A Measure to Ease Mortgage Rules? Not So Fast, Critics Say.

Brad Woodhouse and other staff members of Americans United for Change are moving out of K Street's enclave of liberal groups. (By Bill O'leary -- The Washington Post)
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The Republic of Cyprus, which the State Department said last year was not fully complying with minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking, wanted to argue its case. So in January, a Lagon aide received an e-mail from Cyprus's lobbyist, Timothy A. Glassco, a lawyer at Patton Boggs, asking to arrange a briefing.

"My colleague Joe Brand, a partner here, would greatly appreciate the opportunity to meet with the individual(s) responsible for writing the Cyprus Trafficking in Persons report," Glassco wrote, according to the e-mail, which was sent around Lagon's office.

An internal debate ensued until Lagon, one of four at-large ambassadors at the State Department, forcefully rejected the meeting. "I feel VERY strongly that lobbyists for Govts are not welcome in my tenure," Lagon wrote. "Feel free to say that it is Amb. Lagon's POLICY not to take meetings with such lobbyists and consultants for Govts, and that he generally considers them unwelcome even when accompanying Govts' representatives into meetings."

One reason, he wrote, was that he had been "appalled" by a meeting he did accept with Equatorial Guinea's lobbyist from Cassidy & Associates last August. A person in that meeting said the lobbyist and his client often contradicted each other, which the ambassador viewed as counterproductive.

So the policy in Lagon's office now: No lobbyists allowed.

Patton Boggs declined to comment. The lead lobbyist for Cassidy, Juan Carlos Benitez, said that he translated for Equatorial Guinea's ambassador at the meeting and that the only perceived contradiction was a momentary confusion between the terms "undocumented workers" and "trafficked individuals."

Liberals Disperse

The largest concentration of liberal lobbyists on the primarily corporate K Street is breaking up.

Americans United for Change is fleeing the nest at 1825 K Street NW and moving across the street to 1850 K Street NW.

That leaves USAction and Campaign for America's Future among other lefty groups in the old building, which has been dubbed "The Other K Street."

"The liberal movement just grows and grows," said the president of Americans United, Brad Woodhouse. "We grew out of our space."

Hire of the Week

Tita Freeman is the new executive director for communications and strategy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In that role, she will help oversee the big lobby group's communications, marketing and Web content.

Freeman, 33, is well versed in representing big business. She was previously the director of communications for the Business Roundtable, an association of chief executives of large corporations. She was also, until recently, a full-time consultant with Google in Washington.

At the Chamber, Freeman reports to Tom Collamore, the senior vice president for communications and strategy. The Chamber is the world's largest business federation, representing more than 3 million businesses.

Please send e-mail tokstreet@washpost.com.