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Dollars spent on NMI lobbying decreases
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Posted on Apr 13 2009
The amount the CNMI spent on lobbying continued to decline in 2008, yet convoluted ties to former Rep. Tom DeLay, who previously helped block the federal government from taking over local immigration, remain.
The CNMI spent a total of $60,000 for Fleishman-Hillard Inc. and International Government Relations Group to lobby on behalf of the Commonwealth, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
The co-chairman of IGR Group is Max Sandlin, one of six Texas Democrats who were victims of GOP DeLay’s push in 2003 to redistrict the state in favor of Republicans. Five of the six Democrats have since become lobbyist, with Sandlin joining IGR, which focuses on state and federal lobbying and media and public relations, among other things.
The Northern Marianas became synonymous with Tom DeLay and lobbyist Jack Abramoff in the 1990s, when the CNMI government hired the Preston Gates firm to lobby for it. After DeLay made a trip to the CNMI, Abramoff helped him craft legislation, extending exemptions from federal immigration and minimum-wage labor laws to the Commonwealth.
During the last 10 years, the amount spent on lobbying for the CNMI reached its peak in 2001, when the government paid $1.1 million to Greenberg Traurig, Abramoff’s firm at the time.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, in 2008 IGR had a total lobbying income of $1.3 million. Other clients included the city of Santa Rosa, Calif., the National Football League and the National Association of Manufacturers.
Charles Reyes, press secretary for the Governor’s Office, said the CNMI’s ability to hire Washington, D.C. consultants, representatives, advocates or attorneys has been limited by the downturn in the economy, adversely impacting government collections.
