jaxpoliticsonline

Jacksonville-Area Congressmen Have Interesting Foreign Ties
By Jack Adams

There's an interesting new website that is making waves in Washington, DC. Foreignlobbying.org is focused solely on bringing sunshine to the interactions of members of Congress with lobbyists of foreign governments. Not merely limited to lobbyist interactions, the site also looks at campaign contributions from lobbyists who represent foreign governments. According to the site, Northeast Florida's US Representatives and Senators appear to have some rather interesting connections.

Ander Crenshaw, the reliably conservative Republican representing District 4, has met with lobbyists representing foreign nations, some of whom would hardly be seen as allies by most conservatives--Azerbaijan (9 interactions since late-2007), Egypt (1 interaction), Libya (6 interactions) Turkey (1 interaction) and Egypt (1 interaction). Crenshaw also accepted a 2008 campaign contribution from a lobbyist for Cassidy & Associates, a firm that represents Pakistan.

Corrine Brown, the liberal Democratic stalwart in District 3, appears to have a fondness for a less controversial foreign government--Morocco. She met with lobbyists representing the country 6 times in 2008. It should be noted that all of those visits were said to be in regards to the plight of Western Sahara refugees. Brown has also met once with lobbyists representing Egypt and Azerbaijan. She has met with representatives of the government of Republika Srpska 6 times. Brown has also accepted campaign donations from 5 lobbyists who represent foreign nations in 2008, including representatives of Egypt, Japan and New Zealand.

Bill Nelson (D), Florida's Senior Senator, has met with lobbyists representing a number of countries, including Turkey, Qatar, Haiti, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, Dubai and Korea. His political contributions include lobbyists who represent Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and New Zealand.

Former Senator Mel Martinez (R), who recently resigned before completing his term to join a Washington, DC law firm, met with lobbyists representing the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Egypt, Turkey, Iraq, the United Kingdom, Cyprus, Equatorial Guinea, Mexico, Serbia and Taiwan. Martinez accepted a number of campaign contributions from lobbyists representing foreign governments, including representatives of Poland, the United Arab Emirates and Montenegro.

John Mica, the Republican Representative in Florida's 7th District, appears solely focused on the nation of Turkey, meeting with lobbyists 5 times in 2007 about the country. His donor list includes lobbyists representing New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates.

Cliff Stearns, a Republican who represents the 6th District of Florida, met with lobbyists from Azerbaijan, Turkey and Morocco. He accepted campaign contributions from lobbyists representing Pakistan.

Ander Crenshaw appears to have the most intriguing visitor list of all of Northeast Florida's Congressmen. The nation that seems to have captured his attention the most is the relatively obscure former Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan. Interestingly enough, Azerbaijan produces roughly 800,000 barrels of oil a day. Crenshaw's close ties to the oil industry were highlighted in a 2008 Folio article by Billie Bussard. Crenshaw also frequently met with lobbyists representing Libya, a nation that until very recently was considered by the US as a country that was a "sponsor of terrorism." Libya's economy, of course, is almost solely dependent on oil production.

Abel Harding contributed to this story.