Two Deaver Associates Lobbied at Old Agency : Contacted Former Colleagues at Trade Office on Behalf of Foreign Clients, Justice Dept. Learns

The Michael K. Deaver lobbying inquiry broadened Wednesday as the Justice Department received information on two Deaver associates who frequently contacted former colleagues at the U.S. trade representative’s office on behalf of foreign clients.

The information consisted of interviews conducted by U.S. trade representative lawyers with 17 employees of the office who acknowledged that they were lobbied by Doral S. Cooper and Lisa Barry, a trade office spokesman said.

Cooper, former assistant U.S. trade representative, and Barry, a former deputy assistant in that office, now work for the multimillion-dollar lobbying firm owned by former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Deaver.

May Have Broken Law

Deaver critics have charged that his lobbying activities may have violated a federal conflict-of-interest law that prohibits former government officials from lobbying their former agencies 1768824931Tuesday, an independent counsel will be appointed soon at the Justice Department’s request to investigate the charges.

Department spokesman Terry Eastland said the new information concerning Cooper and Barry could be forwarded to the independent counsel, if it is determined that they also may have violated the Ethics in Government Act.

Roger Bolton, a spokesman for the U.S. trade representative’s office, said that lawyers at the agency had not drawn any conclusions about the propriety of the lobbying contacts.

Cooper and Barry contacted former colleagues at the trade office on behalf of several foreign governments and businesses, according to documents filed by Deaver’s firm with the Justice Department’s foreign agents registration unit.

Registered Agents

Both women are registered foreign agents for South Korea, Mexico, Singapore, Canada, Saudi Arabia and for a number of foreign corporations, records show.

In a six-month period, the Deaver firm reached 17 officials at the trade office on at least 40 occasions to conduct “political activity” on behalf of foreign clients, according to the records. Almost all of the contacts reportedly were made by Cooper and Barry.

One case apparently involved South Korea’s fight against U.S. charges of unfair trade practices. There have been complaints that the South Korean government has refused to allow U.S. insurance companies to sell certain types of insurance in Korea and to provide adequate protection for U.S. patents, trademarks and copyrights there.

Federal law prohibits former federal employees from lobbying on matters in which they participated substantially while in government.

Bolton said that, as a result of the Deaver controversy, all employees at the U.S. trade representative’s office had been given a briefing on the law by the office of government ethics.

“We have urged our employees to check with the general counsel’s office when they are contacted by a former employee, in order to determine the appropriate way to proceed,” Bolton said.