Jay K. Footlik, a US-based Qatari lobbyist, requested that Israeli businessman Gil Birger assist in transferring funds to a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's media team, Eli Feldstein, for VAT purposes, which emerged as part of the "Qatargate" investigations on Wednesday.
After being put into the spotlight recently, questions are raised about who Footlik is and what his background is.
Footlik, who unsuccessfully ran for US Congress in Chicago, served as Special Assistant to former US president Bill Clinton in the White House, helping build support for a range of domestic and foreign policy issues.
He was "Clinton’s liaison to the Jewish community, and Senator John F. Kerry’s adviser on Middle East affairs in the 2004 presidential campaign," Politico reported in 2007 in a profile for a Congressional campaign.
"After serving in the White House, he lived in Israel for several years working on programs to increase dialogue between Israeli and Palestinian young leaders," Politico continued.
Footlik's consulting firm, ThirdCircle Inc., has been registered under the US's Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) since 2019 for helping to "arrange trips to Qatar for American elected officials on behalf of the Qatari Embassy, which pays the firm $40,000 per month, according to filings with the Justice Department," Politico reported back in 2024.
Footlik also held the role of Director of Constituency Outreach for then-senator Joe Lieberman’s presidential campaign, among others. Footlik eulogized Lieberman to The Jerusalem Post upon the Jewish politician's death in March 2024.
Other positions Footlik holds
Footlik serves as a board member for the Middle East Investment Initiative. They report that he earned a B.A. in political science from UCLA, specializing in American Foreign Policy and the Middle East, and has a law degree from Loyola Law School of Los Angeles, becoming a member of the Maryland State Bar.
He is also a professional actor, being a member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) since 1979 and appearing in numerous films, television, and stage productions.