Why It Matters
The Government of Kurdistan, Iraq has filed an LDA termination with ArentFox Schiff LLP, formally closing out a lobbying registration that had been inactive for years. The Lobbying Disclosure Act termination, filed April 29, 2026, shows $0 in compensation across all filings dating back to 2021, suggesting the relationship had wound down well before the paperwork caught up.
A Minimal Loss for a Diversified Firm
For ArentFox Schiff, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) was never a revenue driver. The firm's 68 active first quarter 2026 filings total $1,530,000 in reported compensation, led by Rolls-Royce North America Inc. at $510,000. The Kurdistan account reported $0 in compensation across every filing in the database. ArentFox Schiff's client base spans defense, healthcare, education, transportation, and technology, with no single sector dominating. The Kurdistan filing was among a handful of foreign government relationships the firm has been closing out, including a separate termination for the Government of the Ivory Coast.
The KRG Already Has Other Representation
The Kurdistan Regional Government did not leave Washington without a lobbying presence. BGR Government Affairs LLC has been active on the account since at least first quarter 2025, billing $60,000 per quarter on bilateral U.S.-Kurdistan Regional Government relations. That puts BGR's total compensation at $300,000 across five consecutive quarters through first quarter 2026.
Broader Context
What's at Stake for the KRG in Washington
The Kurdistan Regional Government's core Washington priorities have long centered on U.S. military support for the Peshmerga, counter-ISIS funding, and managing its complicated relationship with the Iraqi federal government in Baghdad. Those issues are not resolved.
Congress has authorized counter-ISIS funds for Iraq through 2025 and appropriated related funds available through September 2026, including direct aid to the KRG's Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs, though subject to Baghdad's approval. The Pentagon's fiscal year 2026 Counter-Terrorism Execution Fund proposes approximately $212.5 million for Iraqi units, including Kurdish Security Forces, meaning the annual appropriations fight over Peshmerga funding remains active.
On the troop presence question, a 2024 U.S.-Iraq agreement set September 2025 as the formal end of the coalition's mission in Iraq, although U.S. forces were reported to remain in the Kurdistan Region itself into 2026, focused on training and counter-terrorism operations.
A Tougher Political Climate
The Trump administration's posture toward sustained military engagement in the Middle East has created a more difficult environment for the KRG's core asks. The drawdown from Iraq, combined with a broader transactional approach to foreign policy, puts pressure on the KRG's ability to secure the kind of long-term security commitments it has historically sought from Washington.
Congressional hearings over the past year have touched on Iraq primarily through the lens of Iranian influence and regional stability. In a May 2025 hearing on State Department counterterrorism effectiveness, Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC-2) raised concerns about Iranian-backed groups wielding influence over branches of the Iraqi government. A March 2026 hearing on U.S. defense strategy featured Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby explicitly stating that current U.S. engagement in the region is "not Iraq 3.0," distancing the administration from nation-building commitments.
Neither hearing focused specifically on the Kurdistan Region, but both reflect the broader congressional conversation the KRG has to navigate.
The ArentFox Schiff Filing History
The Kurdistan Iraq lobbying disclosure record at ArentFox Schiff tells a story of a relationship that had already run its course. Of the 49 filings in the database spanning 2021 through 2026, every single one reports $0 in compensation. The pattern of year-end termination amendments and mid-year termination filings suggests the active engagement ended years before this final foreign agent registration termination was filed. Lobbying compliance requirements mean these administrative close-outs can trail actual activity by months or years.
ArentFox Schiff attorney Daniel Sjostedt had been identified on the firm's website as the point of contact for KRG government relations work, but no specific issues, legislation, or lobbyists were listed in any of the Kurdistan filings.
The Bottom Line
What BGR Brings to KRG's Advocacy
BGR Government Affairs is handling the KRG's current Washington advocacy efforts, and the team it has assembled for the account has relevant foreign policy and defense credentials.
Les Munson III brings experience from the Hill that spans the House Appropriations Committee, House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the three panels most directly relevant to the KRG's funding and security priorities. He previously worked for Sen. Mark Kirk, a Republican with a strong national security background. That committee footprint matters when the annual Peshmerga funding fight runs through the appropriations and foreign affairs panels.
John Walker Roberts brings multiple terms of experience on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, directly relevant to bilateral U.S.-Kurdistan relations.
Mark Tavlarides previously worked for Rep. Silvestre Reyes, who chaired the House Intelligence Committee, adding another layer of national security experience to the team.
Pete Landrum, who worked for Sen. Jeff Sessions, rounds out a roster that leans heavily on Republican and national security-oriented congressional backgrounds, which may be better suited to the current political environment than what came before.
The team has maintained continuity across all five quarters of BGR's engagement, with the same six lobbyists, including Ed Rogers Jr. and Maya Seiden, working the account throughout. For a foreign government client navigating a complicated set of relationships with both the executive and legislative branches, that kind of consistency is valuable.
Access the Legis1 platform for comprehensive political news, data, and insights.