BKSH & Associates Worldwide

BKSH Associates Worldwide
Founded1996
HeadquartersWashington, D.C.

Black, Kelly, Scruggs & Healey, also known as BKSH & Associates was a Washington, D.C.–based lobbying firm with principals Charles R. Black Jr., Peter G. Kelly, John F. Scruggs, and James Healey[1]: 125  which was merged with Timmons & Company in 2010 to form Prime Policy Group.

History

The firm came into being in 1996 through the merger of D.C. firms Black, Manafort, Stone and Kelly (BMSK or Black, Manafort) and Gold & Liebengood by Martin B. Gold. BMSK, was established in 1980 as a Washington, DC–based lobbying firm by principals Paul Manafort, Charles R. Black Jr., Roger J. Stone and Peter G. Kelly.[2][3][4] In 1981, the Manafort, Black, and Stone "started a separate lobbying company by the same name". Democrat Peter Kelly and "legendary GOP adviser" Lee Atwater joined them "in subsequent years".[5] Scruggs was with them from 1998 to 2004.

Controversy

In 2003, it was internationally criticized for its representation of Ahmad Chalabi and the Iraqi National Congress for their support of the War on Iraq, which was primarily based on intelligence provided by the group which was later proved to be false.[6][7][8][9]

References

  1. ^ Choate, Pat (1990). Agents of Influence. Simon and Schuster. pp. 307. ISBN 0671743392.
  2. ^ Edsall, Thomas B. (May 14, 2012). "The Lobbyist in the Gray Flannel Suit". The New York Times Blog. The Opinion Page. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  3. ^ "A Political Power Broker". The New York Times. Washington. June 20, 1989. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  4. ^ "Registration with the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA)" (PDF). Department of Justice. August 1982. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  5. ^ Shear, Michael D.; Birnbaum, Jeffrey H. (May 22, 2008). "McCain Adviser's Work As Lobbyist Criticized: Charles Black, John McCain's top political strategist, is now retired from a 30-year career as a lobbyist". Washington Post. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  6. ^ Muir, Jim (November 3, 2015). "Ahmed Chalabi death highlights Iraq war legacy". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  7. ^ Roston, Adam (April 3, 2008). "Chalabi's Lobby". The Nation. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  8. ^ Roston, Aram (March 4, 2008). The Man Who Pushed America to War; The Extraordinary Life, Adventures, And Obsessions of Ahmad Chalabi. Nation Books. ISBN 978-1568583532.
  9. ^ Rose, Gideon (November 5, 2015). "Why America Invented Ahmad Chalabi". Retrieved June 16, 2017.