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Qorvis Communications
Company typePrivate
IndustryPublic relations, lobbying
Founded2000 (2000)
Headquarters
Washington, D.C.
,
United States
Key people
Michael Petruzzello (CEO)
Stan Collender
Sam Dealey
Ron Faucheux
Greg Lagana
Matt J. Lauer
Rich Masters
John Reid
Esther Thomas Smith
Karen Vahouny
ServicesMedia relations, grassroots campaigns, advertising, Internet-based campaigns, opinion polls
Number of employees
150
Websiteqorvis.com

Qorvis Communications is an international Washington, D.C.-based public relations, advertising and lobbying firm. Its CEO is Michael Petruzzello.

Qorvis provides public relations representation on behalf of public companies, financial services firms, sovereign nations, and wealthy individuals. The company represents defense contractors ManTech, Plasan Sasa, Hesco, Pratt and Whitney, and the nations of Saudi Arabia, Cyprus, Bahrain, Sri Lanka, Fiji, United Kingdom, Mexico, Equatorial Guinea,[1] Palestinian business interests, the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq, some members of the Kuwaiti government and Yemen. Qorvis has provided public relations support to the energy trading firms Vitol and Trafigura, and the energy services companies Halliburton and EnergySolutions. During the late-2000s financial crisis, Qorvis represented the embattled financial institutions Wells Fargo and AIG. The company has recently received awards for its corporate advertising.

Work on behalf of Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia hired Qorvis to improve its image in the wake of the September 11 attacks, receiving $14.7 million between March and September 2002.[2] Qorvis engaged in a PR frenzy that publicized the "9/11 Commission finding that there was 'no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded [ Al Qaeda ]'—while omitting the report's conclusion that 'Saudi Arabia has been a problematic ally in combating Islamic extremism.'"[3][4]

2004 FBI raid

In December 2004, the Federal Bureau of Investigation executed search warrants at Qorvis's offices as part of a criminal investigation into whether a pro-Saudi radio ad campaign run by the firm broke federal law by not disclosing funds from the Saudi government.[5][6]

Criticism from human rights groups

The group's Geopolitical Solutions division, headed by former United States Department of State official Matt J. Lauer, has been criticized by human rights groups for representing rogue governments.[7][8]

In early February 2011, three of Qorvis's partners left the firm disgruntled by compensation; however, they later attributed it to the company's controversial work with foreign governments. A former employee, Don Goldberg, who represented Saudi Arabia and Halliburton while at the firm, was reported as saying, "I just have trouble working with despotic dictators killing their own people."[9] During the Arab Spring uprisings in 2011, executive vice president Seth Thomas Pietras said, “Our clients are facing some challenges now.... But our long-term goals — to bridge the differences between our clients and the United States — haven’t changed. We stand by them.”[8]

In September 2011, Egyptian steel tycoon and Qorvis client, Ahmed Ezz, who pays Qorvis $90,000 per month, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined $11 million for corruption.[10][11] In October 2011, the Department of Justice's Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section began court proceedings to seize $70 million from the family Equatorial Guinea's dictator and Qorvis client Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.[12]

Work on behalf of the Bahrain government

Qorvis is the agency of record for the Kingdom of Bahrain. According to Foreign Agents Registration filings with the Department of Justice, Bahrain's government pays Qorvis $40,000 per month to manage the government's communications strategy and image in the United States in face of civil protests.[13][14] In August 2011, it was widely reported that Qorvis wrote press releases on behalf of Bahrain's government, defending its crackdown on Doctors Without Borders.[15][16] Qorvis employee Tom Squitieri has written articles critical of the protesters that have appeared in Huffington Post and USA Today.[17] Qorvis assists in organizing delegations of individuals who represent the government's point of view. These delegations often criticize opposition to Bahrain's monarchy.[18]

Clients

In addition to foreign governments, Qorvis' clients have included numerous corporations and non-governmental organizations.[19][20]

Awards

2012 Gold ADDY Award: Websites/Online, Campaign[24]

2012 Gold ADDY Award, Regional/National TV Campaigns, Consumer Products

2012 Silver ADDY Award: Websites, Consumer HTML/Other, Products

2012 Silver ADDY Award: Online, Mobile Websites

2012 Silver ADDY Award: Websites, Consumer HTML/Other, Outlets

2012 Gold SABRE Awards: Finalist Public Affairs-Federal; Search Engine Optimization; Telecommunications; and Educational and Cultural Institutions[25]


References

  1. ^ Lynch, Colum (June 24, 2010). "Can K Street save Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo's good name?". Foreign Policy. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  2. ^ Gerstein, Josh (December 20, 2004). "P.R. Effort By Saudis Sparks Justice Probe". The New York Sun. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  3. ^ Kurlantzick, Joshua (2007-05-07). "Putting Lipstick on a Dictator". Mother Jones. Retrieved 2007-08-22.
  4. ^ Shenon, Philip (December 5, 2002). "Saudis Face New Problem With Publicity". The New York Times. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  5. ^ Horwitz, Sari (2004-12-09). "FBI Searches Saudi Arabia's PR Firm". The Washington Post.
  6. ^ Gerstein, Josh (2004-12-21). "Saudi Account Caused a Row At Patton, Boggs". The Sun.
  7. ^ Garcia, Tonya (August 9, 2011). "Qorvis Working with Bahrain's Ruling Family to Improve Image". PR Newser. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  8. ^ a b Lichtblau, Eric (2011-03-01). "Arab Uprisings Put U.S. Lobbyists in Uneasy Spot". The New York Times.
  9. ^ Baram, Marcus (2011-03-25). "Lobbyists Jump Ship In Wake Of Mideast Unrest". The Huffington Post.
  10. ^ McCauley, Kevin (2011-09-19). "Qorvis Client Sentenced". O'Dwyer's Blog.
  11. ^ Kirkpatrick, David (2011-09-15). "Steel Tycoon With Links to a Mubarak Is Sentenced". The New York Times.
  12. ^ Grimaldi, James (2011-10-30). "Efforts against Equatorial Guinea official shows challenge for U.S. in foreign corruption cases". The Washington Post.
  13. ^ Elliot, Justin (2011-08-08). "D.C. firm inks lucrative public-relations contract with Bahrain". Salon.
  14. ^ Baker, Aryn (November 29, 2011). "Disappearing Dissent: How Bahrain Buried Its Revolution". Time. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  15. ^ Gladstone, Rick (2011-08-05). "Relief Group Stops Work in Bahrain After Raid". The New York Times.
  16. ^ McEvers, Kelly (2011-08-09). "Doctors Without Borders Targeted In Bahrain". NPR.
  17. ^ Silverstein, Ken (December 7, 2011). "How Bahrain works Washington". Salon.
  18. ^ Elliot, Justin (2012-02-28). "Bahraini 'Reformers' in Washington, Courtesy of American Spinmeisters". ProPublica.
  19. ^ "Qorvis at a Glance". Qorvis Communications. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  20. ^ "Case Studies". Qorvis Communications. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  21. ^ Park, Kristi (October 3, 2008). "The FDA hires a PR firm, creates a public relations nightmare for itself". Bizmology. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  22. ^ Bogardus, Kevin (December 6, 2011). "Palestine rep finds closed doors". The Hill. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  23. ^ Bandow, Doug (February 6, 2005). "A sweet deal for the sugar industry". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  24. ^ "2012 DC Addy Awards". DC Ad Club.
  25. ^ "Holmes Group Announces Diamond and Gold SABRE Finalists". The Holmes Group.
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