Former Tech Lobbyist Heads To State
President Barack Obama on Wednesday nominated Richard Verma for the post of assistant secretary for legislative affairs at the State Department. Verma has a lengthy lobbying pedigree at the law firm of Steptoe & Johnson, which he rejoined in 2007 after serving for more than five years as a senior policy adviser to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., according to the firm. He originally joined Steptoe in 1998 as a member of the firm's international and technology practices. While there, registered to lobby on behalf of a variety of clients including: the U.S.-India Business Council, EchoStar Corporation, Dish Network, and Liberty Media Corporation.
The Steptoe profile on Verma, an Indian-American, holds that: "He advises on legislative and political strategy and helps companies successfully navigate crisis situations including handling Congressional investigations to designing effective public affairs and messaging campaigns." According to the White House, last year Verma was appointed to serve on the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism. Verma, a former Air Force officer, once also served as country director for the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs. -- Winter Casey
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