DIFI BYD Warren Buffet Clinton connection

Lanny Davis Bulks Up China Bus Lobbying Team

Crisis pro Lanny Davis, who represents Chinese electric bus maker BYD, has hired politically connected Kadesh & Assocs. to handle issues arising from its Lancaster, Cal.-manufacturing facility.

bydMark Kadesh is Senator Diane Feinstein’s former chief of staff and campaign manager for her re-election manager in the Golden State. He also had the same post with ex-Congresswoman Jane Harman. Two other Feinstein alums—Warren Weinstein and Chris Kieerig— join him at K&A.

BYD is eager to move beyond a probe of its labor practices in California. The state’s Dept. of Industrial Relations dropped charges last month that BYD paid some workers salaries below the $8 per-hour minimum wage in California.

BYD did pay a fine of less than $2K for paying five staffers in Chinese currency rather than dollars.

The company, which is 10 percent-owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire-Hathaway has a $12M contract to supply zero emissions buses to Long Beach’s Transit Authority.

Davis was special advisor to former President Bill Clinton, who was pictured riding in a BYD electric taxi in Colombia during a Clinton Global Initiative session.

https://www.odwyerpr.com/story/public/1904/2014-02-18/lanny-davis-bulks-up-china-bus-lobbying-team.html