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‘FAKE NEWS.’ Mark Corallo, who formerly served as the spokesman for President Trump’s legal team, is working for Ashcroft Law Firm on behalf of Malaysian Prime Minster Najib Razak. The contract says the firm will be “working to provide legal advice and counsel regarding improper actions by third parties to attempt to destabilize the government of Malaysia.” Proposed legislation in Malaysia attempts to crack down on “fake news” by imposing fines and jail time on anyone found guilty of creating or spreading news deemed to be fake. The definition of “fake news” described in the bill is “news, information, data and reports which is or are wholly or partly false.” Razak, who is facing reelection, has commonly evoked the term. He has been the subject of a years-long financial scandal and is being investigated on allegations of corruption. Former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft helms the Ashcroft Law Firm.
ENTERTAINMENT AND GOLF. The government of Morocco is paying the firm ThirdCircle, Inc. $40,000 per month. The firm will “focus on promoting Morocco as a film destination, bringing US film and television producers to Morocco,” the contract says. The firm will also “highlight Morocco as a world-class golf destination, bringing golf professionals and other professional athletes, celebrities and golf enthusiasts — including media like the Golf Channel and others — from around the world.”
{mosads}HEALTH CARE. SmithBucklin Corporation is working for the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, to promote the expansion of “access to acupuncture services for pain management and addiction treatment.” The advocacy comes as governments across the country are grappling with an opioid epidemic that kills an estimated 115 people in the United States every day. Alternative medicines, such as acupuncture, are not commonly covered by insurance. Medicare, a federal health insurance program for low-income individuals, does not cover acupuncture in most cases.
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