Saudi Arabia already employs a team of U.S.-based lobbyists, lawyers, public relations professionals and even the chairman of one of the largest Super PACs. But now the Kingdom is hoping to buttress those efforts to influence American public opinion and policy by hiring politically connected tech talent.
The latest addition to the Saudi lobbying team, newly filed disclosure documents show, is two tech firms, Zignal Labs and Targeted Victory.
The contract provides $40,000 per month to Targeted Victory and $15,000 per month to Zignal Labs for “strategic advice and digital consulting services for the Royal Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.” The contract, signed March 17, operates in tandem with Qorvis Communications, a controversial lobbying firm for Persian Gulf regimes such as Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
Zignal Labs is a San Francisco-based start-up that specializes in “big data analytics, real-time media monitoring, and business intelligence.” The firm, according to VentureBeat, “lets its customers organize, filter, and otherwise shuffle around social media data to find mentions, ‘relevant conversations,’ [and] data on topics.” Campaign finance filings show that since August of 2014, the Republican National Committee has paid Zignal for its services. On that month, the company received $4,000 from the RNC.
Targeted Victory, a digital strategy firm co-founded by Zac Moffatt, the digital director for Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign, also specializes in harnessing the power of social media for its clients. On Friday, the company announced that it won two dozen awards for work in the last election cycle for GOP clients such as Joni Ernst for Senate and Greg Abbott for Governor.
As I pointed out in a post last year about Saudi Arabia’s growing influence in American politics, the Saudi government also funds the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, the Middle East Policy Council, the Middle East Institute and the Smithsonian Freer Museum of Art.
On Friday of last week, Republican presidential hopeful Sen. Rand Paul called for private citizens and investors to boycott the Saudi regime over its human rights record. “I don’t think you can be a champion of women’s rights when you take money from a regime that punishes women who are raped,” said Paul, highlighting the Saudi donations to the Clinton Foundation.
Photo: Stefan Zaklin/Getty Images
Not to mention CIA chief John Brennan’s Saudi affinities.
“…the Saudi government also funds the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, the Middle East Policy Council, the Middle East Institute and the Smithsonian Freer Museum of Art.” ISIS should take a page out of the Saudi propaganda model and donate to museums instead of destroying them. It makes head-chopping so much more palatable to the West.
Global Oligopoly is the name of the game. Serfs can call for justice and fill comments sections with endless criticism. If it looks like the serfs are going to rise up and behead the oligarchs, then these data monsters will issue the proper warnings and the Grand Inquisitor will take over until the serfs are back in their proper place. Yes, we are serfs in the New World Order, and we will not be allowed to forget it. So vent all you like, but if you put your hand on a pitchfork, expect a midnight knock on your door!
Anh just who was it calling for a boycott of Saudi Arabia just the other day? Let me think…
Rand Paul!
Ah yes, the Kingdom, where most of the 9/11 hijackers whence came and where most of the worlds terrorists get their financing. You would’ve thunk they’d be on the short list for an American invasion?
What is the supposed takeaway or purpose of this article – that Saudi Arabia (along with basically the rest of the world) lobbies the U.S.?
Thanks for summing it up so succinctly…I myself don’t see much added value either in this piece !
You have been MIA for a while, so I was wondering if Mr Greenwald finally gave you the total number of documents that Mr Snowden pilfered. Please let us also know the count since we are all curious too.
You are so right – everyone spends money on influencing and monitoring everyone else, so it is passe to mention that both Republicans and Democrats are feeding off the Saudis. They sent only 19 hijackers, so what’s the big deal, its not 1,900 or 19,000. There are a lot of other countries who send more spies and money, and at least the Saudis are our great friends so we can accommodate them more than others. I appreciate your question and I find that such articles can be easily manufactured without any sort of research or investigation.
Yep, I haven’t kept up with this site as much because the content and comments gets so repetitive.
And no – the mystery of the number of documents pilfered remains just that. Snowden and his lawyers seems to think that information represents some kind of bargaining chip.
Is this a way for the Saudis to bribe the next bible belt corporate administration?
Hillary’s manliness must be in doubt.
The Saudis have a democratic right to buy influence, just like any American citizen. Money does not discriminate on the basis of religion, creed or nationality – it is the great equalizer, to those who possess it. Saudi gets a bad rap for being a mediaeval monarchy, when in fact it is an active participant in the vital democratic processes of the 21st century.
Lee Fang just coming out with one story after another. You are now officially my favorite TI reporter. GG will have to take a back seat for now.
Brilliant sir! Keep it up Lee!!