Report: Trump Appointee Is Still a Saudi Government Lobbyist

TIES THAT BIND

Updated Jun. 22, 2017 7:39AM EDT / Published Jun. 22, 2017 7:05AM EDT

Reuters

A new Trump appointee is still a registered agent of Saudi Arabia and has been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to lobby on the kingdom’s behalf, according to Department of Justice records. The Saudi Arabian foreign ministry has paid Richard Hohlt—a longtime Republican lobbyist and informal adviser to Jeb Bush—$430,000 since January, reports the Center for Public Integrity. The ministry paid Hohlt, who has been newly appointed to the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships, for “advice on legislative and public-affairs strategies.” In October, Trump tweeted: “I will issue a lifetime ban against senior executive branch officials lobbying on behalf of a FOREIGN GOVERNMENT! #DrainTheSwamp.”

Read it at Center for Public Integrity

R.F.K. Jr.’s Old Environmental Pals Tell Him to Get Lost

“His actions are a betrayal to our environment,” the candidate’s former mentor said of him.

Third Republican Signs On to MTG’s Motion to Vacate Speaker

Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) joined up just three days after Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) voiced his support for the resolution.

New Deets Surface on Barbara Walters and Diane Sawyer’s Beef

Despite the two being bitter rivals, Sawyer also conceded, “We spent a lot of time laughing and forging a real friendship.”

Stock Slips After Netflix Stops Sharing Subscriber Numbers

Despite a strong first quarter, investors were seemingly rattled by the company’s decision to stop reporting their favorite metric.

Runway Collision Narrowly Avoided at D.C. Airport: Report

Luckily two air traffic controllers immediately recognized the situation and yelled out for both aircraft to stop.

Ethics Panel Wants to Know if Gaetz Got High at Parties: ABC

The House committee has reportedly obtained a woman’s statement claiming the Republican attended an event where drugs were present.

ByteDance Docs Accidentally Unsealed, Revealing Its Origins

The documents were quickly resealed in Pennsylvania, but not before reporters had a good look at them.

Victim’s Fam Says Kohberger Alibi Only Helps Their Case

Kaylee Goncalves’ family has been outspoken since their daughter’s murder, wasting no time to poke holes in the alibi of their daughter’s alleged killer.

Report: Trump Appointee Is Still a Saudi Government Lobbyist

Reuters