Goldman Sachs bank appears to have paid a prominent D.C. lobbying
firm $100,000 to torpedo a human rights bill that would deny U.S. visas
to, and freeze the assets of, Russian citizens involved in human rights
abuses, according to lobbying disclosure forms.
The D.C.-based Duberstein Group Inc. was hired by the financial giant to lobby against the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act, named after the Russian lawyer who was tortured and killed by Russia officials after discovering a $230 million embezzlement plot.
The human rights bill is favored by a bi-partisan coalition of lawmakers in both the House and Senate, but has quietly been opposed by the Obama administration as a threat to its policy of “resetting” U.S.-Russia relations. The Russian government has threatened to scuttle cooperation on a range of issues if the Magnitsky bill becomes law.
Congressional sources and Russian human rights activists expressed confusion over Goldman’s apparent opposition to the bill, and chastised the scandal-plagued megabank for kowtowing to the Kremlin.
“It’s immoral what they’re doing,” said Vladimir Kara-Murza, a member of Solidarity, Russia’s leading opposition party. “They’re playing into Putin’s blackmail and acting to please the dictator and his wants, which is no way for a responsible financial organization to behave.”
Goldman Sachs did not respond to a request for comment about its lobbying activity. Duberstein lobbyist Michael Berman, who is listed on the disclosure form, said that his company “never comments on our work.”
Read more: http://freebeacon.com/bank-of-putin/
The D.C.-based Duberstein Group Inc. was hired by the financial giant to lobby against the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act, named after the Russian lawyer who was tortured and killed by Russia officials after discovering a $230 million embezzlement plot.
The human rights bill is favored by a bi-partisan coalition of lawmakers in both the House and Senate, but has quietly been opposed by the Obama administration as a threat to its policy of “resetting” U.S.-Russia relations. The Russian government has threatened to scuttle cooperation on a range of issues if the Magnitsky bill becomes law.
Congressional sources and Russian human rights activists expressed confusion over Goldman’s apparent opposition to the bill, and chastised the scandal-plagued megabank for kowtowing to the Kremlin.
“It’s immoral what they’re doing,” said Vladimir Kara-Murza, a member of Solidarity, Russia’s leading opposition party. “They’re playing into Putin’s blackmail and acting to please the dictator and his wants, which is no way for a responsible financial organization to behave.”
Goldman Sachs did not respond to a request for comment about its lobbying activity. Duberstein lobbyist Michael Berman, who is listed on the disclosure form, said that his company “never comments on our work.”
Read more: http://freebeacon.com/bank-of-putin/
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