Roger Stone Roger Jason StoneJustice IG investigating Stone sentencing: report Romney says Trump's protest tweets 'clearly intended to further inflame racial tensions' Bannon trial date set in alleged border wall scam MORE, a longtime political operative with ties to President Trump Donald John TrumpHR McMaster says president's policy to withdraw troops from Afghanistan is 'unwise' Cast of 'Parks and Rec' reunite for virtual town hall to address Wisconsin voters Biden says Trump should step down over coronavirus response MORE, has retroactively registered as a lobbyist for a venture capital firm wanting to invest in commodities in Somalia.

His registration, which showed up in a federal lobbying disclosure database last week, says the work began on May 1 of last year.

Stone is working for Capstone Financial Group, a firm based in New York, which “buys physical commodities and transforms them into customized and consumable products,” its website reads.

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The advocacy work, according to the disclosure forms, revolves around “[c]ommodity rights and security of the same in Somalia.”

Although Stone’s work began last year, filing lobbying registration documents after 45 days — the deadline under the law — is not uncommon and enforcement of disclosure laws is lax. It was first reported by Legistorm, a congressional tracking website.

Forms say the contract began on May 1, though Stone told The Hill in an email that the lobbying activities — talks with elected officials — didn't occur until November. That timeline fits within the law.

"I was not initially contracted by Capstone to engage in any lobbying activities," he wrote. "Later, although not initially contemplated, the discharge of my responsibilities included casual [conversation] on two occasions with a single member of Congress about [the] status of the insurgency and the security of Somalia."

He said he consulted with compliance lawyers on "numerous occasions" and registered as a lobbyist under an abundance of caution. He will be filing a quarterly report for the activity he did in November by Jan. 20, the deadline for fourth quarter disclosures. Those forms will detail how much the Capstone Financial Group paid.

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"It may be argued that my casual contact with a member of the house on the broader foreign-policy issues facing Somalia do not even constitute lobbying but I filed out of an abundance of caution and on the advice of multiple counsel," he told The Hill.

The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group has been carrying out deadly attacks in the country, likely including one in October that killed more than 500 people and injured at least another 300 others. The Trump administration has announced it would be stepping up efforts to combat the terrorist group, angering al-Shabab. The terrorist group has threatened to retaliate with deadlier attacks.

In the economic investment sector, Somalia has one of the largest herds of livestock in the world, according to the Somali Stock Exchange, which makes it the most commonly traded commodity in the country.

The U.S. Agency for International Development is currently working to “accelerate Somalia’s growing integration into the global economy through a combination of initiatives that improve the country’s competiveness; spur new investments; and increase market linkages and business partnerships.”

Many other Trump-connected figures have retroactively registered as lobbyists in recent months, including his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort Paul John ManafortBannon trial date set in alleged border wall scam Conspicuous by their absence from the Republican Convention Ukraine language in GOP platform underscores Trump tensions MORE, and his former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Manafort and Flynn, unlike Stone, were engaging in work that benefitted foreign governments and registered with the Justice Department under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. This is different than the Lobbying Disclosure Act, the law governing lobbying for domestic entities overseen largely by the House and Senate.

— This post was updated on Jan. 3