The Saudi Lobby Builds Back Better
It’s no surprise that Joe Biden failed to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah.” But from Hollywood to academia, Saudi interests have returned to industries that once vowed to cast them off.
Ben Freeman
Ben Freeman is a research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. His work focuses on how foreign governments seek to influence American government and politics. This work builds upon his book, “The Foreign Policy Auction,” which was the first book to systematically analyze the foreign influence industry in the U.S. Previously, he was director of the Foreign Influence Transparency Initiative at the Center for International Policy.
Before launching the Foreign Influence Transparency Initiative, Freeman was the deputy director of the national security program at Third Way. Prior to joining Third Way, he served as the national security fellow at the Project On Government Oversight from 2011 to 2013, where he spearheaded creation of the “Foreign Influence Database,” a repository of propaganda distributed by foreign agents that was previously unavailable online.
Freeman earned his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University, completing a dissertation that investigated the ability of foreign governments to effectively lobby for economic and military assistance from the United States. Upon graduation, Freeman taught in the Political Science Department and the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M. His work has appeared in numerous media outlets, including the New York Times, Politico, and CNN, and he has testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Before launching the Foreign Influence Transparency Initiative, Freeman was the deputy director of the national security program at Third Way. Prior to joining Third Way, he served as the national security fellow at the Project On Government Oversight from 2011 to 2013, where he spearheaded creation of the “Foreign Influence Database,” a repository of propaganda distributed by foreign agents that was previously unavailable online.
Freeman earned his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University, completing a dissertation that investigated the ability of foreign governments to effectively lobby for economic and military assistance from the United States. Upon graduation, Freeman taught in the Political Science Department and the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M. His work has appeared in numerous media outlets, including the New York Times, Politico, and CNN, and he has testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Contacts:
Posts:
Until Ukraine, Russia Lobbyists Successfully Blunted U.S. Sanctions After Foreign Adventurism
After unpopular assaults on Crimea and eastern Ukraine, Russia and Kremlin-associated interests spent millions on lobbying in Washington.
Ukrainian Lobbyists Mounted Unprecedented Campaign on U.S. Lawmakers in 2021
An analysis of FARA filings shows they contacted members of Congress and others over 10,000 times.