Sudan – State Sponsors Of Terrorism – Hires D.C. Lobbyist Bart Fisher Again, an Everything PR Exclusive.
Busy day for the reporting of foreign nations hiring United States Public Relations companies, as well as many PR Firms lobbying various organizations domestically and abroad.
Everything PR is the first to reveal that Omni Advisors will – once again – represent the government of Sudan. Their primary assignment is apparently to “..seek debt relief for Sudan by negotiating with creditors of Sudan.”
Under the assignment, Omni Advisors – which is led by Bart S. Fisher – will contact “members of the U.S. Congress, personnel in the U.S. & Executive Branch, other governments, and public multilateral institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. We may contact media Outlets and initiate contacts with “think-tanks.”
Read the full filing here: http://www.fara.gov/docs/6312-Exhibit-AB-20150810-2.pdf
Sudan remains designated as a “State Sponsor of Terrorism”, as designated in 1993. The Department of State’s Patterns of Global Terrorism report notes: “Despite several warnings to cease supporting radical extremists, the Sudanese government continued to harbor international terrorist groups in Sudan.”
In 2011, when Fisher was last hired by Sudan, a Washington Post feature story noted that there were “strong objections from human rights groups and some members of Congress.” There were protests at the offices of Omni Advisors. Headlines describing the protests noted, “Protesting the Butchers of Sudan’s DC Lobbyist”
As Dan Eggen wrote in The Washington Post, “The hiring has angered U.S. human rights activists and some lawmakers because of the Sudanese regime’s history of alleged genocide and other atrocities against its citizens during a decades-long civil war.” Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.), condemned Fisher for agreeing to work for “a genocidal government” that “has blood on its hands.”
The CEO of Omni Advisors, Bart Fisher has worked for other foreign governments, including the Government of the People’s Republic of China, the Dominican Republic, Iceland, and Panama.
Rubenstein PR, based in New York City has been hired by Rwanda to help develop tourism.
In additional news of documents filed with the Department of Justice, Rubenstein Public Relations has been hired for a minimum term of six months by the Rwanda Development Board’s tourism and conservation arm. The document filed notes that “Rubenstein Public Relations (RPR) will actively disseminate press releases to US domestic and international media. RPR will coordinate and facilitate interviews with Rwandan ambassadors and Rwandan nationals. RPR will contact high profile individuals and media to attend the Kwitia Izina gorilla naming ceremony. RPR will invite and accompany media to Rwanda.”