Bottom Line

• CLIMATE. Versar Inc. hired J.M. Burkman & Associates to market its company to the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security. Acting lobbyists Jack Burkman and Ralph Palmieri also will be seeking congressional appropriations on behalf of the company, according to records filed with the Senate.

• COMMUNICATION. American Public Media hired Clark & Weinstock to lobby on the merger of Sirius and XM Satellite radio. Former Rep. Vin Weber (R-Minn.); Erik Hotmire, former communications director to Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.); and Sandra Stuart, former assistant secretary for legislative affairs at the Department of Defense, will be working on the merger.

{mosads}• DEFENSE. Kemp Group is lobbying for Rafael USA Inc. The firm has been hired to advise and represent Rafael USA Inc. as it expands its federal government contracting opportunities with the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security.  

• FINANCE. Ogilvy Government Relations is lobbying for the Law Offices of Michael Kahn , which wants Congress to investigate ìpotentially illegal short trading and market manipulation of Bidz.com securities, according to records filed with the Senate. Lobbyists working on the contract include Stewart Hall, former legislative director to Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.); Wayne Berman, former counselor and assistant secretary of Commerce for Policy; and Jimmy Williams, a former adviser to Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.).

• FOREIGN AFFAIRS. SPI Group SA hired APCO Worldwide Inc. to help Russian businessman Yuri Shefler travel to the United States. Russiaís government has accused Shefler, who lives in Switzerland and is involved in a dispute with the Russian government over lucrative vodka trademarks, of threatening to kill a former deputy agriculture minister of the Russian government.

Elizabeth Jones, former ambassador to Kazakhstan and assistant secretary for Europe and Eurasia to the State Department; Don Riegle, a former senator; Don Bonker, a former congressman; and Ariuna Namsrai are lobbying the State Department on Shefler's behalf.

• FOREIGN AFFAIRS. Cyber Security Research Consultants is lobbying for The Livingston Group and the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya on the current status of relations between the United States and Libya. Geoffrey Gleason, a former staff member to Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) on the Appropriations Commerce subcommittee, will be the acting lobbyist.

• TAX. Angus & Nickerson is lobbying for AeroVironment Inc. Gregory Nickerson, former staff director of the Select Revenue Measures Subcommittee, will be lobbying on tax credits for plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles as well as wind investments.