Meet a top U.S. lobbyist helping Cambodia gain a communication advantage, led by Don Benton, former Washington state campaign leader and advisor as well as director of a federal agency during the first Trump administration.
On 14 Dec, the Facebook pageSTRONG Club Against Corruption Thailandreleased documents revealing that Cambodia hired an American lobbying firm to conduct an information campaign against Thailand amid border conflicts.
On 16 Dec 2025, the Thai military posted a summary confirming the documents were authentic, sourced from official intelligence, showing the hiring was intended to "raise awareness" to help the U.S. government understand Cambodia’s political and economic issues.
That same day, Rear Admiral Surasak Kongsiri, spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense, stated during a briefing on the Thailand–Cambodia border tensions that the reports of Cambodia using lobbyists to amplify its narrative internationally are true. This is evident from the presence of foreigners, especially Westerners, who have been calling for support through images and videos from various locations in Cambodia. Such activities appear designed to create sympathy for Cambodia worldwide, despite the Thai military’s operations targeting specific objectives without intent to harm civilians.
The Facebook page STRONG Club Against Corruption Thailand disclosed documents showing that Cambodia contracted an American lobbying firm. The documents, filed as press releases under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), are publicly available on the U.S. Department of Justice website,efile.fara.gov,which states that National Consulting Services, Inc. (NCS) provides consulting and policy services, supporting and coordinating with U.S. legislative and executive branches on behalf of Cambodia.
The contract states: “Using the company’s resources, we will provide Cambodia with the necessary tools to build positive awareness within Congress and the federal government.”
The company will develop and implement strategic plans including awareness-raising, positioning, and creating opportunities for government recognition of the political, economic, and geographic challenges Cambodia faces. This plan includes access to key influencers and decision-makers in foreign affairs and trade within Congress.”
The agreement was signed by Mr. Koy Kuong, Cambodian Ambassador to the U.S., and Mr. Donald M. Benton, president of National Consulting Services, Inc., effective from 1 March 2025 through May 2026, a 15-month term, at a monthly fee of $38,000 (approximately 1.2 million baht).
STRONG Club Against Corruption Thailand summarized three main points from the documents:
1. Communicating to world leaders: Cambodia’s Prime Minister reportedly sent letters to global leaders such as the U.S. President, Chinese leader, European heads, and the UN Secretary-General seeking support for Cambodia’s stance.
2. Accusing Thailand internationally: The documents allege Thailand used unilateral force, expanded barbed-wire fences, expelled Cambodian civilians, violated the 2000 MOU, and breached international law. These are not U.S. official reports but "one-sided claims by the Cambodian government," packaged as official documents.
3. Using legal and historical mechanisms to pressure Thailand: The documents cite the 1904/1907 treaties, International Court of Justice rulings, and the 2000 MOU to portray Thailand as the violator and Cambodia as the victim.
However, the Thai military insists the content represents “Cambodia’s perspective”, essentially unilateral claims by the client (Cambodia), not ICJ rulings or verified U.S. facts. Lobbying is a legal, normal profession and can be summarized as “a media space battle” where Cambodia uses legal channels to shape its image internationally.
National Consulting Services, Inc. is an international consulting firm specializing in policy, support, and government relations, founded in 1988. It has expertise in banking, environment, federal defense, and advising on complex legal regulations.
Currently, Donald Mark Benton, or Don Benton, serves as president. He was a member of the Washington State House of Representatives for one term before nearly 20 years as a Washington State Senator.
In the 2016 general election, he served as campaign manager for Donald Trump’s Washington state campaign and was part of the transition team after Trump’s victory.
At the federal level, he was a senior advisor at the White House Office of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), helping to advance the Trump administration’s policy agenda.
In April 2017, Trump appointed him as director of the Selective Service System, a federal agency managing U.S. military draft registrations, a position that does not require Senate confirmation.
Benton leverages his work experience and government networks to drive key processes crucial to the lobbying business.
Besides NCS, Don Benton previously served as senior vice president at McKeon Group Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based consulting and lobbying firm from 2021 to 2024. The firm specializes in education, energy, banking, insurance, environment, and defense sectors, advising clients on government relations, policy issues, and connecting with federal, state, and local government agencies.
The U.S. National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) defines lobbying or “running influence” as persuading government actions and decisions of authorities through oral or written communications by lobbyists, who are individuals, groups, or organizations who advocate, including those hired to act on others’ behalf, and who must register as lobbyists when receiving compensation above a set threshold. Lobbyists also perform other tasks such as advising, strategizing, researching, gathering data, and analyzing as requested by clients. This profession is legal and plays a significant role in U.S. politics. The Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (LDA) requires political lobbying to be publicly registered so citizens can evaluate the appropriateness of influence on government decisions.
In essence,
a lobbyist is like a skilled lawyer or storyteller with networks and connections hired to persuade others. Source:
mckeongrp,opb.org,efile.fara.gov