D.C. Lobbyists End Contract with Egypt

A Washington lobbying group named the PLM Group (the Podesta Group, Livingston Group and Moffett Group) has ended a contract with Egypt. The Group was “a lobbying entity created to advocate on behalf of the regime of former President Hosni Mubarak.” The PLM Group has recently come under criticism from senior Senators:  ”It is bad enough when the actions of American lobbyists conflict with U.S. national interests. It is far worse when their influence-peddling undermines American values, as the Egyptian government’s lobbyists in Washington are doing in this instance,” said Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) in a statement. The PLM Group was criticized for defending the NGO raids in Egypt at the end of 2011.  The termination of their contract with Egypt comes after the recent travel ban that has been placed on American NGO employees by the Egyptian government. Sam LaHood, the son of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Director of the Egypt program at International Republican Institute (IRI), is one of ten Americans who have been placed on a no-fly list out of Egypt. LaHood said he has been accused of working for an unregistered NGO, and now fears he could face up to five years in jail.