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Foreign Policy

Former Sen. Bob Dole Had A Lot To Do With Trump's Call With Taiwan

Bob Dole lobbied Donald Trump's campaign in favor of improved relations with Taiwan, and he made money doing it.

Former Sen. Bob Dole Had A Lot To Do With Trump's Call With Taiwan
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Article by Jake Jones
SMS
December 6, 2016

Bob Dole might have had a big hand in setting up the phone call between President-elect Donald Trump and the president of Taiwan.

Politico obtained documents showing Taiwan paid Dole's law firm $140,000 to petition the Trump campaign on its behalf.

SEE MORE: China Isn't Happy About Trump's Chat With Taiwan

Dole's lobbying included orchestrating meetings between the campaign and Taiwanese officials, making sure Taiwan had representatives at the RNC and tipping the platform to be the most pro-Taiwan agenda ever. 

Despite Trump's repeated campaign pledge to reduce the influence of lobbyists in D.C., Dole's work seems to have paid off. Trump has reportedly ignored most of the advice from the State Department on Taiwan.

This cozy relationship between Republicans and Taiwan isn't a new phenomenon. Taiwan spends about $2 million a year lobbying the U.S. government.