Randy Schuenemann has always put other countries first. For a small fee, Scheunemann has sold foreign countries top-level access to the U.S. Senate through his long-time friend and boss, John McCain. When McCain claimed his campaign was going lobbyist-free, Scheunemann "complied" -- handing over contracts to the two-person lobbying firm he founded.

Scheunemann “Blurred” Lines Between Foreign Lobbyist & Adviser

Scheunemann’s “Political & Ideological Relationship” With McCain “Blurred the Lines Between Lobbyist & Aide.”

“His political and ideological relationship with Sen. McCain has blurred the lines between his roles as lobbyist and aide…In 2000, Mr. Scheunemann was an adviser in Sen. McCain's unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination. After Sen. McCain was defeated, Mr. Scheunemann started Orion Strategies in 2001. Orion quickly signed contracts with Romania and Latvia worth a combined $240,000 to help them win NATO admission. Contracts with Georgia, Macedonia and Taiwan followed. Like Romania and Latvia, they are all U.S. allies.” [Wall Street Journal, 5/23/08]

Scheunemann’s Firm Earned $2.6 Million From Clients For Whom He Directly Lobbied McCain and His Staff.

“For a decade, Randy Scheunemann has been a campaign staffer to John McCain, an ideological ally in the fight to contain Russian power -- and a lobbyist seeking the Arizona senator's support for former Soviet states…The lobbying group Mr. Scheunemann founded in 2001, Orion Strategies LLC, has earned $2.6 million from clients for whom Mr. Scheunemann directly lobbied Sen. McCain and his staff, Justice Department records show.” [Wall Street Journal, 5/23/08]

Scheunemann “Met Several Times” With McCain to Discuss Foreign Clients, And Accompanied McCain On Trips For His Clients.

“Over the past several years, Mr. Scheunemann met several times with Mr. McCain to discuss his clients' interests. He introduced the senator to the foreign ministers of Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia as they tried to win admission to NATO, and a representative of Taiwan as it lobbied for free trade, records show. Mr. Scheunemann also accompanied Mr. McCain to Latvia in 2001 and Georgia in 2006.” [New York Times, 5/20/08]

Lobbying Disclosures “Show Dozens of Phone Calls & Meetings” Between McCain’s Senate Office and Scheunemann or Partner.

“Lobbying disclosure records for Scheunemann's two-person company, Orion Strategies, show dozens of phone calls and meetings with McCain and his staff between 2001 and 2008, as well as regular contributions to McCain's campaign and political action committee. In 2006 McCain cosponsored legislation that passed the Senate endorsing an expansion of NATO to include Georgia and Macedonia as well as Albania and Croatia.” [Salon, 6/9/08]

Scheunemann & Partner “Repeatedly Lobbied” McCain and His Staff on Behalf of Foreign Clients; McCain Sponsored Legislation at Scheunemann’s Behest.

“Over the years, Mr. Scheunemann and his partner, Michael Mitchell, repeatedly lobbied Sen. McCain and his Senate staff on behalf of foreign clients, the Justice records show. The company also worked for Taiwan. In 2005, Mr. Scheunemann asked Sen. McCain to introduce a Senate resolution expressing support for peace in the Russia-influenced region of South Ossetia that wants to break away from Georgia, the records show. Such resolutions are symbolic but helpful to countries in diplomatic relations. The Senate approved Sen. McCain's resolution in December 2005.” [Wall Street Journal, 5/23/08]

Scheunemann Continues Lobbying for Foreign Clients –- Even Lobbying McCain's Senate Office -- While Working for McCain Campaign

Scheunemann Continued to Lobby McCain’s Office, Even While He Was Working for the Campaign.

In 2007, “while he worked on the McCain presidential campaign, Mr. Scheunemann continued to lobby members of Congress and administration officials, Justice records show. One of his contacts was Richard Fontaine, an aide in Sen. McCain's Senate office whom Mr. Scheunemann called in November to discuss Georgia, the records show.” [Wall Street Journal, 5/23/08]

Scheunemann Lobbied Until March, Though He Joined McCain Campaign “Several Months Earlier.”

According to the New York Times, “Scheunemann was a registered foreign agent until March, when he ended his registrations for several countries. He had joined the McCain campaign several months earlier. A campaign spokesman, Tucker Bounds, said he would not comment on questions raised about Mr. Scheunemann or any other campaign advisers.” Salon said that he was “simultaneously working for the McCain campaign and as a lobbyist for a shifting menu of Eastern European and former Soviet Bloc countries with NATO aspirations.” [New York Times, 5/20/08; Salon, 6/9/08]

Scheunemann Lobbied McCain’s Senate Office as Recently as November 2007, While He Was Advising Campaign.

“John McCain's top foreign policy adviser lobbied the Arizona senator's staff on behalf of the republic of Georgia while he was working for the campaign, public records show. Randy Scheunemann, founder of Orion Strategies, represented the governments of Macedonia, Georgia, and Taiwan from 2003 to March 1, according to the firm's filings with the Justice Department. In its latest semiannual report, the firm disclosed that Scheunemann had a phone conversation in November about Georgia with Richard Fontaine, an aide in McCain’s Senate office.” [USA Today, 5/21/08]

Campaign Gives Schuenemann Loophole in Lobbyist Policy

In Early May 2008, Scheunemann Told Wall Street Journal He Had “Terminated All Lobbying Contracts.”

“The campaign's top foreign-policy staffer, Randy Scheunemann, said he had terminated all lobbying contracts as well.” [Wall Street Journal, 5/20/08]

But His Lobbying Firm’s Contracts With Foreign Clients Still Active.

Scheunemann’s firm’s contracts with Georgia and Macedonia, reported the Wall Street Journal, “worth a combined $240,000, appear still to be in effect. A spokeswoman for the Georgian Embassy in Washington said the country's contract with Orion is active. The Macedonian contract is listed as active in Justice Department records. Mr. Scheunemann, 48 years old, didn't respond to requests for comment.” [Wall Street Journal, 5/23/08]

Firm Was Only Two People To Begin With:

He had a “two-person company, Orion Strategies.” [Salon, 6/9/08]