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During the quarter-century Jim Bognet was away from northeastern Pennsylvania, he worked for shady companies and right-wing politicians – and at a “powerful” firm that lobbied against the families of 9/11 victims.
This afternoon, reports found that while in D.C., Bognet was working for a firm that lobbied on behalf of Saudi Arabia against the families of 9/11 victims.
Bogent refused to deny this work was done or that he himself was a part of this effort.
He owes northeastern Pennsylvania voters answers.
Highlights below:
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Jim Bognet, a Republican candidate for Congress in Northeastern Pennsylvania, was a senior vice president at one of Saudi Arabia’s most powerful lobbying firms in Washington, D.C.
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After citing an FBI report finding links between 9/11 and elements of the Saudi government, the ad explains that Saudi Arabia, using a firm Bognet worked for in Washington, lobbied Congress to win immunity from lawsuits brought by victims of the attack.
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Bognet, according to his résumé, joined GPG in January 2016. The same month the veto was overridden, Saudi Arabia went on a spending spree in Washington, bringing on powerhouse firms to try to reverse the defeat. GPG acquired Saudi Arabia as a client on September 20, 2016, according to filings, and the veto was overridden on September 28. Federal filings reveal that the group made a slew of calls to the House, Senate, and White House in the week before the veto override, lobbying against it.
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Bognet did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Intercept over the past month. The press release from 2016 announcing Bognet’s hire reported that he would be “providing strategic and media counsel for the firm’s clients.” Saudi Arabia paid $600,000 for the firm’s services the first year and $700,000 for its help the next year.
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