Pandan MP Mohd Rafizi Ramli wants the government to take action against the lobbyist Healy Baumgardner-Nardone, following Putrajaya’s denial of having engaged her services.
He pointed out that amongst the documents lodged to the US Department of Justice (DOJ) under the country’s Foreign Agents Registration Act (Fara), Baumgardner-Nardone had declared that she was representing the "Office of the Prime Minister", and listed the official she deals with as "Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak".
This is despite Najib’s press aide Tengku Sariffuddin Tengku Ahmad’s statement yesterday that “Neither the Prime Minister's Office nor government of Malaysia has instructed, appointed or contracted in any form with the Godfrey Group Ltd, the 45 Group or Healy Baumgardner-Nardone.”
In his response today, Rafizi challenged Najib to state whether The 45 Group LLC and its CEO Baumgardner-Nardone had lied in their declaration to the DOJ.
“If Baumgardner-Nardone had lied about her lobbying work to the extent of dragging in Najib’s name, then the government of Malaysia should immediately take legal action against Baumgardner-Nardone and officially notify the US government that the declaration is false,” he said in a statement today.
In addition, if the government was truly not involved in the lobbying activities, Rafizi said Najib should lodge a police report against Godfrey Group Ltd’s director for claiming to act on the Malaysian government’s behalf without permission.
Baumgardner-Nardone is a former aide to US President Donald Trump.
Documents lodged under Fara - which legally requires US lobbyists to register if they are acting on behalf of a foreign government - are available to the public via DOJ’s Fara website.
The ones that pertain to The 45 Group’s supposed work for the Godfrey Group Ltd and the Prime Minister’s Office can be found by searching for the registration number “6432”.
Among others, the documents stated that Godfrey Group is a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands with an address in Taman Molek, Johor.
Under the terms of an agreement - a copy of which was enclosed as part of the declaration to the DOJ - the Godfrey Group is to pay The 45 Group US$25,000 per month in exchange for services in strengthening bilateral ties between Malaysia and the US.
The document was signed by both parties, but not dated.
Meanwhile, Rafizi urged Godfrey Group’s director to disclose who had instructed him to engage The 45 Group’s lobbying services, and where the money came from.
The PKR vice-president claimed that there is also another company registered at the same Taman Molek address, which has a person by the same name as the Godfrey Group director.
Malaysiakini has contacted the person and is withholding his and the company’s name pending comment.- Mkini
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