Two longtime GOP operatives who were once aligned with Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign admitted Tuesday they accepted money from the Qatari government in exchange for their efforts to sway U.S. foreign policy, and engaged in a scheme to deceive the Department of Justice about their work, POLITICO reported.
Barry Bennett and Doug Watts reportedly acknowledged in court filings that they accepted cash from Qatari officials in exchange for their lobbying on the country’s behalf to influence U.S. policy in the Middle East.
Specifically, the outlet reported that the men, Barry Bennett and Doug Watts, set up an organization at Qatar’s behest called “Yemen Crisis Watch” to bring attention to alleged brutality by the Saudi Arabian government against the Houthi militant group in Yemen.
