Carmen Group (Qatar practice)
Carmen Group
Who they are.
Carmen Group is a DC public-affairs and lobbying firm founded by David Carmen. The firm has been a long-running FARA registrant representing the State of Qatar and related Qatari government entities, with multi-million-dollar annual contracts disclosed via DOJ filings.
The clients.
Registered foreign agent.
The Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) requires US-based lobbyists and PR firms to disclose work done on behalf of foreign governments or political principals. Filings are public via the DOJ National Security Division.
Sources.
Questions about Carmen Group (Qatar practice).
Why does Qatar lobby so heavily in Washington?
Qatar's DC lobbying budget surged after the 2017 Gulf blockade — when Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt cut diplomatic and trade ties with Doha — and remained elevated through subsequent years. Qatar retains multiple US firms under FARA, including Carmen Group, to defend its interests on Capitol Hill and in the executive branch.
What is the Carmen Group?
Carmen Group is a DC public-affairs firm founded by David Carmen. It handles federal lobbying, FARA-registered foreign-government engagements (notably Qatar), and corporate strategic-communications work.
How much does Qatar spend on US lobbying?
FARA filings aggregated by OpenSecrets show Qatar's combined US lobbying and PR spend running in the tens of millions of dollars annually across multiple firms during peak years.