High-Priced Friends in Need [1]
Submitted by Diane Farsetta [2] on
Russian oil company OAO Yukos has seen hard times since the arrest on tax evasion and fraud charges of its former chief executive, Mikhail Khodorkovsky [3]. The company "is trading at a fraction of its value at the time of Mr. Khodorkovsky's arrest," and owes $3.4 billion in back taxes, according to the Russian government. "Company executives say Yukos could be driven out of business," writes the Wall Street Journal. The Hill reports [4] that Yukos hired BKSH & Associates [5], the lobbying arm of PR giant Burson-Marsteller [6], to keep "U.S. policymakers and administration officials informed about current issues" it faces "in Russia and abroad." Khodorkovsky, one of Russia's most famous "oligarchs," will stand trial on June 16.