Billionaire-turned-politician, Bidzina Ivanishvili, has hired a Washington-based lobbying firm BGR Government Affairs LLC – part of BGR Group, which also has operations in Europe.

The same firm was hired this summer by Ivanishvili’s partner party Our Georgia-Free Democrats (OGFD), led by Irakli Alasania.

Like in case of OGFD, BGR Government Affairs LLC was hired not directly by Ivanishvili, but through BGR Gabara, a London-based subsidiary of BGR Group, which provides government relations services mainly in London and Brussels and media relations services across Europe.

According to documents filed by BGR Government Affairs to the U.S. Justice Department, for its services the firm will receive a monthly fee of USD 25,000.

The contract, which is active from November 21, 2011, has no fixed date of termination and will be renewed on monthly basis upon notification from the parties.

Like in respect of the Alasania’s party, in case of Ivanishvili too BGR Government Affairs provides to the client services involving “outreach to U.S. government officials, new[s] outlets, and other individuals within the United States… for the purposes of promoting a stronger Georgian democracy through fair, open and honest elections in 2012.”

Meanwhile, the Georgian government, through the country’s National Security Council, has three active contracts with the lobbying firms in the United States, involving Podesta Group; Orion Strategies and consultant Gregory Maniatis of Ithaca Group LLC. The total amount of these active contracts is USD 840,000.