Thursday, November 14, 2019
Saudi Arabia’s Washington embassy has doled out a $1.5M one-year contract to Larson Shannahan Slifka Group, of Des Moines, for PR, government affairs and media outreach duties.
LS2group has strong ties to the Republican party and energy sector.
Its six-member Saudi lobbying team includes partners Charles Larson, Jr., who was appointed by president George W. Bush to serve as ambassador to Latvia, and Karen Slifka, ex-Midwest political director of the Republican National Committee.
Charles W. Larson, Sr., former US attorney under Ronald Reagan/Bush I/Bush 11, senior advisor to US ambassador to Iraq John Negroponte and director of law enforcement for Saudi Arabia’s highway patrol, is of counsel to LS2group.
The firm also represented Energy Transfer Partners, operator of the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline, that was stymied by President Obama and greenlighted by President Trump.
LS2group’s Saudi contract, which is pegged at a $126,500 monthly retainer, kicked off Nov. 1. Saud Kabli, director of communications at the Embassy, oversees the work.