treaty that transferred control to Panama in 1999. He suggested that if the treaty's principles were not respected, the U.S. would reclaim the canal \"quickly and without question,\" a stance firmly rejected by Panama's president, who emphasized Panama's sovereign control over the canal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently visited Panama and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen military cooperation and support for the Panama Canal security. Through training, rotating U.S. troop deployments, and collaboration to counter Chinese influence in the area, this pact seeks to enhance cooperative security operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China's increasing influence in Panama, particularly through the Belt and Road Initiative and CK Hutchison's port activities, was seen as a strategic danger by the Trump administration. To offset China's influence, the U.S. responded by promoting American investments, closely examining concessions held by China, and pursuing diplomatic initiatives. In order to improve bilateral relations and allay worries about China's involvement in the canal's operations, Secretary of State Marco Rubio held discussions with Panama.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Panama turns to U.S. lobbyists to deal with Trump\u2019s canal threats","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"panama-turns-to-u-s-lobbyists-to-deal-with-trumps-canal-threats","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7878","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7870,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content":"\n
A Brazilian Supreme Court judge who is presiding over a case in which former President Jair Bolsonaro is being charged with coup d'etat is the target of a last-ditch lobbying effort by the country's left-wing administration to prevent the United States from putting sanctions on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brazilian authorities worry that the possibility of financial and visa restrictions may put the two most populous countries in the Americas on a collision course, despite US Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a>'s statement last week that Washington was considering punishment against top judge Alexandre de Moraes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cWe are working to prevent the blood from flowing into the river.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
A government official commented that Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira is leading the diplomatic effort. He noted that the pressure from major tech companies, which are facing restrictions from Brazil\u2019s highest court, seems to be influencing the debate against the court's decisions in Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another said that Brazil's embassy in Washington was attempting to clarify our interpretation of the facts by claiming that democracy and freedom of speech were secure in Brazil. The US administration is becoming more receptive to claims made by Bolsonaro's family and conservative Brazilians that former president Jair Bolsonaro, a supporter of Donald Trump, is being persecuted for his political views and that free expression in Brazil is in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rubio\u2019s remarks came after a lobbying campaign in the US by Bolsonaro\u2019s congressman son Eduardo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI would estimate there is an 85 per cent likelihood of sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes,\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Eduardo informed the Financial Times in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cIf I had to wager my house on it, I would... \" would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\n\"Why should we permit our elected officials to use taxpayer funds in this manner to lobby other officials?\"<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
According to Siegel, this has been a major concern among Texans for a number of years, and the Texas GOP platform presently calls for the elimination of taxpayer-funded lobbying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regretfully, a bill that would have done so was<\/a> defeated in this session's Texas House, which is controlled by Dade Phelan. According to Siegel, voters must remove elected politicians who favour using taxpayer dollars in this manner, such as County Judge Lina Hidalgo and the Democratic county commissioners running for reelection in 2026, since the legislature did not take action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moreover, In 2025, Harris County and its subsidiaries have spent approximately $160,000 on federal lobbying so far. This includes $40,000 each from the Harris County Sheriff's Office and Harris County Precinct 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Efforts to ban taxpayer-funded lobbying, such as Texas Senate Bill 19, have faced setbacks. While initially aiming to prohibit political subdivisions from using public funds to hire lobbyists or pay dues to lobby organisations, amendments weakened the bill, allowing nonprofit associations to continue lobbying <\/a>with taxpayer funds.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Harris County\u2019s wallet wide open for lobbyists","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"harris-countys-wallet-wide-open-for-lobbyists","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:43:29","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:43:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7886","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7878,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-29 13:25:54","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-29 13:25:54","post_content":"\n
According to Politico and O'Dwyer, the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) has agreed to a six-month contract with Checkmate Government Interactions, a US company associated with Trump, to help with interactions with US officials and the Trump administration<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reports state that the deal started in May and that the AMP would pay a cost of $195,000 each month for six months. Although the Panama Maritime Authority, which is in charge of managing Panama's vast maritime registry and ports, has previously engaged a number of US corporations for lobbying, this is the first time the Panamanian government has done so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The AMP is run by Checkmate managing partner Ches McDowell, who is reportedly close to Donald Trump Jr., along with partners Fritz Vaughan and Ryan O'Dwyer. Thanks to its connections to Trump, the lobbying tactic from North Carolina has lately spread to Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Donald Trump has frequently denounced what he considers to be undue Chinese influence over the Panama Canal, focusing in particular on the<\/a> Hong Kong-based corporation CK Hutchison Holdings' control of the ports of Balboa and Cristobal. Asserting that the canal was first constructed by the United States and that \"we didn\u2019t give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we\u2019re taking it back,\" Trump asserted in his inaugural speech that \"China is operating the Panama Canal\" and that the United States would \"take it back.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump's rhetoric escalated with threats to demand the return of the canal to U.S. control if Panama did not treat American shippers fairly, referencing the 1977 treaty that transferred control to Panama in 1999. He suggested that if the treaty's principles were not respected, the U.S. would reclaim the canal \"quickly and without question,\" a stance firmly rejected by Panama's president, who emphasized Panama's sovereign control over the canal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently visited Panama and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen military cooperation and support for the Panama Canal security. Through training, rotating U.S. troop deployments, and collaboration to counter Chinese influence in the area, this pact seeks to enhance cooperative security operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China's increasing influence in Panama, particularly through the Belt and Road Initiative and CK Hutchison's port activities, was seen as a strategic danger by the Trump administration. To offset China's influence, the U.S. responded by promoting American investments, closely examining concessions held by China, and pursuing diplomatic initiatives. In order to improve bilateral relations and allay worries about China's involvement in the canal's operations, Secretary of State Marco Rubio held discussions with Panama.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Panama turns to U.S. lobbyists to deal with Trump\u2019s canal threats","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"panama-turns-to-u-s-lobbyists-to-deal-with-trumps-canal-threats","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7878","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7870,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content":"\n
A Brazilian Supreme Court judge who is presiding over a case in which former President Jair Bolsonaro is being charged with coup d'etat is the target of a last-ditch lobbying effort by the country's left-wing administration to prevent the United States from putting sanctions on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brazilian authorities worry that the possibility of financial and visa restrictions may put the two most populous countries in the Americas on a collision course, despite US Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a>'s statement last week that Washington was considering punishment against top judge Alexandre de Moraes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cWe are working to prevent the blood from flowing into the river.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
A government official commented that Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira is leading the diplomatic effort. He noted that the pressure from major tech companies, which are facing restrictions from Brazil\u2019s highest court, seems to be influencing the debate against the court's decisions in Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another said that Brazil's embassy in Washington was attempting to clarify our interpretation of the facts by claiming that democracy and freedom of speech were secure in Brazil. The US administration is becoming more receptive to claims made by Bolsonaro's family and conservative Brazilians that former president Jair Bolsonaro, a supporter of Donald Trump, is being persecuted for his political views and that free expression in Brazil is in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rubio\u2019s remarks came after a lobbying campaign in the US by Bolsonaro\u2019s congressman son Eduardo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI would estimate there is an 85 per cent likelihood of sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes,\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Eduardo informed the Financial Times in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cIf I had to wager my house on it, I would... \" would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\n\n\"Why should we permit our elected officials to use taxpayer funds in this manner to lobby other officials?\"<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
According to Siegel, this has been a major concern among Texans for a number of years, and the Texas GOP platform presently calls for the elimination of taxpayer-funded lobbying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regretfully, a bill that would have done so was<\/a> defeated in this session's Texas House, which is controlled by Dade Phelan. According to Siegel, voters must remove elected politicians who favour using taxpayer dollars in this manner, such as County Judge Lina Hidalgo and the Democratic county commissioners running for reelection in 2026, since the legislature did not take action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moreover, In 2025, Harris County and its subsidiaries have spent approximately $160,000 on federal lobbying so far. This includes $40,000 each from the Harris County Sheriff's Office and Harris County Precinct 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Efforts to ban taxpayer-funded lobbying, such as Texas Senate Bill 19, have faced setbacks. While initially aiming to prohibit political subdivisions from using public funds to hire lobbyists or pay dues to lobby organisations, amendments weakened the bill, allowing nonprofit associations to continue lobbying <\/a>with taxpayer funds.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Harris County\u2019s wallet wide open for lobbyists","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"harris-countys-wallet-wide-open-for-lobbyists","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:43:29","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:43:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7886","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7878,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-29 13:25:54","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-29 13:25:54","post_content":"\n
According to Politico and O'Dwyer, the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) has agreed to a six-month contract with Checkmate Government Interactions, a US company associated with Trump, to help with interactions with US officials and the Trump administration<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reports state that the deal started in May and that the AMP would pay a cost of $195,000 each month for six months. Although the Panama Maritime Authority, which is in charge of managing Panama's vast maritime registry and ports, has previously engaged a number of US corporations for lobbying, this is the first time the Panamanian government has done so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The AMP is run by Checkmate managing partner Ches McDowell, who is reportedly close to Donald Trump Jr., along with partners Fritz Vaughan and Ryan O'Dwyer. Thanks to its connections to Trump, the lobbying tactic from North Carolina has lately spread to Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Donald Trump has frequently denounced what he considers to be undue Chinese influence over the Panama Canal, focusing in particular on the<\/a> Hong Kong-based corporation CK Hutchison Holdings' control of the ports of Balboa and Cristobal. Asserting that the canal was first constructed by the United States and that \"we didn\u2019t give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we\u2019re taking it back,\" Trump asserted in his inaugural speech that \"China is operating the Panama Canal\" and that the United States would \"take it back.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump's rhetoric escalated with threats to demand the return of the canal to U.S. control if Panama did not treat American shippers fairly, referencing the 1977 treaty that transferred control to Panama in 1999. He suggested that if the treaty's principles were not respected, the U.S. would reclaim the canal \"quickly and without question,\" a stance firmly rejected by Panama's president, who emphasized Panama's sovereign control over the canal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently visited Panama and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen military cooperation and support for the Panama Canal security. Through training, rotating U.S. troop deployments, and collaboration to counter Chinese influence in the area, this pact seeks to enhance cooperative security operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China's increasing influence in Panama, particularly through the Belt and Road Initiative and CK Hutchison's port activities, was seen as a strategic danger by the Trump administration. To offset China's influence, the U.S. responded by promoting American investments, closely examining concessions held by China, and pursuing diplomatic initiatives. In order to improve bilateral relations and allay worries about China's involvement in the canal's operations, Secretary of State Marco Rubio held discussions with Panama.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Panama turns to U.S. lobbyists to deal with Trump\u2019s canal threats","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"panama-turns-to-u-s-lobbyists-to-deal-with-trumps-canal-threats","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7878","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7870,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content":"\n
A Brazilian Supreme Court judge who is presiding over a case in which former President Jair Bolsonaro is being charged with coup d'etat is the target of a last-ditch lobbying effort by the country's left-wing administration to prevent the United States from putting sanctions on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brazilian authorities worry that the possibility of financial and visa restrictions may put the two most populous countries in the Americas on a collision course, despite US Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a>'s statement last week that Washington was considering punishment against top judge Alexandre de Moraes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cWe are working to prevent the blood from flowing into the river.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
A government official commented that Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira is leading the diplomatic effort. He noted that the pressure from major tech companies, which are facing restrictions from Brazil\u2019s highest court, seems to be influencing the debate against the court's decisions in Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another said that Brazil's embassy in Washington was attempting to clarify our interpretation of the facts by claiming that democracy and freedom of speech were secure in Brazil. The US administration is becoming more receptive to claims made by Bolsonaro's family and conservative Brazilians that former president Jair Bolsonaro, a supporter of Donald Trump, is being persecuted for his political views and that free expression in Brazil is in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rubio\u2019s remarks came after a lobbying campaign in the US by Bolsonaro\u2019s congressman son Eduardo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI would estimate there is an 85 per cent likelihood of sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes,\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Eduardo informed the Financial Times in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cIf I had to wager my house on it, I would... \" would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\nShe also said that, like many citizen activists, government representatives ought to invest their own time and resources in promoting legislation that matters to them. She asked, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\"Why should we permit our elected officials to use taxpayer funds in this manner to lobby other officials?\"<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
According to Siegel, this has been a major concern among Texans for a number of years, and the Texas GOP platform presently calls for the elimination of taxpayer-funded lobbying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regretfully, a bill that would have done so was<\/a> defeated in this session's Texas House, which is controlled by Dade Phelan. According to Siegel, voters must remove elected politicians who favour using taxpayer dollars in this manner, such as County Judge Lina Hidalgo and the Democratic county commissioners running for reelection in 2026, since the legislature did not take action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moreover, In 2025, Harris County and its subsidiaries have spent approximately $160,000 on federal lobbying so far. This includes $40,000 each from the Harris County Sheriff's Office and Harris County Precinct 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Efforts to ban taxpayer-funded lobbying, such as Texas Senate Bill 19, have faced setbacks. While initially aiming to prohibit political subdivisions from using public funds to hire lobbyists or pay dues to lobby organisations, amendments weakened the bill, allowing nonprofit associations to continue lobbying <\/a>with taxpayer funds.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Harris County\u2019s wallet wide open for lobbyists","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"harris-countys-wallet-wide-open-for-lobbyists","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:43:29","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:43:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7886","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7878,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-29 13:25:54","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-29 13:25:54","post_content":"\n
According to Politico and O'Dwyer, the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) has agreed to a six-month contract with Checkmate Government Interactions, a US company associated with Trump, to help with interactions with US officials and the Trump administration<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reports state that the deal started in May and that the AMP would pay a cost of $195,000 each month for six months. Although the Panama Maritime Authority, which is in charge of managing Panama's vast maritime registry and ports, has previously engaged a number of US corporations for lobbying, this is the first time the Panamanian government has done so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The AMP is run by Checkmate managing partner Ches McDowell, who is reportedly close to Donald Trump Jr., along with partners Fritz Vaughan and Ryan O'Dwyer. Thanks to its connections to Trump, the lobbying tactic from North Carolina has lately spread to Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Donald Trump has frequently denounced what he considers to be undue Chinese influence over the Panama Canal, focusing in particular on the<\/a> Hong Kong-based corporation CK Hutchison Holdings' control of the ports of Balboa and Cristobal. Asserting that the canal was first constructed by the United States and that \"we didn\u2019t give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we\u2019re taking it back,\" Trump asserted in his inaugural speech that \"China is operating the Panama Canal\" and that the United States would \"take it back.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump's rhetoric escalated with threats to demand the return of the canal to U.S. control if Panama did not treat American shippers fairly, referencing the 1977 treaty that transferred control to Panama in 1999. He suggested that if the treaty's principles were not respected, the U.S. would reclaim the canal \"quickly and without question,\" a stance firmly rejected by Panama's president, who emphasized Panama's sovereign control over the canal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently visited Panama and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen military cooperation and support for the Panama Canal security. Through training, rotating U.S. troop deployments, and collaboration to counter Chinese influence in the area, this pact seeks to enhance cooperative security operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China's increasing influence in Panama, particularly through the Belt and Road Initiative and CK Hutchison's port activities, was seen as a strategic danger by the Trump administration. To offset China's influence, the U.S. responded by promoting American investments, closely examining concessions held by China, and pursuing diplomatic initiatives. In order to improve bilateral relations and allay worries about China's involvement in the canal's operations, Secretary of State Marco Rubio held discussions with Panama.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Panama turns to U.S. lobbyists to deal with Trump\u2019s canal threats","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"panama-turns-to-u-s-lobbyists-to-deal-with-trumps-canal-threats","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7878","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7870,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content":"\n
A Brazilian Supreme Court judge who is presiding over a case in which former President Jair Bolsonaro is being charged with coup d'etat is the target of a last-ditch lobbying effort by the country's left-wing administration to prevent the United States from putting sanctions on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brazilian authorities worry that the possibility of financial and visa restrictions may put the two most populous countries in the Americas on a collision course, despite US Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a>'s statement last week that Washington was considering punishment against top judge Alexandre de Moraes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cWe are working to prevent the blood from flowing into the river.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
A government official commented that Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira is leading the diplomatic effort. He noted that the pressure from major tech companies, which are facing restrictions from Brazil\u2019s highest court, seems to be influencing the debate against the court's decisions in Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another said that Brazil's embassy in Washington was attempting to clarify our interpretation of the facts by claiming that democracy and freedom of speech were secure in Brazil. The US administration is becoming more receptive to claims made by Bolsonaro's family and conservative Brazilians that former president Jair Bolsonaro, a supporter of Donald Trump, is being persecuted for his political views and that free expression in Brazil is in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rubio\u2019s remarks came after a lobbying campaign in the US by Bolsonaro\u2019s congressman son Eduardo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI would estimate there is an 85 per cent likelihood of sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes,\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Eduardo informed the Financial Times in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cIf I had to wager my house on it, I would... \" would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\n\"We harris County has lacked transparency regarding taxpayer spending in recent years dollars.\"<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
She also said that, like many citizen activists, government representatives ought to invest their own time and resources in promoting legislation that matters to them. She asked, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\"Why should we permit our elected officials to use taxpayer funds in this manner to lobby other officials?\"<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
According to Siegel, this has been a major concern among Texans for a number of years, and the Texas GOP platform presently calls for the elimination of taxpayer-funded lobbying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regretfully, a bill that would have done so was<\/a> defeated in this session's Texas House, which is controlled by Dade Phelan. According to Siegel, voters must remove elected politicians who favour using taxpayer dollars in this manner, such as County Judge Lina Hidalgo and the Democratic county commissioners running for reelection in 2026, since the legislature did not take action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moreover, In 2025, Harris County and its subsidiaries have spent approximately $160,000 on federal lobbying so far. This includes $40,000 each from the Harris County Sheriff's Office and Harris County Precinct 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Efforts to ban taxpayer-funded lobbying, such as Texas Senate Bill 19, have faced setbacks. While initially aiming to prohibit political subdivisions from using public funds to hire lobbyists or pay dues to lobby organisations, amendments weakened the bill, allowing nonprofit associations to continue lobbying <\/a>with taxpayer funds.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Harris County\u2019s wallet wide open for lobbyists","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"harris-countys-wallet-wide-open-for-lobbyists","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:43:29","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:43:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7886","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7878,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-29 13:25:54","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-29 13:25:54","post_content":"\n
According to Politico and O'Dwyer, the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) has agreed to a six-month contract with Checkmate Government Interactions, a US company associated with Trump, to help with interactions with US officials and the Trump administration<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reports state that the deal started in May and that the AMP would pay a cost of $195,000 each month for six months. Although the Panama Maritime Authority, which is in charge of managing Panama's vast maritime registry and ports, has previously engaged a number of US corporations for lobbying, this is the first time the Panamanian government has done so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The AMP is run by Checkmate managing partner Ches McDowell, who is reportedly close to Donald Trump Jr., along with partners Fritz Vaughan and Ryan O'Dwyer. Thanks to its connections to Trump, the lobbying tactic from North Carolina has lately spread to Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Donald Trump has frequently denounced what he considers to be undue Chinese influence over the Panama Canal, focusing in particular on the<\/a> Hong Kong-based corporation CK Hutchison Holdings' control of the ports of Balboa and Cristobal. Asserting that the canal was first constructed by the United States and that \"we didn\u2019t give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we\u2019re taking it back,\" Trump asserted in his inaugural speech that \"China is operating the Panama Canal\" and that the United States would \"take it back.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump's rhetoric escalated with threats to demand the return of the canal to U.S. control if Panama did not treat American shippers fairly, referencing the 1977 treaty that transferred control to Panama in 1999. He suggested that if the treaty's principles were not respected, the U.S. would reclaim the canal \"quickly and without question,\" a stance firmly rejected by Panama's president, who emphasized Panama's sovereign control over the canal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently visited Panama and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen military cooperation and support for the Panama Canal security. Through training, rotating U.S. troop deployments, and collaboration to counter Chinese influence in the area, this pact seeks to enhance cooperative security operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China's increasing influence in Panama, particularly through the Belt and Road Initiative and CK Hutchison's port activities, was seen as a strategic danger by the Trump administration. To offset China's influence, the U.S. responded by promoting American investments, closely examining concessions held by China, and pursuing diplomatic initiatives. In order to improve bilateral relations and allay worries about China's involvement in the canal's operations, Secretary of State Marco Rubio held discussions with Panama.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Panama turns to U.S. lobbyists to deal with Trump\u2019s canal threats","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"panama-turns-to-u-s-lobbyists-to-deal-with-trumps-canal-threats","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7878","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7870,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content":"\n
A Brazilian Supreme Court judge who is presiding over a case in which former President Jair Bolsonaro is being charged with coup d'etat is the target of a last-ditch lobbying effort by the country's left-wing administration to prevent the United States from putting sanctions on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brazilian authorities worry that the possibility of financial and visa restrictions may put the two most populous countries in the Americas on a collision course, despite US Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a>'s statement last week that Washington was considering punishment against top judge Alexandre de Moraes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cWe are working to prevent the blood from flowing into the river.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
A government official commented that Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira is leading the diplomatic effort. He noted that the pressure from major tech companies, which are facing restrictions from Brazil\u2019s highest court, seems to be influencing the debate against the court's decisions in Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another said that Brazil's embassy in Washington was attempting to clarify our interpretation of the facts by claiming that democracy and freedom of speech were secure in Brazil. The US administration is becoming more receptive to claims made by Bolsonaro's family and conservative Brazilians that former president Jair Bolsonaro, a supporter of Donald Trump, is being persecuted for his political views and that free expression in Brazil is in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rubio\u2019s remarks came after a lobbying campaign in the US by Bolsonaro\u2019s congressman son Eduardo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI would estimate there is an 85 per cent likelihood of sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes,\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Eduardo informed the Financial Times in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cIf I had to wager my house on it, I would... \" would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\n\n\"We harris County has lacked transparency regarding taxpayer spending in recent years dollars.\"<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
She also said that, like many citizen activists, government representatives ought to invest their own time and resources in promoting legislation that matters to them. She asked, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\"Why should we permit our elected officials to use taxpayer funds in this manner to lobby other officials?\"<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
According to Siegel, this has been a major concern among Texans for a number of years, and the Texas GOP platform presently calls for the elimination of taxpayer-funded lobbying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regretfully, a bill that would have done so was<\/a> defeated in this session's Texas House, which is controlled by Dade Phelan. According to Siegel, voters must remove elected politicians who favour using taxpayer dollars in this manner, such as County Judge Lina Hidalgo and the Democratic county commissioners running for reelection in 2026, since the legislature did not take action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moreover, In 2025, Harris County and its subsidiaries have spent approximately $160,000 on federal lobbying so far. This includes $40,000 each from the Harris County Sheriff's Office and Harris County Precinct 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Efforts to ban taxpayer-funded lobbying, such as Texas Senate Bill 19, have faced setbacks. While initially aiming to prohibit political subdivisions from using public funds to hire lobbyists or pay dues to lobby organisations, amendments weakened the bill, allowing nonprofit associations to continue lobbying <\/a>with taxpayer funds.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Harris County\u2019s wallet wide open for lobbyists","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"harris-countys-wallet-wide-open-for-lobbyists","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:43:29","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:43:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7886","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7878,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-29 13:25:54","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-29 13:25:54","post_content":"\n
According to Politico and O'Dwyer, the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) has agreed to a six-month contract with Checkmate Government Interactions, a US company associated with Trump, to help with interactions with US officials and the Trump administration<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reports state that the deal started in May and that the AMP would pay a cost of $195,000 each month for six months. Although the Panama Maritime Authority, which is in charge of managing Panama's vast maritime registry and ports, has previously engaged a number of US corporations for lobbying, this is the first time the Panamanian government has done so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The AMP is run by Checkmate managing partner Ches McDowell, who is reportedly close to Donald Trump Jr., along with partners Fritz Vaughan and Ryan O'Dwyer. Thanks to its connections to Trump, the lobbying tactic from North Carolina has lately spread to Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Donald Trump has frequently denounced what he considers to be undue Chinese influence over the Panama Canal, focusing in particular on the<\/a> Hong Kong-based corporation CK Hutchison Holdings' control of the ports of Balboa and Cristobal. Asserting that the canal was first constructed by the United States and that \"we didn\u2019t give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we\u2019re taking it back,\" Trump asserted in his inaugural speech that \"China is operating the Panama Canal\" and that the United States would \"take it back.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump's rhetoric escalated with threats to demand the return of the canal to U.S. control if Panama did not treat American shippers fairly, referencing the 1977 treaty that transferred control to Panama in 1999. He suggested that if the treaty's principles were not respected, the U.S. would reclaim the canal \"quickly and without question,\" a stance firmly rejected by Panama's president, who emphasized Panama's sovereign control over the canal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently visited Panama and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen military cooperation and support for the Panama Canal security. Through training, rotating U.S. troop deployments, and collaboration to counter Chinese influence in the area, this pact seeks to enhance cooperative security operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China's increasing influence in Panama, particularly through the Belt and Road Initiative and CK Hutchison's port activities, was seen as a strategic danger by the Trump administration. To offset China's influence, the U.S. responded by promoting American investments, closely examining concessions held by China, and pursuing diplomatic initiatives. In order to improve bilateral relations and allay worries about China's involvement in the canal's operations, Secretary of State Marco Rubio held discussions with Panama.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Panama turns to U.S. lobbyists to deal with Trump\u2019s canal threats","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"panama-turns-to-u-s-lobbyists-to-deal-with-trumps-canal-threats","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7878","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7870,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content":"\n
A Brazilian Supreme Court judge who is presiding over a case in which former President Jair Bolsonaro is being charged with coup d'etat is the target of a last-ditch lobbying effort by the country's left-wing administration to prevent the United States from putting sanctions on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brazilian authorities worry that the possibility of financial and visa restrictions may put the two most populous countries in the Americas on a collision course, despite US Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a>'s statement last week that Washington was considering punishment against top judge Alexandre de Moraes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cWe are working to prevent the blood from flowing into the river.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
A government official commented that Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira is leading the diplomatic effort. He noted that the pressure from major tech companies, which are facing restrictions from Brazil\u2019s highest court, seems to be influencing the debate against the court's decisions in Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another said that Brazil's embassy in Washington was attempting to clarify our interpretation of the facts by claiming that democracy and freedom of speech were secure in Brazil. The US administration is becoming more receptive to claims made by Bolsonaro's family and conservative Brazilians that former president Jair Bolsonaro, a supporter of Donald Trump, is being persecuted for his political views and that free expression in Brazil is in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rubio\u2019s remarks came after a lobbying campaign in the US by Bolsonaro\u2019s congressman son Eduardo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI would estimate there is an 85 per cent likelihood of sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes,\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Eduardo informed the Financial Times in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cIf I had to wager my house on it, I would... \" would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\nThe fact that there is almost no accountability for this money is among the worst aspects of it all. Cindy Siegel, the Harris County GOP Chair, discussed this with KTRH and stated, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\"We harris County has lacked transparency regarding taxpayer spending in recent years dollars.\"<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
She also said that, like many citizen activists, government representatives ought to invest their own time and resources in promoting legislation that matters to them. She asked, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\"Why should we permit our elected officials to use taxpayer funds in this manner to lobby other officials?\"<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
According to Siegel, this has been a major concern among Texans for a number of years, and the Texas GOP platform presently calls for the elimination of taxpayer-funded lobbying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regretfully, a bill that would have done so was<\/a> defeated in this session's Texas House, which is controlled by Dade Phelan. According to Siegel, voters must remove elected politicians who favour using taxpayer dollars in this manner, such as County Judge Lina Hidalgo and the Democratic county commissioners running for reelection in 2026, since the legislature did not take action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moreover, In 2025, Harris County and its subsidiaries have spent approximately $160,000 on federal lobbying so far. This includes $40,000 each from the Harris County Sheriff's Office and Harris County Precinct 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Efforts to ban taxpayer-funded lobbying, such as Texas Senate Bill 19, have faced setbacks. While initially aiming to prohibit political subdivisions from using public funds to hire lobbyists or pay dues to lobby organisations, amendments weakened the bill, allowing nonprofit associations to continue lobbying <\/a>with taxpayer funds.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Harris County\u2019s wallet wide open for lobbyists","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"harris-countys-wallet-wide-open-for-lobbyists","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:43:29","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:43:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7886","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7878,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-29 13:25:54","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-29 13:25:54","post_content":"\n
According to Politico and O'Dwyer, the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) has agreed to a six-month contract with Checkmate Government Interactions, a US company associated with Trump, to help with interactions with US officials and the Trump administration<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reports state that the deal started in May and that the AMP would pay a cost of $195,000 each month for six months. Although the Panama Maritime Authority, which is in charge of managing Panama's vast maritime registry and ports, has previously engaged a number of US corporations for lobbying, this is the first time the Panamanian government has done so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The AMP is run by Checkmate managing partner Ches McDowell, who is reportedly close to Donald Trump Jr., along with partners Fritz Vaughan and Ryan O'Dwyer. Thanks to its connections to Trump, the lobbying tactic from North Carolina has lately spread to Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Donald Trump has frequently denounced what he considers to be undue Chinese influence over the Panama Canal, focusing in particular on the<\/a> Hong Kong-based corporation CK Hutchison Holdings' control of the ports of Balboa and Cristobal. Asserting that the canal was first constructed by the United States and that \"we didn\u2019t give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we\u2019re taking it back,\" Trump asserted in his inaugural speech that \"China is operating the Panama Canal\" and that the United States would \"take it back.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump's rhetoric escalated with threats to demand the return of the canal to U.S. control if Panama did not treat American shippers fairly, referencing the 1977 treaty that transferred control to Panama in 1999. He suggested that if the treaty's principles were not respected, the U.S. would reclaim the canal \"quickly and without question,\" a stance firmly rejected by Panama's president, who emphasized Panama's sovereign control over the canal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently visited Panama and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen military cooperation and support for the Panama Canal security. Through training, rotating U.S. troop deployments, and collaboration to counter Chinese influence in the area, this pact seeks to enhance cooperative security operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China's increasing influence in Panama, particularly through the Belt and Road Initiative and CK Hutchison's port activities, was seen as a strategic danger by the Trump administration. To offset China's influence, the U.S. responded by promoting American investments, closely examining concessions held by China, and pursuing diplomatic initiatives. In order to improve bilateral relations and allay worries about China's involvement in the canal's operations, Secretary of State Marco Rubio held discussions with Panama.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Panama turns to U.S. lobbyists to deal with Trump\u2019s canal threats","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"panama-turns-to-u-s-lobbyists-to-deal-with-trumps-canal-threats","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7878","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7870,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content":"\n
A Brazilian Supreme Court judge who is presiding over a case in which former President Jair Bolsonaro is being charged with coup d'etat is the target of a last-ditch lobbying effort by the country's left-wing administration to prevent the United States from putting sanctions on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brazilian authorities worry that the possibility of financial and visa restrictions may put the two most populous countries in the Americas on a collision course, despite US Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a>'s statement last week that Washington was considering punishment against top judge Alexandre de Moraes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cWe are working to prevent the blood from flowing into the river.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
A government official commented that Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira is leading the diplomatic effort. He noted that the pressure from major tech companies, which are facing restrictions from Brazil\u2019s highest court, seems to be influencing the debate against the court's decisions in Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another said that Brazil's embassy in Washington was attempting to clarify our interpretation of the facts by claiming that democracy and freedom of speech were secure in Brazil. The US administration is becoming more receptive to claims made by Bolsonaro's family and conservative Brazilians that former president Jair Bolsonaro, a supporter of Donald Trump, is being persecuted for his political views and that free expression in Brazil is in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rubio\u2019s remarks came after a lobbying campaign in the US by Bolsonaro\u2019s congressman son Eduardo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI would estimate there is an 85 per cent likelihood of sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes,\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Eduardo informed the Financial Times in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cIf I had to wager my house on it, I would... \" would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\nThe use of taxpayer funds for lobbying has been a contentious issue in Texas politics. Critics argue that taxpayer-funded lobbying often lacks transparency and may push for policies contrary to citizens\u2019 interests, such as higher taxes or increased spending. A survey by the Texas Public Policy Foundation found that 81% of Texans oppose taxpayer-funded lobbying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The fact that there is almost no accountability for this money is among the worst aspects of it all. Cindy Siegel, the Harris County GOP Chair, discussed this with KTRH and stated, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\"We harris County has lacked transparency regarding taxpayer spending in recent years dollars.\"<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
She also said that, like many citizen activists, government representatives ought to invest their own time and resources in promoting legislation that matters to them. She asked, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\"Why should we permit our elected officials to use taxpayer funds in this manner to lobby other officials?\"<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
According to Siegel, this has been a major concern among Texans for a number of years, and the Texas GOP platform presently calls for the elimination of taxpayer-funded lobbying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regretfully, a bill that would have done so was<\/a> defeated in this session's Texas House, which is controlled by Dade Phelan. According to Siegel, voters must remove elected politicians who favour using taxpayer dollars in this manner, such as County Judge Lina Hidalgo and the Democratic county commissioners running for reelection in 2026, since the legislature did not take action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moreover, In 2025, Harris County and its subsidiaries have spent approximately $160,000 on federal lobbying so far. This includes $40,000 each from the Harris County Sheriff's Office and Harris County Precinct 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Efforts to ban taxpayer-funded lobbying, such as Texas Senate Bill 19, have faced setbacks. While initially aiming to prohibit political subdivisions from using public funds to hire lobbyists or pay dues to lobby organisations, amendments weakened the bill, allowing nonprofit associations to continue lobbying <\/a>with taxpayer funds.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Harris County\u2019s wallet wide open for lobbyists","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"harris-countys-wallet-wide-open-for-lobbyists","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:43:29","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:43:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7886","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7878,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-29 13:25:54","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-29 13:25:54","post_content":"\n
According to Politico and O'Dwyer, the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) has agreed to a six-month contract with Checkmate Government Interactions, a US company associated with Trump, to help with interactions with US officials and the Trump administration<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reports state that the deal started in May and that the AMP would pay a cost of $195,000 each month for six months. Although the Panama Maritime Authority, which is in charge of managing Panama's vast maritime registry and ports, has previously engaged a number of US corporations for lobbying, this is the first time the Panamanian government has done so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The AMP is run by Checkmate managing partner Ches McDowell, who is reportedly close to Donald Trump Jr., along with partners Fritz Vaughan and Ryan O'Dwyer. Thanks to its connections to Trump, the lobbying tactic from North Carolina has lately spread to Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Donald Trump has frequently denounced what he considers to be undue Chinese influence over the Panama Canal, focusing in particular on the<\/a> Hong Kong-based corporation CK Hutchison Holdings' control of the ports of Balboa and Cristobal. Asserting that the canal was first constructed by the United States and that \"we didn\u2019t give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we\u2019re taking it back,\" Trump asserted in his inaugural speech that \"China is operating the Panama Canal\" and that the United States would \"take it back.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump's rhetoric escalated with threats to demand the return of the canal to U.S. control if Panama did not treat American shippers fairly, referencing the 1977 treaty that transferred control to Panama in 1999. He suggested that if the treaty's principles were not respected, the U.S. would reclaim the canal \"quickly and without question,\" a stance firmly rejected by Panama's president, who emphasized Panama's sovereign control over the canal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently visited Panama and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen military cooperation and support for the Panama Canal security. Through training, rotating U.S. troop deployments, and collaboration to counter Chinese influence in the area, this pact seeks to enhance cooperative security operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China's increasing influence in Panama, particularly through the Belt and Road Initiative and CK Hutchison's port activities, was seen as a strategic danger by the Trump administration. To offset China's influence, the U.S. responded by promoting American investments, closely examining concessions held by China, and pursuing diplomatic initiatives. In order to improve bilateral relations and allay worries about China's involvement in the canal's operations, Secretary of State Marco Rubio held discussions with Panama.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Panama turns to U.S. lobbyists to deal with Trump\u2019s canal threats","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"panama-turns-to-u-s-lobbyists-to-deal-with-trumps-canal-threats","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7878","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7870,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content":"\n
A Brazilian Supreme Court judge who is presiding over a case in which former President Jair Bolsonaro is being charged with coup d'etat is the target of a last-ditch lobbying effort by the country's left-wing administration to prevent the United States from putting sanctions on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brazilian authorities worry that the possibility of financial and visa restrictions may put the two most populous countries in the Americas on a collision course, despite US Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a>'s statement last week that Washington was considering punishment against top judge Alexandre de Moraes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cWe are working to prevent the blood from flowing into the river.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
A government official commented that Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira is leading the diplomatic effort. He noted that the pressure from major tech companies, which are facing restrictions from Brazil\u2019s highest court, seems to be influencing the debate against the court's decisions in Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another said that Brazil's embassy in Washington was attempting to clarify our interpretation of the facts by claiming that democracy and freedom of speech were secure in Brazil. The US administration is becoming more receptive to claims made by Bolsonaro's family and conservative Brazilians that former president Jair Bolsonaro, a supporter of Donald Trump, is being persecuted for his political views and that free expression in Brazil is in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rubio\u2019s remarks came after a lobbying campaign in the US by Bolsonaro\u2019s congressman son Eduardo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI would estimate there is an 85 per cent likelihood of sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes,\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Eduardo informed the Financial Times in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cIf I had to wager my house on it, I would... \" would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\nThe Harris County Metropolitan Transit Authority, the County Attorney's Office, and even the Commissioners Court itself have paid up to hundreds of thousands of dollars for lobbying operations, according to statistics from Transparency USA and OpenSecrets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The use of taxpayer funds for lobbying has been a contentious issue in Texas politics. Critics argue that taxpayer-funded lobbying often lacks transparency and may push for policies contrary to citizens\u2019 interests, such as higher taxes or increased spending. A survey by the Texas Public Policy Foundation found that 81% of Texans oppose taxpayer-funded lobbying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The fact that there is almost no accountability for this money is among the worst aspects of it all. Cindy Siegel, the Harris County GOP Chair, discussed this with KTRH and stated, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\"We harris County has lacked transparency regarding taxpayer spending in recent years dollars.\"<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
She also said that, like many citizen activists, government representatives ought to invest their own time and resources in promoting legislation that matters to them. She asked, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\"Why should we permit our elected officials to use taxpayer funds in this manner to lobby other officials?\"<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
According to Siegel, this has been a major concern among Texans for a number of years, and the Texas GOP platform presently calls for the elimination of taxpayer-funded lobbying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regretfully, a bill that would have done so was<\/a> defeated in this session's Texas House, which is controlled by Dade Phelan. According to Siegel, voters must remove elected politicians who favour using taxpayer dollars in this manner, such as County Judge Lina Hidalgo and the Democratic county commissioners running for reelection in 2026, since the legislature did not take action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moreover, In 2025, Harris County and its subsidiaries have spent approximately $160,000 on federal lobbying so far. This includes $40,000 each from the Harris County Sheriff's Office and Harris County Precinct 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Efforts to ban taxpayer-funded lobbying, such as Texas Senate Bill 19, have faced setbacks. While initially aiming to prohibit political subdivisions from using public funds to hire lobbyists or pay dues to lobby organisations, amendments weakened the bill, allowing nonprofit associations to continue lobbying <\/a>with taxpayer funds.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Harris County\u2019s wallet wide open for lobbyists","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"harris-countys-wallet-wide-open-for-lobbyists","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:43:29","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:43:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7886","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7878,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-29 13:25:54","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-29 13:25:54","post_content":"\n
According to Politico and O'Dwyer, the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) has agreed to a six-month contract with Checkmate Government Interactions, a US company associated with Trump, to help with interactions with US officials and the Trump administration<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reports state that the deal started in May and that the AMP would pay a cost of $195,000 each month for six months. Although the Panama Maritime Authority, which is in charge of managing Panama's vast maritime registry and ports, has previously engaged a number of US corporations for lobbying, this is the first time the Panamanian government has done so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The AMP is run by Checkmate managing partner Ches McDowell, who is reportedly close to Donald Trump Jr., along with partners Fritz Vaughan and Ryan O'Dwyer. Thanks to its connections to Trump, the lobbying tactic from North Carolina has lately spread to Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Donald Trump has frequently denounced what he considers to be undue Chinese influence over the Panama Canal, focusing in particular on the<\/a> Hong Kong-based corporation CK Hutchison Holdings' control of the ports of Balboa and Cristobal. Asserting that the canal was first constructed by the United States and that \"we didn\u2019t give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we\u2019re taking it back,\" Trump asserted in his inaugural speech that \"China is operating the Panama Canal\" and that the United States would \"take it back.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump's rhetoric escalated with threats to demand the return of the canal to U.S. control if Panama did not treat American shippers fairly, referencing the 1977 treaty that transferred control to Panama in 1999. He suggested that if the treaty's principles were not respected, the U.S. would reclaim the canal \"quickly and without question,\" a stance firmly rejected by Panama's president, who emphasized Panama's sovereign control over the canal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently visited Panama and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen military cooperation and support for the Panama Canal security. Through training, rotating U.S. troop deployments, and collaboration to counter Chinese influence in the area, this pact seeks to enhance cooperative security operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China's increasing influence in Panama, particularly through the Belt and Road Initiative and CK Hutchison's port activities, was seen as a strategic danger by the Trump administration. To offset China's influence, the U.S. responded by promoting American investments, closely examining concessions held by China, and pursuing diplomatic initiatives. In order to improve bilateral relations and allay worries about China's involvement in the canal's operations, Secretary of State Marco Rubio held discussions with Panama.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Panama turns to U.S. lobbyists to deal with Trump\u2019s canal threats","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"panama-turns-to-u-s-lobbyists-to-deal-with-trumps-canal-threats","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7878","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7870,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content":"\n
A Brazilian Supreme Court judge who is presiding over a case in which former President Jair Bolsonaro is being charged with coup d'etat is the target of a last-ditch lobbying effort by the country's left-wing administration to prevent the United States from putting sanctions on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brazilian authorities worry that the possibility of financial and visa restrictions may put the two most populous countries in the Americas on a collision course, despite US Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a>'s statement last week that Washington was considering punishment against top judge Alexandre de Moraes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cWe are working to prevent the blood from flowing into the river.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
A government official commented that Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira is leading the diplomatic effort. He noted that the pressure from major tech companies, which are facing restrictions from Brazil\u2019s highest court, seems to be influencing the debate against the court's decisions in Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another said that Brazil's embassy in Washington was attempting to clarify our interpretation of the facts by claiming that democracy and freedom of speech were secure in Brazil. The US administration is becoming more receptive to claims made by Bolsonaro's family and conservative Brazilians that former president Jair Bolsonaro, a supporter of Donald Trump, is being persecuted for his political views and that free expression in Brazil is in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rubio\u2019s remarks came after a lobbying campaign in the US by Bolsonaro\u2019s congressman son Eduardo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI would estimate there is an 85 per cent likelihood of sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes,\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Eduardo informed the Financial Times in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cIf I had to wager my house on it, I would... \" would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Further intensifying the controversy, de Moraes started a criminal investigation into Eduardo on Monday in response to a request from the attorney general's office to look into claims of attempts to subvert the rule of law and obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the most recent election in 2022, De Moraes began a campaign against false news, which led to him clashing with Elon Musk, the owner of X and a Trump supporter. De Moraes unfairly singles out conservatives, according to Musk and other supporters of Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain who led from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe that the US sanctions would compel Brazil's top court to make concessions. This year, de Moraes was sued in Florida by the video-sharing website Rumble and the US president's Trump Media & Technology Group, who claimed that he had engaged in \"extraterritorial censorship\" by directing the suspension of a Brazilian national's account while he was in the US. Boies Schiller Flexner partner Martin De Luca, who worked on the case, charged Moraes with attempting to \u201cto access through inconspicuous methods by consistently issuing covert court orders to US companies and focusing on American citizens while evading the US administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a visit to Brazil this month, Ricardo Pita, a top Latin America advisor for the US State Department, shocked authorities by visiting Jair Bolsonaro at his residence. Pita was part of a delegation that came to Bras\u00edlia to discuss combating organised crime, according to the U.S. embassy there. Regarding possible fines, the State Department chose not to comment. Although he denies any involvement, Bolsonaro, 70, is on trial for allegedly planning a military-backed coup to stay in office. Due to campaign offences, he has been prohibited from seeking public office until 2030.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Brazil launches final lobbying effort to prevent US sanctions on senior judge","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brazil-launches-final-lobbying-effort-to-prevent-us-sanctions-on-senior-judge","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7870","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":8},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\nIt has been disclosed that since 2023, up to $5.5 million has been put aside by several Harris County departments and agencies to fund lobbying activities, as the county's budget war rages on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Harris County Metropolitan Transit Authority, the County Attorney's Office, and even the Commissioners Court itself have paid up to hundreds of thousands of dollars for lobbying operations, according to statistics from Transparency USA and OpenSecrets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The use of taxpayer funds for lobbying has been a contentious issue in Texas politics. Critics argue that taxpayer-funded lobbying often lacks transparency and may push for policies contrary to citizens\u2019 interests, such as higher taxes or increased spending. A survey by the Texas Public Policy Foundation found that 81% of Texans oppose taxpayer-funded lobbying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The fact that there is almost no accountability for this money is among the worst aspects of it all. Cindy Siegel, the Harris County GOP Chair, discussed this with KTRH and stated, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\"We harris County has lacked transparency regarding taxpayer spending in recent years dollars.\"<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
She also said that, like many citizen activists, government representatives ought to invest their own time and resources in promoting legislation that matters to them. She asked, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\"Why should we permit our elected officials to use taxpayer funds in this manner to lobby other officials?\"<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
According to Siegel, this has been a major concern among Texans for a number of years, and the Texas GOP platform presently calls for the elimination of taxpayer-funded lobbying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regretfully, a bill that would have done so was<\/a> defeated in this session's Texas House, which is controlled by Dade Phelan. According to Siegel, voters must remove elected politicians who favour using taxpayer dollars in this manner, such as County Judge Lina Hidalgo and the Democratic county commissioners running for reelection in 2026, since the legislature did not take action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moreover, In 2025, Harris County and its subsidiaries have spent approximately $160,000 on federal lobbying so far. This includes $40,000 each from the Harris County Sheriff's Office and Harris County Precinct 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Efforts to ban taxpayer-funded lobbying, such as Texas Senate Bill 19, have faced setbacks. While initially aiming to prohibit political subdivisions from using public funds to hire lobbyists or pay dues to lobby organisations, amendments weakened the bill, allowing nonprofit associations to continue lobbying <\/a>with taxpayer funds.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Harris County\u2019s wallet wide open for lobbyists","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"harris-countys-wallet-wide-open-for-lobbyists","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:43:29","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:43:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7886","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7878,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-29 13:25:54","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-29 13:25:54","post_content":"\n
According to Politico and O'Dwyer, the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) has agreed to a six-month contract with Checkmate Government Interactions, a US company associated with Trump, to help with interactions with US officials and the Trump administration<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reports state that the deal started in May and that the AMP would pay a cost of $195,000 each month for six months. Although the Panama Maritime Authority, which is in charge of managing Panama's vast maritime registry and ports, has previously engaged a number of US corporations for lobbying, this is the first time the Panamanian government has done so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The AMP is run by Checkmate managing partner Ches McDowell, who is reportedly close to Donald Trump Jr., along with partners Fritz Vaughan and Ryan O'Dwyer. Thanks to its connections to Trump, the lobbying tactic from North Carolina has lately spread to Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Donald Trump has frequently denounced what he considers to be undue Chinese influence over the Panama Canal, focusing in particular on the<\/a> Hong Kong-based corporation CK Hutchison Holdings' control of the ports of Balboa and Cristobal. Asserting that the canal was first constructed by the United States and that \"we didn\u2019t give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we\u2019re taking it back,\" Trump asserted in his inaugural speech that \"China is operating the Panama Canal\" and that the United States would \"take it back.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump's rhetoric escalated with threats to demand the return of the canal to U.S. control if Panama did not treat American shippers fairly, referencing the 1977 treaty that transferred control to Panama in 1999. He suggested that if the treaty's principles were not respected, the U.S. would reclaim the canal \"quickly and without question,\" a stance firmly rejected by Panama's president, who emphasized Panama's sovereign control over the canal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently visited Panama and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen military cooperation and support for the Panama Canal security. Through training, rotating U.S. troop deployments, and collaboration to counter Chinese influence in the area, this pact seeks to enhance cooperative security operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China's increasing influence in Panama, particularly through the Belt and Road Initiative and CK Hutchison's port activities, was seen as a strategic danger by the Trump administration. To offset China's influence, the U.S. responded by promoting American investments, closely examining concessions held by China, and pursuing diplomatic initiatives. In order to improve bilateral relations and allay worries about China's involvement in the canal's operations, Secretary of State Marco Rubio held discussions with Panama.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Panama turns to U.S. lobbyists to deal with Trump\u2019s canal threats","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"panama-turns-to-u-s-lobbyists-to-deal-with-trumps-canal-threats","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-31 13:29:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7878","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7870,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_date_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:48:27","post_content":"\n
A Brazilian Supreme Court judge who is presiding over a case in which former President Jair Bolsonaro is being charged with coup d'etat is the target of a last-ditch lobbying effort by the country's left-wing administration to prevent the United States from putting sanctions on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n