PRESS RELEASE
Saudis Caught in Manipulation of Veterans To Kill JASTA
Feb. 24, 2017 (EIRNS)—The website 28pages.org has published a devastating exposé of the Saudis' latest effort to kill the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) which was passed by overwhelming vote in both houses of Congress last year. In an exclusive article by site director Brian McGlinchey, it was revealed that the Saudi lobbying firm, Qorvis, has been bribing American war veterans with "five star vacations" at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, to suck them into lobbying for a repeal of JASTA, all the while hiding the fact that the effort is being financed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
McGlinchey was able to interview several veterans who were duped into the lobbying scam, who gave a detailed account of the way the veterans were lied to, were herded into lobbying sessions with Members of Congress, and who were given buttons from the Purple Heart Association to add to the pressure. Iraq War veterans David Casler, Tim Cord and Dan Cord gave McGlinchey the detailed account of their experience during one of the recent junkets to Washington, which was originally advertised in a personal email to them, which read "Do you want to go on a cool trip?" No mention of lobbying was included, and no mention was made at any time about the Saudi money behind the whole effort. Qorvis and Advocacy Group, Inc., the two lobbying firms on the Saudi payroll behind the fraud, never indicated they were working for Saudi Arabia, despite the fact that they were registered as foreign lobbyists. All told, 40 veterans participated in the four-day excursion to Washington.
According to the eyewitness participants in their account to 28pages.org, the whole D.C. lobbying effort began with a lavish banquet at Trump International Hotel, where Jason Johns, President of NMLB Veterans Advocacy Group in Madison, Wisconsin, told the veterans "We're really passionate in our community about JASTA, and, first and foremost, this is not funded, none of this is being taken care of by Saudi Arabia." This was a boldfaced lie, as the three veterans who spoke to McGlinchey found out several days later, when they saw one of the Qorvis "handlers" receiving gifts from the back of a Bentley SUV from a Saudi. Jason Johns was one of a "score" of individuals who registered as Saudi agents in October and November, following the override of Obama's veto of JASTA. He revealed that he was on the Qorvis payroll at a salary of $100,000.
