FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS INFLUENCE IN THE U.S.

Based on what is publicly reported, foreign governments spent millions in 2013 to develop relationships within the United States with members of Congress, federal agencies and even the media, according to an analysis from the Sunlight Foundation.

The data collected by the U.S. Department of Justice under FARA (Foreign Agents Registration Act) does not include “diplomatic contacts by members of a nation’s embassy.”

The governments that spend the most in the U.S. on hired PR are ones that typically don’t have strong established diplomatic tie, but when there is a hot issue with international implications, there is often a spike in lobbyists representing a country’s interests, so even nations with already close relationships with the United States like Canada, Mexico and Germany rack up hefty bills.

Generally, it’s easy to surmise that the countries spending the most on U.S. lobbyists are ones with substantial energy, trade, immigration, agriculture or other notable business dealings in Washington. But it’s not entirely clear why some countries depend on their diplomats in the U.S.  to cultivate relationships while others look for outside help.

Top 25 Foreign Governments paying for influence in 2013 in the U.S. (Over $ 90 million)

1. UAE 14.2 million
2. Germany $12.0 million
3. Canada $11.2 million
4. Saudi Arabia $11.1 million
5. Mexico $6.1 million
6. Morocco $4.0 million
7. South Korea $3.9 million
8. Republika Srpska (Bosnian Serb Republic) $2.4 million
9. Georgia $2.3 million
10. Azerbaijan $2.3 million
11. Iraq $ 1.9 million
12. Singapore $ 1.9 million
13. Turkey $ 1.8 million
14. Jordan $ 1.8 million
15. Japan $ 1.7 million
16. Taiwan $ 1.6 million
17. India $ 1.4 million
18. Hong Kong $ 1.4 million
19. Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus $ 1.3 million
20. China $ 1.1 million
21. Bahrain $ 1.1 million
22. Ecuador $ 1.1 million
23. Palestine $ 1.1 million
24. Gambia $ 1.0 million
25. League of Arab States $ 1.0 million