Media: Russian companies cut spending on lobbying in the United States by one third
Spending by Russian companies on lobbying in the US declined by 34% in the first half of 2017, RBC reports, citing data from the US Senate’s lobbying disclosure base.
Total spending for this period amounted to $470,000, although $715,000 was spent in the first half of 2016; nearly $1.5 million was spent over the entirety of year prior.
At the same time, the number of Russian companies registered in the US as lobbyists increased from five to seven.
Thus, in July, an American subsidiary of Pipe Metallurgical Company IPSCO Tubulars hired King & Spalding to lobby on the issue of sanctions against Russia. Around the same time, MTS transferred $50,000 to Prime Policy Group, a Washington-based firm.
Sanctions were also indicated as the subject of lobbying in the US by NOVATEK and its controlled companies: Yamal LNG, Sberbank, VTB, and Gazprombank.
VTB, according to RBC, has a contract with the American law firm Sidley Austin, which received about $300,000 from the bank between October and March. Gazprombank spent about $600,000 on American lobbyists in 2016, but suspended lobbying this year.
Sberbank CIB USA has also reduced the cost of lobbying. According to RBC, the bank has used the services of three lobbying firms since 2016, including the Podesta Group, which is owned by Tony Podesta. His brother John was Hillary Clinton's campaign manager.