The Egyptian regime hired new lobbyists in the USA, amid expectations that the relatively chummy relations between the two countries of the past four years may slow, post Donald Trump.

Politico, an American website, revealed that General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s regime added former Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck this week to a growing bipartisan team of lobbyists from the firm. Begich was is also the mayor of Anchorage and served in the senate for most of President-elect Joe Biden’s vice presidency. Politico considered hiring Begich the latest sign that al-Sisi’s regime is expecting the relatively chummy relations of the past four years to slow, post Donald Trump, as he continues to bring on new lobbyists in preparation for the Biden administration. Last month, the Egyptian Ambassador Motaz Zahran hired a firm. He inked a $65,000-per-month agreement with it, days after Biden was projected president-elect.

According to US Justice Department filings, Zahran hired a team that included former House Foreign Affairs Chair Ed Royce (R-Calif.), Nadeam Elshami, a former chief of staff to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and two of the firm’s Democratic and Republican partners, Alfred Mottur and Marc Lampkin as well as Brownstein’s policy director Douglas Maguire. Since then the account has also added Martha Burke, David Cohen and Charlotte Carstens. The team will “provide government relations services and strategic counsel” for Egypt on matters before the US government.