Libyan Rebels Hire Top D.C. Lobbying Firm

The Libyan rebels fighting to overthrow Moammar Gadhafi have joined forces with a top D.C. lobbying firm to further their cause, The Hill reported.

Patton Boggs, perennially the top-earning K Street firm, is lobbying for the rebels to be accepted as the “legitimate government of the sovereign nation of Libya,” according to documents filed this week with the Justice Department.

The firm signed a contract with the Interim Transitional National Council of Libya to provide “advice and assistance on U.S.-Libya bilateral relations,” according to the documents.

Patton Boggs signed the agreement with Ali Suleiman Aujali, the Council’s representative to the United States. Aujali resigned as ambassador to Libya after Gadhafi tried to quell the uprising and started to advocate for the opposition group, which is based in Benghazi, Libya.

Other than formal recognition, the Transitional National Council also wants access to the frozen funds from Gadhafi’s regime that are being held by the United States.

According to The Hill, the contract stipulates Patton Boggs will receive a fee of not more than $50,000 per month, but the firm said the fees might not be paid at first.