{"id":2031488,"date":"2023-09-14T07:50:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-14T11:50:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-qatar-uses-an-american-nonprofit-to-hide-major-influence-operation-in-the-united-states\/"},"modified":"2023-09-14T07:52:10","modified_gmt":"2023-09-14T11:52:10","slug":"how-qatar-uses-an-american-nonprofit-to-hide-major-influence-operation-in-the-united-states","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-qatar-uses-an-american-nonprofit-to-hide-major-influence-operation-in-the-united-states\/","title":{"rendered":"Qatar&#8217;s Stealthy Influence Operation in the US via an American Nonprofit"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhow-qatar-uses-an-american-nonprofit-to-hide-major-influence-operation-in-the-united-states%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2031488&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Qatar&#8217;s Influence Campaign in American Politics\u2063 Exposed<\/h2>\n<p>In 2022, \u200dUtah&#8217;s\u200b Republican attorney general Sean Reyes made headlines\u200b when he was spotted at\u2064 the \u2064World Cup in Qatar. The tiny oil-rich kingdom, notorious\u2064 for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/just-like-the-good-old-days-joe-biden-invades-syria-with-convoy-of-us-troops-and-choppers-on-first-full-day-as-president\/\" title=\"Just Like the Good Old Days: Joe Biden Invades Syria with Convoy of US Troops and Choppers on First Full Day as President\">human rights abuses<\/a> and financing terrorism, seemed like an odd choice \u200dfor a public official.\u200c However, Reyes and his \u2062team offered an explanation: \u2063Qatar \u2063had paid for his \u2062trip through the Attorney General Alliance (AGA), an American nonprofit organization.<\/p>\n<p>The AGA presents itself as a bipartisan forum for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dems-include-money-for-abortion-providers-in-1-9-trillion-covid-aid-package\/\" title=\"Dems Include Money for Abortion Providers in .9 Trillion COVID Aid Package\">state attorneys general<\/a> to \u200bcollaborate. But according to sources, it has become a &#8220;laundromat&#8221; \u200dfor\u2064 unsavory entities like Qatar to hide their influence \u200bcampaigns in American politics. Members from \u200cboth sides of the \u2063aisle, including Reyes\u2063 and former Arizona \u2063Attorney\u2062 General Mark Brnovich, have participated in AGA&#8217;s Qatar trips.<\/p>\n<h3>AGA&#8217;s Valuable Role<\/h3>\n<p>While \u2064Utah \u2063has \u2062no \u200cdisclosure requirement for\u2064 foreign trips, disclosure forms filed by attorneys general from other\u2062 states shed \u200clight on AGA&#8217;s role. For example, Nevada Attorney General Aaron \u2062Ford&#8217;s disclosure revealed that AGA footed the $15,000 bill for his Qatar trip, even though\u2062 it was actually covered by the Qataris. Hawaii Attorney General\u200c Clare Connors&#8217; disclosure showed that AGA paid for her $12,000 trip in 2020. \u2062Brnovich, who has traveled \u200cto Qatar multiple times, also indicated that AGA covered his travel costs.<\/p>\n<p>According to a top \u2063aide to an\u2062 attorney general who has\u2063 traveled with AGA, the nonprofit has become a &#8220;laundromat&#8221; for undisclosed activities. The aide explained, &#8220;AGA figured that its number one thing to sell is that \u2064it can get \u200dAGs \u2064to go on foreign trips with them.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3>Qatar&#8217;s Soft\u200b Power\u2063 Strategy<\/h3>\n<p>Qatar&#8217;s interest in AGA becomes clear when examining the\u200d group&#8217;s pitch to potential sponsors. AGA&#8217;s 2021 call for\u200b sponsorships\u200c advertises attorneys general as the next generation of political leaders. The list of &#8220;Noteworthy Former AGs&#8221; includes\u2063 prominent figures like former President Bill Clinton, Vice President Kamala Harris, and U.S.\u200b Senators John Cornyn and Richard Blumenthal. This suggests that AGA offers access to future political stars.<\/p>\n<p>Qatar&#8217;s lobbying spending in the United States since\u200d 2017 has reached nearly \u200c$200 million.\u2062 Jonathan Schanzer, a former terrorism finance analyst for the \u200dU.S. Treasury, describes Qatar&#8217;s efforts to gain influence as &#8220;staggering.&#8221; The country&#8217;s seemingly endless\u2064 wealth allows it to\u200c finance lobbying, acquisitions, and sports events to expand its soft\u200c power.<\/p>\n<h3>The Role of \u2062Richard Smotkin<\/h3>\n<p>Qatar&#8217;s \u2062lobbying spending includes payments to Richard Smotkin, associated with AGA through his firm ThirdCircle\u2064 Inc. Smotkin has been paid nearly $2 million by Qatar since registering as a \u200bforeign agent \u200bin\u2063 2019. His\u200c activities appear \u200cto be related to AGA trips to Doha, as stated in his filings.<\/p>\n<p>Smotkin, who is viewed as a \u2063nefarious\u200b figure, coordinates AGA&#8217;s Middle East trips. His lobbying firm, \u2063ThirdCircle, is listed as one of AGA&#8217;s sponsors. However, the exact amount paid by the firm \u200cis \u200dunknown.<\/p>\n<h3>AGA&#8217;s Lack of Transparency<\/h3>\n<p>AGA&#8217;s transformation into a vehicle \u2062for\u2062 undisclosed activities has raised concerns among legal professionals. Chris Toth, the former executive director of the National Association of\u2062 Attorneys General, expressed alarm at the growing influence of lobbyists and\u2062 corporate money\u2063 in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/texas-ag-paxton-traveled-to-china-to-meet-with-govt-officials-disregarding-staff-warnings\/\" title=\"Texas AG Paxton ignored staff warnings and traveled to China to meet with government officials.\">attorney general arena<\/a>. He\u200d highlighted AGA&#8217;s dependence on corporate and lobbyist money,\u2064 which raises questions about transparency and\u200c potential conflicts\u200d of interest.<\/p>\n<p>Qatar&#8217;s involvement with AGA \u200chas drawn criticism due to its history of\u200d human\u200c rights violations and illicit \u200bfinancing of terrorism. The country&#8217;s role in brokering discussions with the \u2063Taliban\u200c and its support for their comeback further raise concerns about Qatar&#8217;s intentions.<\/p>\n<p>AGA&#8217;s lack of transparency regarding its donors\u2064 and \u200cQatar&#8217;s involvement in funding trips and\u2064 events is troubling. The\u2064 organization&#8217;s tax filings\u200c show a significant increase \u2062in\u200b revenues, largely\u2063 due to sponsorships. AGA&#8217;s executive director, Karen \u2062White, \u200dhas seen her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-qatar-uses-an-american-nonprofit-to-hide-major-influence-operation-in-the-united-states\/\" title=\"Qatar's Stealthy Influence Operation in the US via an American Nonprofit\">salary\u2062 rise alongside sponsorship\u200b revenues<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Conclusion<\/h3>\n<p>The exposure of Qatar&#8217;s influence campaign through AGA raises\u200c serious questions about\u200b the \u2062integrity\u2063 of American politics. The involvement of state attorneys general in undisclosed\u200c activities\u2063 funded by\u200c Qatar\u2063 undermines transparency\u2063 and raises concerns about potential conflicts of interest. AGA&#8217;s transformation into a &#8220;laundromat&#8221; for unsavory entities highlights the need for greater scrutiny and regulation in the \u2062realm of political influence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When Utah&#8217;s Republican attorney general Sean Reyes attended the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, a nation infamous for human rights abuses and terrorism financing, his team offered a peculiar justification. While Qatar did finance his trip, they claimed the funds were provided through an unconventional method.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":207,"featured_media":2031489,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2031488","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2031488","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/207"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2031488"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2031488\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2031489"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2031488"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2031488"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2031488"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}