Federal lobbying by the Church of Scientology International in 2020: According to Open Secrets, the Church of Scientology International (CSI) spent $40,000 on federal lobbying in 2020. That was the lowest amount since 2003, if not earlier, and a decrease from $80,000 in 2019. https://www.opensecrets.org/Lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000048670&year=2020 The entire $40,000 was paid to The Mitchell Firm. The three issues lobbied on all concerned foreign relations. Specifically, the: (1) Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act; (2) crisis in Hong Kong; and (3) religious freedom situation in Hungary. The agencies lobbied included the Department of State, the Executive Office of the President, the US Agency for International Development, and the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. CSI lobbied on the following Bills: H.R.6210, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act; and S.3471116, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. CSI was the only federal lobbying client of the Mitchell Firm and Greg Mitchell in 2020: https://www.opensecrets.org/Lobby/firmlbs.php?id=F223880 Brief Analysis: It was by lobbying in favor of a broad range of religious freedom initiatives that the Church of Scientology gained allies and could more credibly lobby on Hungary where Scientology itself is under attack. /
