Former Trump lobbyists to represent Libyan Investment Authority in Washington

The New York lobbyists Brad Gerstman and David Schwartz, who once counted President Donald Trump as one of their clients, have registered as foreign agents to represent Libya’s sovereign wealth fund, Politico has reported.

It added on Tuesday that Gerstman, Schwartz and another partner at their firm, Shai Franklin, will work to “change the sanctions” affecting the Libyan Investment Authority, according to a Justice Department disclosure.

“They’ll also reach out to Congress, the State Department and the Treasury Department as well as the media and the “business and banking sectors,” according to the disclosure.” Politico said.

According to Politico, Gerstman and Schwartz are already familiar with Libya. They opened a Washington office of their firm, Gotham Government Relations & Communications, after Trump’s election and lobbied the White House last year on behalf of a company looking to persuade Trump to back its plan to send private security forces to Libya to facilitate oil exploration, according to Gerstman.

“The company, MHRT International Oilfield Services, paid Gotham $200,000 but the plan ultimately went nowhere. Once the insurgency started in Libya earlier this year, the “possibility of American intervention became unrealistic,” Gerstman wrote in a text message to PI. Gotham is no longer working for MHRT.” It indicated.