US Democrat Elizabeth Warren slams ex-senator over ‘lobbying’ gig for Chinese tech firm ZTE
- Lawmaker argued on social media for a lifetime ban on former politicians working as lobbyists
Democratic US Senator Elizabeth Warren, who is eyeing a presidential run, blasted former senator Joseph Lieberman for becoming a lobbyist for ZTE, a Chinese telecommunications equipment maker accused of ties to the Beijing government.
In a tweet posted on Wednesday night, Warren said Lieberman “joined” lobbyists for ZTE, which she wrote had “violated serious US sanctions” against Iran and North Korea.
“Should that be legal? No,” she said, arguing in a subsequent tweet for a lifetime ban on lawmakers working as lobbyists.
Lieberman, who ran unsuccessfully for vice-president as a Democrat in 2000 and Kasowitz Benson Torres, the firm where he is a lobbyist, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
But a lobby registration form released on Wednesday showed Lieberman was “retained to undertake an independent assessment of concerns that members of congress, executive branch and American businesses have about any national security vulnerabilities and risks that ZTE products may pose in the US”.