Stealth Lobbying by GWU: Anti-Palestine or Anti-Union?

WASHINGTON - July 29, 2024 - PRLog -- The George Washington University [GWU] has signed an unprecedented contract (https://lda.senate.gov/filings/public/filing/9b9cb5fa-77bd-4698-ad33-5e34d5dde4f5/print/) with a lobbying firm, and has already spent some $90,000 this quarter on lobbying, but it is refusing to disclose the purpose, notes GWU public interest law professor John Banzhaf.

If arguments are being presented which are important enough for GWU to suddenly spend this much, the university should share what is being presented with the faculty, unless of course it has something to hide, suggests Banzhaf.

A lobbying disclosure form shows that officials have paid federal lobbyists they hired in May $90,000 from April 1 to June 30.  By way of contrast, GWU paid the lobbying firms they hired in 2007 less than $10,000 per quarter, and less than $5,000 in 2008 and 2009. This new contract is reportedly the first paid lobbying by GWU since 2009.

Asked why GWU suddenly needed to begin lobbying again after some 15 years, it clammed up; saying only that "the University retains outside counsel on various issues as needed, in order to maintain compliance and support our academic community."

But since this lobbying contract was signed on May 6th, a dozen days into the pro-Palestinian encampment in its University Yard which was criticized by members of Congress - and brought unprecedented harmful publicity to the university with daily pictures of antisemitic slogans projected on its building, the Palestinian flag flying in its yard, and the statute of George Washington wearing Palestinian garb and covered with antisemitic graffiti - GWU's newspaper suggests that protecting itself from congressional investigations was GWU's primary purpose.

Another media outlet (https://punchbowl.news/archive/52924-punchbowl-news-am/) noted that "The George Washington University has signed up Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman to lobby on 'higher education issues.'  Former Reps. Lacy Clay (D-Mo.) and Greg Laughlin (R-Texas) are on the account.  GW has been in the crosshairs of late over their handling of a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus."

It creates additional suspicion regarding GWU's motives, and raises important issues regarding lack of transparency, that no mention whatsoever of this lobbying contract which has just been finalized was made at the May 10th meeting of the GWU Faculty Senate, although the minutes of the meeting (https://facultysenate.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs6626/fi...) clearly show many and growing concerns by Senate members, as well as by many of GWU's individual schools, with being kept in the dark regarding the university's handling of protests on its campus.

On the other hand, GWU's sudden need for high-powered lobbying might have something to do with allegations of unfair labor practices, suggests Banzhaf.  It has just been disclosed that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is taking GWU's Hospital to court over unfair labor practices.

http://banzhaf.net/   jbanzhaf3ATgmail.com   @profbanzhaf