Mercury Public Affairs’ Latest Flynn-Connected FARA Client
Mercury Public Affairs filed new Foreign Agents Registration Act papers on April 3, 2019 for their newest client: the “American-Turkish Council (ATC),” which is based in Arlington, Virginia.
According to Mercury’s Exhibit AB,
“ATC is U.S.-based leading independent business organization that helps member companies achieve their bilateral business and investment objectives and promotes stronger U.S.-Turkey relations.”
Mercury states in their FARA filing that they are registering
“in an abundance of caution. ATC is a U.S.-based membership organization that includes several multinational organizations as members. Since ATC is funded by these organizations and the Registrant cannot confirm that each and every member of ATC does not have any affiliation or connection with a foreign government or foreign political party, the Registrant has determined it prudent to make this filing. Furthermore, Registrant understands that the Turkey-US Business Council (‘TAIK”), another foreign principal Registrant represents, is also involved with the organization of the ATC Conference.”
The contract is for Mercury to “provide public relations support for ATC’s annual conference.” The one-month contract is for $50,000. The conference will be held April 14–16, 2019, at the Trump hotel in Washington DC. Here’s who will be in attendance:
It appears PR services are sorely needed, as ATC & TAIK’s 2017 conference created ethics questions related to the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, which bars the President from receiving remuneration from a foreign state. The 2017 conference was hosted at the Trump hotel in Washington D.C., and featured two speakers: Ekim Alptekin and Sezgin Baran Korkmaz.
If those two names sound familiar, they should. Alptekin was indicted in December 2018 alongside Michael Flynn’s former business partner, Bijan Kian, for acting as unregisterd agents of Turkey on American soil. Alptekin’s Inovo Group paid Flynn Intel Group $530,000 in 2016 for advocating for Turkey’s interests while Flynn was working on the Trump campaign. Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in 2017, is cooperating with the Department of Justice. Flynn will reportedly be the “star witness” in Kian’s trial. Alptekin was appointed chairman of TAIK in 2014. TAIK is controlled by the Turkish government. Korkmaz has a cameo in a $511 Million tax credit fraud case involving a secretive Mormon cult and his business, SBK Holdings.
Perhaps additional PR services were also needed to prevent a repeat of 2018: ATC & TAIK’s 2018 conference was postponed from spring to fall, “in order to facilitate greater attendance from both countries”, according to email messages from both councils.”It was hosted October 22–24, 2018, at the Trump Hotel in DC.
An Abundance of Caution
Mercury initially filed FARA papers for TAIK in February 2018. The contract was for $30,000/month, for “advice related to private-sector matters, public relations services, and as needed, government relations services to the principal.” In this initial filing, Mercury stated they were registering “for this principal out of an abundance of caution. TAIK is an association of private businessesin Turkey aimed at increasing the trade arid investment volume between the U.S. and Turkey, particularly by U.S.companies.”
As the year moved on, the contract language was revised further until it because clear the FARA registration was in fact necessary, and not just filed out of “an abundance of caution,” as TAIK is indeed under control of the Turkish government. The contract was revised in May 2018, with the following language on the updated Exhibit AB:
“Mercury will provide strategic consulting and management services, including public relations and business diplomacy services related to the promotion of Turkish business/economic interests. Work may entail outreach to US Media and US government officials and Staff.
Due to overlapping priorities and interests related to the scope of work, Mercury’s engagement with TAIK will now entail coordination with the Turkish Ministry of Economy and Turkey Promotion Group, however the agreement remains withTAIK, and Registrant understands that all payments for services will come from TAIK.”
Mercury’s fees for representing TAIK rose dramatically with their May 2018 revised contract: from $30,000/month, as agreed in February 2018, to a total payment of $1.2 Million in five installments.
The FARA filing for TAIK was updated again October 15, 2018, with the following language:
“Due to overlapping priorities and interests related to the scope of work. Registrant’s engagement with TAIK will entail coordination with and work at the direction and control of theTurkish Ministry of Trade and Turkey Promotion Group, two governmental agencies, in addition to TAIK….While Registrant understands that TAIK is itselfa nongovernmental entity as described above, TAIK is cooperating with government agencies in its work with Registrant and will actunder the direction and control of the government agencies.”
Per their Supplemental Statements filed July 2, 2018 and December 29, 2018, Mercury was paid $969,226.15 in fees from TAIK, through November 2018.
(Please note: this is not the only money Mercury has received from the Turkish government. I’ve made no mention of Mercury’s FARA filings for the Turkish Embassy-their representation began in 2016. That’s for another post. And remember: Mercury is connected to two other convicted members of the Trump campaign: Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, for their work in Ukraine. And former Representative Vin Weber of Minnesota, a partner at Mercury, is being investigated by the Southern District of New York for his work in Ukraine with Manafort.)
Pssst: want more info on Mercury’s FARA filings? Search my timeline on Twitter. Here’s a taste:
