The Majority Group, which is led by former Congressman Walt Minnick, is providing counsel and political advice to the Embassy of Sri Lanka.  Former chief of staff Rob Ellsworth and legislative director Hadley Sosnoff assist Minnick.

There’s no formal contract between the TMG and Sri Lanka though a monthly fee has been set for $29,500.

Minnick is a conservative Democrat from Idaho, who was defeated in the Tea Party-driven 2010 election.

Sri Lanka has wrestled with human rights issues since the 2009 defeat of a Tamil insurgency.

Time reported April 15 that a newspaper office of a Tamil newspaper -- critical of the government and military was attacked -- on April 13.

In March, 25 nations passed a U.S.-sponsored U.N. Human Rights Council resolution calling for a probe into alleged extrajudicial killings, disappearances and torture in Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan government trashed the measure as a tool that undermines the country's "endeavor to consolidate peace and harmony."