High-ranking alumni of some of the nation’s most powerful congressional offices have lobbied on behalf of companies controlled by or heavily influenced by the Chinese military, disclosures show. It became clear.

Former Congressional officials with ties to powerful lawmakers, including Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Republican Congressman Steve Scalise, are among the Pentagon-designated “Chinese military companies,” including DJI, BGI, and Huawei. has sought to influence policy on its behalf. What are Chinese military companies? Department of Defense (Department of Defense) decided This includes not only companies that contribute to China’s military-industrial complex, but also companies that are “directly or indirectly owned, controlled, or beneficially owned” by the Chinese military.

“If a lobbying firm chooses to represent a Chinese military company, it should be prohibited from representing companies that contract with the Department of Defense,” New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik told the Daily Caller News Foundation. he said. “It is shameful that the American people are promoting communist China’s efforts to modernize military technology that could one day be used against our own military personnel.”

Lobbyists often leverage the relationships they develop while working on Capitol Hill, including those with members of Congress, to advance their clients’ interests. 2012 study A study conducted by three economists found that lobbyists who previously worked in the Senate saw an immediate 24% drop in income after their former boss left office, and that lobbyists can sell access to their former bosses. It shows. (Related: Chinese military companies have spent more than $24 million lobbying the U.S. government in recent years)

For example, Nick Sutter spent seven years work He served a term for Democratic Washington state Sen. Maria Cantwell from 2011 to 2018, and spent an additional nine months in Schumer’s office. Now, Sutter fellow Disclosure that he worked for Steptoe LLP, a large corporate influence shop in Washington, D.C., and lobbied on behalf of the Chinese military company BGI Group in 2023. show. Cantwell is responsible for chairman Member of the powerful Senate Commerce Committee.

BGI collaborates with China’s military on research ranging from neuroscience to respiratory diseases, and U.S. intelligence officials believe the company could allow the Chinese government to collect genetic information on people around the world. , Reuters reported. Mr. Sutter lobbied for the introduction of the BGI bill. It passed recently A bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives has blacklisted genomics companies over concerns they could share information about Americans with China, according to disclosures.

Sutter did not respond to requests for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.

A number of prominent lobbying firms in Washington, D.C., have cut ties with companies with ties to the Chinese government and military as lawmakers ramp up scrutiny of Chinese influence.

Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said, “Giving lobbyists for Chinese military companies access to our nation’s highest offices endangers American interests and undermines the integrity of our legislation.” told DCNF. “Allowing these lobbyists to shape policy puts our country at risk.”

Keith Castaldo, on the other hand, provided He worked in New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s office for about eight and a half years, taking the position of general counsel before leaving her staff. Well, the custard is senior vice president Another large lobbying group, Avoq, disclosure shows It was revealed earlier this year that he was working as a lobbyist for DJI, a Chinese military company specializing in drones. show.

The Ministry of Finance and the Department of Commerce authorized DJI provides the Chinese government with drones for use in domestic surveillance activities. independent researcher According to the New York Times, an app used to control DJI’s drones was found to be collecting large amounts of personal data that could be accessed by the Chinese government. Mr. Castaldo, along with a coalition of other lobbyists and activists, was paid by DJI to fight the Chinese Communist Party’s anti-drone law. recently approved This effectively bans the use of DJI drones in US airspace.

Mr. Castaldo could not be reached for comment.

Chad Sydnerformer advisor to Republican Arkansas Sen. John Boozman; kelly hadduckformer federation director at Scalise; julie rocalaformer chief of staff to Democratic California Congresswoman Doris Matsui, was revealed in 2022 to have lobbied for DJI while working at Cassidy & Associates. show. avery eganpreviously worked as a legislative correspondent for Republican Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso.brian darlingRand Paul, former general counsel and senior communications director for the Republican Kentucky state senator, also lobbied for DJI while working at the Vogel Group and Liberty Government Affairs, respectively.

“DJI makes some of the most capable drones on the market,” Darling told DCNF. “They are trusted by America’s first responders, farmers, and small businesses because they are high quality and cost-effective. These groups are disadvantaged by protectionist moves to ban products from the United States. “We are proud to work with an innovative commercial drone manufacturer that has been successful and embraced by American consumers.”

Rokara did not respond to DCNF’s request for comment. Egen could not be reached.

Hudak is listed as lobbying for DJI. multiple In a disclosure, she told DCNF that she did not work on the drone manufacturer’s account while at Cassidy & Associates. Mr. Sydnor, the company’s senior vice president, confirmed that Mr. Hudak did not work on the DJI account, and that Cassidy & Associates’ work with DJI dates back about three years. He emphasized.

“I don’t remember why she was on the list in the first place,” Sydner said of Hudak.

Scalise, Barrasso and spokespeople for Democratic Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin have all distanced themselves from the former staffers-turned-lobbyists.

Emily Hampsten, Durbin’s deputy chief of staff for communications, told DCNF that “he does not enjoy privileged access to Senator Durbin or Senate Democrats because of his career.” “Sen. Durbin never ‘supported’ the lobbying efforts of former staffers. ”

Hampsten was referring to Brian McLaughlin, who worked in Durbin’s office in 2005 as a “key staff member responsible for portfolios of technology, homeland security, government reform, procurement and related budget issues.” Ta. According to on his LinkedIn profile. Mr. McLaughlin is currently a founding partner of government relations firm Imperium Global Advisors and principal of Futureway. subsidiary As a lobbyist for Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, According to To disclosure. McLaughlin too carried out lobbying activities It will be provided directly to Huawei in 2023.

a 2019 survey The Washington Post found “strong evidence” that Huawei was working with the Chinese Communist Party on research and espionage activities. investigation It was revealed that the Chinese government was using the company’s equipment for Chinese government activities. forced labor camp. Futurewei tried to distance itself from its parent company in 2019, but ultimately did so. prohibited It did not receive any government contracts in 2020, citing national security concerns.

McLaughlin did not respond to DCNF’s request for comment.

However, Mr. Scalise’s communications director insisted that neither the lawmaker nor his staff had ever met with lobbyists from Cassidy & Associates, who helped advance the anti-CCP drone law.

A 2018 study found that when lobbyists maintain connections with former colleagues in Congress, lobbying firms make more money.

Steve Yates, a senior China and national security fellow at the Heritage Foundation, told DCNF that “offices and individuals with access to privileged information are sophisticated intelligence gatherers that impact the priorities of China’s security state.” Ta. “A simple rule of thumb for responsible Congressional staff is that if the content and nature of communications with a Chinese military organization raises red flags for a security review, a meeting with that organization’s lobbyist should also be conducted. .”

Gillibrand, Cantwell, Dingell, Matsui, Schumer, Paul and Boozman’s offices did not respond to DCNF’s requests for comment. Avoq, Steptoe, Imperium Global Advisors, Liberty Government Affairs, and Vogel, Cassidy & Associates also did not respond to requests for comment.

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