I've long wondered how much influence different countries can really exert in Washington D.C. The practice of hiring agents to lobby for your interests is one of the most remarked about elements of American democracy. Companies do it, so do countries, so do individuals. Here is an interesting piece from The Diplomat about a state senator who doubles as a D.C. lobbyist for Cambodia, a country at the mercy of a dictatorial regime and bad human rights record.
I imagine the reporter first heard about this state senator from Open Secrets this report. I would've thrown up my hands, assuming I had nothing to add, but this reporter was able to dig deeper into the story. That’s a lesson.
While not too many state senators work as foreign lobbyists, I'm sure there are all sorts of stories in the FARA world. I was browsing FARA filings last night and was struck by a few things, like how the Marshall Islands spends so much in foreign lobbying, as does the China Daily of Beijing, a newspaper in China.
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I love narrative stories that show two protagonists who aren't villainous but whose interests come into conflict. I also love stories that peel back the lid on what are hidden worlds for many (that might be one reason why mafia movies have such appeal). This story from last month's New York Times accomplishes both: Where Rent Is $13,500, She Lives Off What’s Left at the Curb.
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The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project does such great work in such complicated territory. Here's a story they recently published on a Russian Oligarch close to Putin: The Chef’s Global Footprints.