Bashagha inks deal with US firm to lobby for him in upcoming national elections

The firm disclosed its work for the former Minister in accordance with the federal Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), which requires the disclosure of certain matters for foreign clients in addition to traditional court-based litigation.

Bashagha has been widely reported as a possible candidate for Libya’s upcoming presidential election, which will be held on December 24 of this year.

The former Minister of Interior for Libya’s previous Government of National Accords (GNA) hired the lobbying and law firm to advocate for him in the United States on anti-corruption efforts in the financial industry and the promotion of fair elections.

According to the records, the $50,000 monthly contract between the US Firm and Bashagha did not define the scope of the work being done other than stating that they would assist in promoting fair elections in Libya and supporting anti-corruption efforts in the North African country.

Bashagha, Libya’s interior minister at the time, told Reuters in February that he was the target of an assassination attempt in Tripoli. Bashagha previously failed in his bid to become prime minister of Libya’s intrim Goverment of National Unity.

Fathi Bashagha’s dealings with the US law firm was his first of its kind, according to Reuters, and registration documents indicated that he was “a foreign national not under the supervision, support, direction, or control of a foreign government or political party.”

The contract between Brownstein Hyatt and Bashagha stated that it would be valid until January 28, 2022, and would be automatically renewed for 12 months unless the parties agreed on a new arrangement, requiring the former Minister of the Interior to waive any objection to the conflict of interest that could be considered to arise from representing other clients in legislative or administrative matters.