FBI Searches Saudi Arabia's PR Firm

[frylock]

The FBI searched offices of a prominent public relations firm Tuesday, looking for information about its client Saudi Arabia, law enforcement sources said.

The firm, Qorvis Communications LLC, which was founded in 2000, bills itself as providing "communications for Wall Street, Main Street and K Street." Qorvis has offices in the District and Tysons Corner, and its clients also include Time Warner Inc. and the Urban League.

The FBI searched three of the firm's offices Tuesday afternoon, sources said. Agents delivered subpoenas at a fourth Qorvis office.

Michael Mason, head of the FBI's Washington field office, declined yesterday to characterize the nature of the investigation or identify the places that were searched. "We did execute searches at three locations," he said.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49849-2004Dec8.html

[remfan]

1. Oh, now that'll be a fun Google!

:-)

[ooglymoogly]

2. *'s new SS

[maddezmom]

3. The Saudis' Secret Ads

Does anyone have access to Time archives??
The Saudis' Secret Ads

By MICHAEL WEISSKOPF AND TIMOTHY J. BURGER



Jan. 20, 2003
Subscribe below to instantly access this article - and over 30,000 articles in the TIME Archive. Your unlimited access will remain free during your paid subscription to TIME magazine.When radio ads critical of Israel ran in 15 U.S. cities last spring, they identified the Alliance for Peace and Justice as sponsor. The alliance was described by its Washington p.r. firm, Qorvis Communications, as a consortium of Middle East — policy groups based in the U.S. But when Qorvis reported its ad work to the Justice Department last month, it revealed that funding for the $679,000 media buy actually came from another source: the Saudi government. As home to all but four of the Sept. 11 hijackers, Saudi Arabia had good reason to hide its p.r. offensive. A knowledgeable source tells...

http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0%2C10987%2C1101030120-407359%2C00.html

[TexasChick]

4. maddezmom, I don't have one, but try this link. They have a lot of

passwords to online newspapers. They might have one for Time too.

http://www.bugmenot.com/

[suegeo]

5. At library, reading the mag. from the archive stacks

To paraphrase (poorly) the rest of the brief article on page 23:

Money for ads came from a Saudi business alliance.
Shaking down the business "men" for money was Adel al Jubeir. al Jubeir is a foreign policy advisor to the crown prince.

Someone lied at the Saudi embassay and claimed that money came not only from business "men" but also from three Arab-American interest groups. When two of the groups were questioned, they denied giving money.

A partner in the Qorvis communications firm is name Michael Petruzzello. He denies anything was done convertly.

Qorvis' law firm -- Patton Boggs -- was SHOCKED (SHOCKED, i tell you) at the communications firms role in the ads.

Patton Boggs also represents the Saudi embassay.

Some of the partners at Patton Boggs quit when they learned the firm was tied to the ads.