'The analysis by the Sunlight Foundation shows the Livingston-Moffett-Podesta partnership is making literally hundreds of contacts each year with lawmakers, Capitol Hill staffers and officials at the State Department and Pentagon.
The agenda item for many of the contacts is arms sales. Every year, the U.S. sends Egypt more than $1 billion — and Egypt sends it back for purchases of U.S.-made weaponry.
The mainstay of the Egyptian air force is the F-16 fighter, and the big, turreted tanks at Tahrir Square last week were M1A1s. Both are made in America by General Dynamics — a big defense contractor that is also Podesta's lobbying client.
So when it's time to bring Egyptian military buyers together with U.S. contractors, Allison says, the Podesta firm is in a sweet spot.
'By advocating for the interests of both sides of the deal ... it's almost like they can't lose,' he says."
Amid Protests, Egypt's D.C. Lobbyists Draw Scrutiny
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