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LOBBYING REPORT |
Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (Section 5) - All Filers Are Required to Complete This Page
2. Address
Address1 | 42020 Village Center Plaza |
Address2 | Suite 120-200 |
City | Stone Ridge |
State | VA |
Zip Code | 20105 |
Country | USA |
3. Principal place of business (if different than line 2)
City | Chantilly |
State | VA |
Zip Code | 20152 |
Country | USA |
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5. Senate ID# 91650-12
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6. House ID# 368070000
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TYPE OF REPORT | 8. Year | 2012 |
Q1 (1/1 - 3/31) | Q2 (4/1 - 6/30) | Q3 (7/1 - 9/30) | Q4 (10/1 - 12/31) |
9. Check if this filing amends a previously filed version of this report
10. Check if this is a Termination Report | Termination Date | |
11. No Lobbying Issue Activity |
INCOME OR EXPENSES - YOU MUST complete either Line 12 or Line 13 | |||||||||
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12. Lobbying | 13. Organizations | ||||||||
INCOME relating to lobbying activities for this reporting period was: | EXPENSE relating to lobbying activities for this reporting period were: | ||||||||
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Provide a good faith estimate, rounded to the nearest $10,000, of all lobbying related income for the client (including all payments to the registrant by any other entity for lobbying activities on behalf of the client). | 14. REPORTING Check box to indicate expense accounting method. See instructions for description of options. | ||||||||
Method A.
Reporting amounts using LDA definitions only
Method B. Reporting amounts under section 6033(b)(8) of the Internal Revenue Code Method C. Reporting amounts under section 162(e) of the Internal Revenue Code |
Signature | Digitally Signed By: GREG MITCHELL, PRESIDENT |
Date | 07/17/2012 |
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code FOR
16. Specific lobbying issues
On behalf of 35 religious and human rights leaders of varying faiths, including the client, who previously signed a letter that was sent to members of Congress and the Administration, we made contacts and organized a meeting to urge the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and its Commissioners to view freedom of religion, thought, conscience and belief as far
more than a church-state issue, a social challenge or a security concern that simply needs to be reported on and managed.
We discussed how international religious freedom is a multidisciplinary issue that cuts across human rights, economics, security, counter-terrorism, media, academia, business, and other sectors. USCIRF, and its Commissioners, should reflect this broad and interrelated awareness. Further, a USCIRF Commissioner should be an advocate for freedom of religion, thought, conscience and belief, and for the practice and contribution of all faiths (or none).
On behalf of 30 religious and human rights leaders of varying faiths, including the client, who previously signed a letter that was sent to the Secretary of State and members of Congress, we made contacts and organized meetings to express our deep concern about rising restrictions on religion in Russia, which are contributing to an atmosphere of intolerance and discrimination against religious communities and their individual members. In particular, we are most concerned about the increasing misuse of the 2002 Extremism Law to censor religious scriptures and disrupt religious organizations. In June 2011, the Russian Supreme Court made clear that cases under "extremism"-related Articles of the Criminal Code must be very carefully and narrowly framed. However, the federal government continues to allow the use of an expansive definition that ignores the Supreme Court and contravenes the narrow construction of the term to violence or violent encroachment articulated in the Shanghai Convention on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism, which Russia has signed and ratified. So we urged them to press Russian authorities on this matter. A good place to start would be to ask the Russian government to narrow its definition of extremism.
Worked with the client to sign a letter that was signed by 50 human rights and religious organizations, which was sent to the President to call for the full and rapid implementation of the 2007 Leahy-Kyl reforms that authorized the Administration to exempt refugees, asylees and asylum seekers (with no actual connection to terrorism) from the broad anti-terrorism provisions in our immigration laws that have effectively prevented them from proving their non-terrorist status, which has barred them from entering the U.S. or from obtaining green cards to remain in the U.S.
Worked with the client to sign a letter that was signed by 19 human rights and religious organizations, which was sent to congressional offices to express strong support for the passage of the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act (H.R 4405 / S.1039). This Act was named after Sergei Magnitsky, a young lawyer in Russia who bravely stood up to corruption, and ultimately paid the highest possible price by losing his life at the hands of the official in the Russian state involved in the corruption he uncovered. This legislation specifically targets officials who abuse human rights with effective travel and financial sanctions. This law would not only create an effective punishment for people who have violated human rights, but also a powerful deterrent for people to not violate human rights in the future.
Worked with the client to sign a letter that was signed by 20 human rights and religious organizations, which was sent to the Secretary of State to urge her to designate countries of particular concern (CPC) concurrently with the release of the next Annual Report on International Religious Freedom. The CPC designation is one tool in the Secretary of States toolkit and we support its judicious use. At the same time, if the statutory process is ignored, it sends the wrong message to abusive governments. We believe that annually designating CPC will send a clear message about the United States commitment to religious freedom in our foreign policy.
Worked with the client to sign a letter that was signed by 20 human rights and religious organizations, which was sent to the Solicitor General of the United States to urge him to take the position in Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum, set for argument this October, that the Alien Tort Statute (ATS) provides a cause of action in United States courts for conduct that takes place in the territory of a foreign state. The ATS has proved an invaluable tool to hold accountable the worlds worst violators of the right to be free from torture and other egregious crimes based solely on ones spiritual or religious beliefs, in keeping with the United States foreign policy interests and its long-standing commitment to religious freedom.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, U.S. SENATE, U.S. Commission on International Religous Freedom, State - Dept of (DOS), Justice - Dept of (DOJ), White House Office
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
GREG |
MITCHELL |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
Information Update Page - Complete ONLY where registration information has changed.
20. Client new address
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21. Client new principal place of business (if different than line 20)
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22. New General description of client’s business or activities
LOBBYIST UPDATE
23. Name of each previously reported individual who is no longer expected to act as a lobbyist for the client
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ISSUE UPDATE
24. General lobbying issue that no longer pertains
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AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS
25. Add the following affiliated organization(s)
Internet Address:
Name | Address |
Principal Place of Business (city and state or country) |
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26. Name of each previously reported organization that is no longer affiliated with the registrant or client
1 | 2 | 3 |
FOREIGN ENTITIES
27. Add the following foreign entities:
Name | Address |
Principal place of business (city and state or country) |
Amount of contribution for lobbying activities | Ownership percentage in client | ||||||||||
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28. Name of each previously reported foreign entity that no longer owns, or controls, or is affiliated with the registrant, client or affiliated organization
1 | 3 | 5 |
2 | 4 | 6 |