Report: Bob Dole organized the Taiwan call, Dole's firm is paid $20K per month to lobby for Taiwan

Last night the Wall Street Journal reported on Twitter that Bob Dole helped set up the controversial call between Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and Donald Trump. Chinese officials were not happy and lodged an official diplomatic complaint with President Obama's White House over the call. Buzzfeed is out with details showing Bob Dole’s Washington law firm is being paid by the government of Taiwan:

Dole told the Wall Street Journal on Monday that his law firm “may have had some influence” on the phone call, which broke decades of diplomatic precedent, but has been widely praised by China hawks for the tough signal it sends to Beijing. An unnamed Trump transition team official told the paper that Dole had arranged the call.

Don’t be so modest, Bob. Why else would the Taiwanese officials be paying your law firm? Why else would Donald Trump accept such a controversial call before he even becomes president? Dole’s law firm, Alston & Bird, are pulling in $20,000 a month to lobby for Taiwan:

Alston & Bird LLP’s client is the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in the U.S. — the stand-in for an official Taiwanese embassy following the severance of diplomatic relations. In the letter, Dole and Shen agreed that TECRO would pay Alston & Bird $20,000 a month as a retainer in 2016, as well as an unspecified hourly rate for lawyers assisting with additional services.

Dole’s firm would also help TECRO schedule meetings with Republican Party officials and candidates for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, the letter adds, as well as facilitating involvement in the Republican National Convention, and “advancing your agenda on other party-related issues.” Dole endorsed Trump in May.

Mission accomplished, Bob Dole! Taiwan sure appears to be getting their money’s worth.