Submitted by John Stauber on
"Saudi Arabia's latest public relations
problem may be with its public relations firm. Three of the founding partners in the Washington firm, Qorvis Communications, have announced that they are leaving, and associates say their departure reflects a deep
discomfort in representing the government of Saudi Arabia
against accusations that Saudi leaders have turned a blind
eye to terrorism. The firm, hired by the Saudi government in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, has been paid about $200,000 a month
to help the Saudis bolster their battered image with the
American public. The most prominent of the departing executives is Judy
Smith, a former White House deputy press secretary who
became the spokeswoman for Monica Lewinsky during President
Clinton's impeachment ... . She and the other departing partners - Bernie Merritt and Jim Weber, two longtime Republican Party strategists -
announced on Wednesday that they were leaving Qorvis to
join a New York-based consulting and public relations firm,
Clark & Weinstock. Spokesmen for the Saudi Embassy and
Qorvis did not return phone calls for comment."
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