Tucked inside the Biden infrastructure bill (the $3.5T version), which is several thousand pages long is a provision that would provide more than a billion dollars to media outlets, ostensibly as part of COVID ‘relief.’
The Federalist’s Christopher Jacobs has more frustrating details….
If your publication is getting handouts from Uncle Sam, those outlets aren’t going to report on Uncle Sam when he violates our rights, breaks our laws or otherwise gets out of hand.
“The program would provide a credit of up to $50,000 annually for each ‘local news journalist’ on staff, subsidizing half of wages in the first year and 30 percent for four years thereafter,” wrote Jacobs.
The measure describes a “local news journalist” as someone who is employed “at least 100 hours” every quarter (of a year). https://www.naturalnews.com/2021-10-14-massive-spending-bill-pelosi-biden-contains-billion-taxpayer-dollars-for-media.html
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Biden selected Campbell coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs on the National Security Council (NSC) during the transition in January. In this position, Campbell is the most senior official inside the White House crafting U.S. trade and economic policies toward China, and will have “broad management over the NSC directorates that cover various parts of Asia and China-related issues,” according to Biden transition team officials.
Campbell came to the position straight from the boutique consulting firm the Asia Group, which he founded while still serving an earlier stint at the State Department (and most crucially his being very close to Kissinger -r). The Asia Group works with U.S. businesses to navigate the political and economic conditions in Asia. Clients include top defense contractors, insurance and entertainment companies, and casino magnates.
The Asia Group bears all the hallmarks of a “shadow lobbying” outfit, one that provides behind the scenes assistance to its clients to help secure government contracts and to otherwise bridge the gap between government and businesses. “It seems like a classic lobbying group that is designed to operate just beneath the threshold where its agents would have to actually register as lobbyists,” said Jeff Hauser, the executive director of the DC-based Revolving Door Project….According to Hauser, calling themselves consultants allows them to avoid all the restrictions associated with traditional lobbying and makes it difficult to track potential influences and conflicts.
A spokesman for the Asia Group disagreed with that characterization of the organization. “The Asia Group has and will continue to comply with all Biden Administration guidance as appropriate. The Asia Group is a strategic advisory firm that focuses on U.S. companies seeking access to and leveling the playing field in the countries of the Indo-Pacific. The Asia Group does not lobby the U.S. government. We are predominately focused outward on the Indo-Pacific region.”
Appended to nearly every Asia Group press release is the mission statement: “The Asia Group is the partner of choice for corporate leaders, investors, academic institutions and non-profits. We leverage decades of experience operating at the highest levels of government and business in Asia to provide our clients with strategic, high-impact and cross-cutting advisory services.”…
According to Campbell’s financial disclosures he still has not sold his interest in the Asia Group. Yet because as a White House appointee Campbell is not required to publicly disclose his ethics agreement, the degree to which he still has financial interests in his former work that would conflict with his current work remains unknown. The ethics agreement would also explain the timing and planning for a divestment from the Asia Group.
As one of President Joe Biden’s very first acts he issued a new ethics pledge to make it harder for people to engage in shadow lobbying. Senior administration appointees now sign a pledge that for a period of two years after entering the government they will not “participate in any particular matter involving specific parties that is directly and substantially related to my former employer or former clients….”
It is not clear if Campbell has fully divested himself from his multiple financial interests in Asia, which raises questions about ongoing conflicts as he provides the president with advice and policy recommendations. It also isn’t clear how much Campbell profited during his time at the Asia Group. He stated in his financial disclosure form that “following my withdrawal from the Company, I will receive a lump-sum payment for the redemption of my membership interest.” The value of this payout was not disclosed. A National Security Council spokesperson said Campbell has fully divested himself from the Asia Group but declined to say how much money changed hands. https://www.pogo.org/investigation/2021/04/the-troubling-business-connections-of-bidens-asia-advisor-kurt-campbell/
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https://www.pogo.org/investigation/2021/04/the-troubling-business-connections-of-bidens-asia-advisor-kurt-campbell/
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