Former Congressman Jim Moran, now senior legislative advisor at McDermott Will and Emery, is the latest lobbyist to join Team Qatar as it battles the two-month economic and political blockade imposed by its Arab neighbors.

Jim MoranJim Moran

MW&E has a $40K per-month government advocacy pact with Qatar to press its case with staffers from the White House, Congress, Defense Dept. and State Dept.

Moran, a Virginia Democrat, left Congress in 2015. The one-time Mayor of Alexandra was senior member of the Defense Appropriations subcommittee overseeing defense budgets, including weapons procurement, cybersecurity and R&D.

Stephen Ryan joins Moran on the Qatar lobbying work. The former general counsel on the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs also was deputy counsel of the President's Commission on Organized Crime, directing investigations against La Cosa Nostra during the Reagan Administration.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and United Arab Emirates are behind the blockade of Qatar.