For years, Azerbaijan has papered over its dismal human rights record by presenting itself to the United States as a loyal partner in the “war on terror,” a stalwart friend to Israel, and an important energy supplier. In addition to traditional diplomacy, it has advanced these messages through aggressive lobbying in the think-tank world, in state legislatures, and in the halls of Congress. Mandatory filings by the Azerbaijan government and its U.S. lobbyists reveal that, in total, it and its proxies spent at least $4 million to this end in 2014 alone. (In 2013, when Azerbaijan spent only $2.3 million, it was still among the top 10 foreign governments buying influence in Washington, according to the Sunlight Foundation.) This February, the Azerbaijani embassy increased the monthly retainer of its main lobbyist, the Podesta Group, from $50,000 to $75,000. The Podesta Group’s filings reveal hundreds of contacts with congressional offices, executive branch agencies, members of the media, and think tanks.
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The Azerbaijan America Alliance is run by Anar Mammadov, the son of the country’s transportation minister, notorious for his corrupt dealings and outrageous exploits. His reputation, however, hasn’t prevented Dan Burton, a former House member from Indiana, from working for him as the Alliance’s chairman, praising the Azeri government in print, and giving remarks at celebrations of the former President’s birthday (thinly disguised as a faux “national holiday”). The Alliance is also closely involved with the House’s Azerbaijan Caucus, a group of over 60 legislators it considers friendly. In May, the Washington Post published a damning exposé of an all-expenses-paid trip ten members of Congress took to Azerbaijan in 2013. The trip was secretly funded by SOCAR, the country’s state-run oil company. Of the ten members who went on the trip, eight are members of the Azerbaijan Caucus. Neither of the caucus’s co-chairs — Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) and Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) — responded to requests for comment.
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This week, Azerbaijan is hosting the first European Games, a major new international sporting event it’s promoting with gusto. Such glittery spectacles — like the Eurovision contest in 2012 and the Formula 1 Grand Prix next year — are meant to showcase the country as a modern, developed member of the international community. To make sure this message isn’t marred by inconvenient references to political prisoners, the government barred both Amnesty International and the Guardian from entering at the last minute. And just last week, a new FARA filing by the Podesta Group revealed that it will be providing one month of additional advice to Azerbaijan about its “online engagements.” Maran Turner of Freedom Now speculates that this is intended to counteract the negative press Azerbaijan is receiving in the run-up to the games. So if you see any trending stories about how America’s best friend in the Caucasus is making a name for itself in sport, treat them with appropriate skepticism — and remind your congressmen and women to do the same.
