The 70-page report, obtained by the Washington Post, indicates that the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) spent some $750,000 through US-based nonprofits to have lawmakers attend a 2013 conference in Baku. They also received silk scarves, crystal tea sets, earrings and Azerbaijani rugs.
The event, organized by the oil company, focused on cooperation between the United States and Azerbaijan. In the previous years, SOCAR had sought exemptions from US sanctions against Iran for its gas pipeline project that had Tehran as a partner.
A few days after the conference, US President Barack Obama signed an executive order that exempted the Azerbaijani gas project from the anti-Iran restrictions. The Washington Post stressed that ethics investigators did not confirm these events were linked.
Following the publication of the report, the lawmakers said they were sure the conference had been organized by nonprofits. The dignitaries claimed they were unaware of SOCAR's role in arranging the event or paying their travel expenses.
In turn, the Azerbaijani energy company said in a statement it never intended to hide its sponsorship from either lawmakers or the US government, saying it expected nonprofits to report this fact properly to US authorities.
