Foreign Lobby reports that Gonzalo Castillo, the presidential candidate for the ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) has retained Washington, D.C. firm Steptoe and Johnson “to help schedule meetings and build relationships with key audiences.” As reported, the pro-bono agreement was reached on 1 June and is signed by former Puerto Rico Governor Luis Fortuño, a Steptoe and Johnson partner who has registered as a foreign agent on the account along with fellow partner Douglas Kantor.
As reported in Foreign Lobby, Castillo faces candidate Luis Abinader of the opposition Modern Revolutionary Party on 5 July in a tight race marked by allegations of corruption against Castillo harking back to his time as public works minister from 2012 to 2019. Spring polling had shown Abinader in the lead before the election initially scheduled for 17 May was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. A runoff will be held on 26 July if no candidate wins more than 50% of the vote.
Foreign Lobby highlights that opposition lawmakers have demanded that the Prosecutor’s Office investigate allegations that Castillo helped steer overvalued contracts to Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht during his time as minister.
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Foreign Lobby
10 June 2020