Blacklisted Chinese tech giant Huawei paid Tony Podesta $500,000 to lobby the White House

Huawei, the Chinese tech giant that is on a U.S. trade blacklist, paid veteran Democratic lobbyist and donor Tony Podesta $500,000 to lobby the White House during the third quarter.

The disclosure comes as the Biden administration is facing pressure to keep Huawei on the blacklist, which restricts the company’s access to semiconductors. The lobbying took place between July and September.

The specifics of Podesta’s lobbying campaign for Huawei were not clear. Podesta and Huawei did not return requests for comment before publication.

The White House, in a response Thursday, criticized Huawei and said the company is still subject to trade restrictions.

“President Biden and this administration believe digital infrastructure equipment made by untrustworthy vendors, like Huawei, pose a threat to the security of the U.S., our allies, and our partners. Export controls against Huawei remain in place,” a White House official said, when asked about Podesta’s lobbying.

"We are committed to using the full range of our tools to keep us and our allies secure," the official added. "We are engaging with all of our partners and allies on the risks posed by Huawei and dozens of countries and carriers have made the decision to exclude Huawei from their 5G networks. And we expect this trend to continue."

"President Biden and this administration believe digital infrastructure equipment made by untrustworthy vendors, like Huawei, pose a threat to the security of the U. S., our allies, and our partners. Export controls against Huawei remain in place," a White House official said, when asked about Podesta's lobbying.

The White House, in a response Thursday, criticized Huawei and said the company is still subject to trade restrictions.

The specifics of Podesta's lobbying campaign for Huawei were not clear. Podesta and Huawei did not return requests for comment before publication.

The disclosure comes as the Biden administration is facing pressure to keep Huawei on the blacklist, which restricts the company's access to semiconductors. The lobbying took place between July and September.

Huawei, the Chinese tech giant that is on a U. S. trade blacklist, paid veteran Democratic lobbyist and donor Tony Podesta $500,000 to lobby the White House during the third quarter.

"We are committed to using the full range of our tools to keep us and our allies secure," the official added. "We are engaging with all of our partners and allies on the risks posed by Huawei and dozens of countries and carriers have made the decision to exclude Huawei from their 5G networks. And we expect this trend to continue."

"President Biden and this administration believe digital infrastructure equipment made by untrustworthy vendors, like Huawei, pose a threat to the security of the U. S., our allies, and our partners. Export controls against Huawei remain in place," a White House official said, when asked about Podesta's lobbying.

The White House, in a response Thursday, criticized Huawei and said the company is still subject to trade restrictions.

The specifics of Podesta's lobbying campaign for Huawei were not clear. Podesta and Huawei did not return requests for comment before publication.

The disclosure comes as the Biden administration is facing pressure to keep Huawei on the blacklist, which restricts the company's access to semiconductors. The lobbying took place between July and September.

Huawei, the Chinese tech giant that is on a U. S. trade blacklist, paid veteran Democratic lobbyist and donor Tony Podesta $500,000 to lobby the White House during the third quarter.

Huawei's hiring of Podesta was previously reported, but the disclosure sheds new light on the longtime lobbyist's dealings, including his hefty fee.

Podesta, who is known to have ties in the White House, registered to lobby for Huawei in July, according to a registration form. It marked his return to lobbying after he left the business in 2017 as his firm came under heavy scrutiny in special counsel Robert Mueller's probe.

Podesta, according to the third quarter disclosure, targeted only the White House Office for Huawei last quarter. The disclosure form says it was for "issue... (Read more)

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