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Qatar hires Trump-linked lobbyist ahead of emir’s visit

Doha is turning to well-connected Republican operatives amid an intra-Gulf spat.
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani in New York, U.S., September 19, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RC1EC612CAF0

Qatar has hired a lobbyist with close ties to President Donald Trump and drummed up business in a handful of Republican states ahead of Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s White House meeting on Tuesday.

The Qatari Embassy in Washington recently hired Ballard Partners, a Florida-based lobbying shop that worked for Trump before he became president, according to lobbying records that were made public today. And Doha also added several new Florida hires to its team of lobbyists from Mercury Public Affairs to help with federal and state issues.

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