“Malicious stories” on our employees’ receiving money for lobbying Saakashvili “categorically false” – US Embassy

The United States Embassy in Tbilisi on Wednesday claimed “malicious stories alleging or implying” that the Embassy employees had received money from lobbying firms affiliated with the currently imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili were “categorically false and irresponsible”. 

 

“As we have made clear, no one at the US Embassy in Tbilisi has engaged in lobbying on behalf of former President Saakashvili or helped to schedule any meetings for his lobbyists”, said the mission. 

 

The Embassy stressed the US in Tbilisi and Washington had raised their concerns with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia about the “disinformation carried by some media outlets and amplified by political figures in recent days regarding the work of the US Embassy and our employees”. 

 

Following the disclosure of the US law firm Akerman with the US Department of Justice earlier this month, as part of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, the members of the ruling party in Georgia and TV channels loyal to them had voiced allegations that an employee of the US embassy was involved in lobbying Saakashvili.

 

“It is very bad and serious when a representative of the embassy of a foreign country is involved in such actions. It needs explanations”, said Kakha Kaldze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and the Secretary General of the ruling party. 

 

The Government and the ruling party members claimed the information “confirmed” Saakashvili had paid money to achieve sanctions on the country’s authorities for his alleged ill-treatment while in custody, which they said was part of the former President’s “harmful and fake campaign”.