India has hired US lobbying giant Mercury Public Affairs in a desperate attempt to influence the Donald Trump-led administration amid escalating tensions between New Delhi and Washington.
According to Kashmir Media Service, a public filing with the US Department of Justice revealed that India will pay Mercury $75,000 per month for “public relations, communications and government relations advice, including outreach to US media and officials.” The deal raises India’s total monthly lobbying expenditure in Washington to $275,000.
Mercury has assigned David Vitter, a former US Senator, and Bryan Lanza, a former Trump campaign official, to represent India. The firm has a record of political consulting, crisis management and coalition building for governments worldwide.
