A Houston, Texas-based lobbyist for Qatar filed an updated disclosure with the United States Justice Department on June 26, 2021, a search of public records revealed.
The foreign lobbying disclosure document required under FARA, the Foreign Agent Registration Act submitted by Chase Untermeyer brings to light campaign cash donations made to two Texas elected officials and activities undertaken in conjunction with his consulting agreement with the State of Qatar.Required under FARA a registrant such as Untermeyer must disclose compensation, campaign donations or any thing of value made from his own funds to candidates for elected office.
For the period 1/1/2021 through 5/31/2021 Untermeyer received $75,000 in fees as a Texas advisor to the State of Qatar.
In May 2021 he made two campaign contributions; $250.00 to Houston councilman Edward Pollard and 500.00 to U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul of Texas.
The lobbyist for Qatar disclosed his activities undertaken in accordance with his advisory role:
- Ongoing liaison between the Consulate General of Qatar and an effort by MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston to obtain Qatari funding for a radiotherapy facility in Gaza,
- Ongoing local liaison for the Qatar Harvey Fund in the execution of its projects in the greater Houston area,
- Liaison between the Embassy of Qatar and principals of the Houston-Harris County Winter Storm Relief Fund in connection with an Embassy donation to the fund, and
- A series of emails and telephone calls offering Qatari subject-matter experts to the following entities: The Baker Institute at Rice University; the Bush School at Texas A&M; the Clements Center at the University of Texas; the Institute for the Study of Western Civilization at Texas Tech University; the Tower Center at Southern Methodist University; the Center for International Studies at the University of St. Thomas; the Kormetsky Center for Excellence at St. Edwards' University; the Asia Society-Texas Center and the World Affairs Councils of Houston, Dallas-Ft Worth, and Austin.
Texas A&M’s campus in Qatar’s “Education City” has awarded 635 degrees in engineering fields since its establishment in 2003. It is one of six U.S. branch campuses funded by the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development.
Each of the branches has a specific programmatic focus: Carnegie Mellon’s branch focuses on business and computer science, Cornell University’s on medicine, Georgetown University’s on foreign service, Northwestern University’s on communication and journalism, and Virginia Commonwealth University’s on art and design. The Post estimates that operating expenses for all six of the branches totaled $404.8 million in 2014.
Seeking public records about potential influence by the Qatar government’s funding of certain Texas A&M University programs at its campus in Education City, Al Rayyan, Qatar; earlier this week County Examiner reported a Judicial Watch announcement for the following:
(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that it filed petition for review with the Supreme Court of Texas regarding a lawsuit on behalf of its client Zachor Legal Institute under the Texas Public Information Act (TPIA), seeking records about potential influence by the Qatar government’s funding of certain Texas A&M University programs at its campus in Education City, Al Rayyan, Qatar (Zachor Legal Institute, v. Qatar Foundation For Education, Science And Community Development (No. 21-0542)
Zachor Legal Institute is a U.S.-based advocacy group dedicated to combatting the spread of anti-Semitism. Zachor made two requests under the Texas Public Information Act for information about the funding or donations made to Texas A&M by the government of Qatar and agencies and subdivisions of the government of Qatar. Qatar controversially has aligned itself with Islamic terrorists and extremists, which has placed it at odds with the United States, Israel and other U.S. allies in the Middle East.
