THE Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) this afternoon issued a statement, saying the party has no current contractual relationships with either Manatt, Phelps & Phillips or Harold Brady and Company since the effective termination of those arrangements.

The party did not in any way advance to Harold Brady & Company any funds or facilitated Harold Brady & Company in making this recently disclosed payment of US$15,000, the party, through public relations committee chairman Andrew Holness, said.

We have since confirmed that this payment was made directly by Harold Brady & Company as a final payment for the commercial obligations that existed as a result of the termination of the contract for services and which fell to the account of Harold Brady & Company, the party said.

The JLPs response comes a day after news surfaced that the American law firm had revealed that the State paid it US$15,000 more for lobbying work on its behalf than was previously disclosed.

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips is the same law firm that JLP affiliates reportedly hired, after being given approval by Prime Minister Bruce Golding, to lobby the United States government on the extradition request for former West Kingston 'don' Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, which was made last August.