High-Ranking McCain Campaign Staffer Lobbied For Repeal Of Economic Sanctions Against Cuba

A high-ranking campaign staffer for John McCain lobbied for years on behalf of a major corporation in favor of repealing economic sanctions against Cuba, a position that is directly at odds with McCain's position, according to lobbyist disclosure forms.

The staffer, John Green, who has held the key post of chief campaign liaison to members of Congress since early March, lobbied members of Congress extensively on behalf of French alcohol company Pernod Ricard, in their efforts to get sanctions weakened or repealed. In the process, according to the disclosure forms, he also did extensive work with members of Congress who favor repealing the Cuba embargo entirely, a position that is also strongly opposed by McCain.

Such conflicts between lobbyists on McCain's campaign staff and McCain's hard-line foreign policy positions have already created controversy and generated criticism for McCain. Campaign manager Rick Davis, for instance, made news and was criticized by Democrats for his lobbying on behalf of a Ukrainian businessman with deep commercial ties to Iran -- even though McCain has called for divestment against Iran.

McCain has argued in favor of keeping all sanctions against Cuba in place until they undertake various democratic reforms. What's more, he has aggressively attacked Obama for not taking as hard a line on Cuba. Obama argues in favor of easing travel restrictions with the country, something McCain says would "send the worst possible signal" to Cuba's leaders by unilaterally dropping travel restrictions.

McCain's employment of a lobbyist who pushed for the lifting of Cuba sanctions could also prove to be a controversial issue in the critical swing state of Florida, where many in the large Cuban exile community favor a hard line against Cuba.

Much of Green's lobbying, which he did for a firm called Ogilvy Government Relations, has involved pushing for a proposed bill -- never passed -- that would repeal a 1998 U.S. law that disregards Cuban trademarks. Hard-liners on Cuba, McCain included, bitterly oppose repealing that law, because doing so would essentially recognize the legitimacy of Cuba's seizure of private property and businesses from way back when Fidel Castro first came to power.

Green's lobbying is detailed in disclosure forms and was confirmed to us by Stewart Hall, Ogilvy's managing director. Green's lobbying for the repeal started in 2001 and ended when he joined the McCain campaign.

Pernod wants the law repealed amid a dispute between Pernod and Bacardi over the claim to the prestigious Havana Club rum brand name, which Pernod maintains around the world and Bacardi has attempted to market over here. Repeal of the law would give Pernod exclusive rights to sell rum under that name in the United States, when the day comes that they can actually import it from Cuba.

Starting in 2007, according to disclosure firms and Ogilvy itself, Green and his firm also worked with members of Congress on H.R. 624, which would repeal the Cuba embargo entirely, and also for H.R. 2819/S. 1673, which would leave the embargo but lift other trade sanctions, as well as fighting other efforts to strengthen sanctions against Cuba.

Hall, Ogilvy's managing director, told Election Central that the company has never worked directly on repeal of the Cuba embargo, and only listed it on the forms because members of Congress friendly with them on the trademark issues gave them that bill, as well. "Our objective has never been to affect that timeline one way or another," Hall said.

But Hall confirmed the firm's work with members of Congress pushing for repeal of the embargo, and confirmed the firm's efforts to lift trademark sanctions. "Our objective has been to protect our client's right to sell their product in the United States under their legally registered trademark when that day comes," he said.

Green's lobbying work was put on hold back in March, when he joined the McCain campaign as its Congressional liaison. But it doesn't look as if much scrutiny was applied to the content of his lobbying work before he was hired, and now it could create another lobbyist-related headache for the McCain camp.

The McCain camp declined to comment.[TPM]