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Claim: One of Bloomberg's former state directors is a registered lobbyist for Saudi Arabia. Fact check: True

Crystal Canney

Crystal Canney ran for Maine state Senate in 2018.

Portland Press Herald/Getty Images

On June 15, Crystal Canney filed a short form registration statement with the U.S. Department of Justice as a political consultant to render services to the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia.

Canney is the former Communications Director for Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, and in January was Maine's state director for the Michael Bloomberg campaign.


In November, Saudi Arabia's Washington embassy signed a one-year, $1.5M contract with the Des Moines-based Larson Shannahan Slifka Group.

In her filing, Canney describes her services for Saudi Arabia as providing strategic and government affairs advice including public relations and communications services. She will also engage in outreach and engagement with the public and media groups as well as have oversight of other consultants.


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The Fahey Q&A with Margaret Kobos, CEO and founder of Oklahoma United

Margaret Kobos is CEO and founder of Oklahoma United

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The Fahey Q&A with Margaret Kobos, CEO and founder of Oklahoma United

Since organizing the Voters Not Politicians 2018 ballot initiative that put citizens in charge of drawing Michigan's legislative maps, Katie Fahey has been the founding executive director of The People, which is forming statewide networks to promote government accountability. She regularly interviews colleagues in the democracy reform world for our Opinion section.

Margaret Kobos is CEO and founder of Oklahoma United, a grassroots political nonprofit with the mission to empower moderate and centrist voters in Oklahoma. OKUnited seeks to enact balance, common-sense solutions, and full representation of all voters through advocacy and systemic improvements. Currently, Margaret leads the Vote Yes 836 campaign to open the state’s closed primary system.

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Trump’s globalist era is going to make everyone poorer

US President Donald Trump delivers a special address during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on Jan. 21, 2026.

(Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images/TNS)

Trump’s globalist era is going to make everyone poorer

I’m not sure what to call the new era we seem to be entering. But I am sure it will make people poorer.

Let’s start with some basics. Imagine you inherit a thriving department store chain. Rather than listen to experts on consumer trends, supply-chain logistics, human resources, etc., you instead opt to go with your gut. Rather than follow market research or anything like that, you prefer to just hire your friends and do business with vendors who flatter you or sell stuff you think is cool. Under such a “system,” you might make some good business decisions, but odds are very strong that you’ll more often make bad ones. The rep from the Pet Rock supplier who gives you a “World’s Greatest Businessman” award gets his products in the store window.

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