Microsoft hires former Bush White House official

Microsoft announced the hiring former Bush administration official Suhail Khan as director of external affairs in the firm's Washington, D.C., office on Tuesday.

In his new position, Khan will work to build relationships between the software giant and think tanks, advocacy groups and political organizations. He will report to vice president of U.S. government affairs Fred Humphries.

“Suhail’s rich background in public policy and foreign relations will help build Microsoft’s relationships in order to raise the awareness about important technology issues,” Humphries said. “His passion for advocacy and positions in the federal government will bring a wealth of experience to this position.”

Currently a senior fellow at the Institute for Global Engagement, Khan served as a senior political employee under President George W. Bush at the White House and Department of Transportation.

Khan earned a B.A. in political science from the University of California at Berkeley in 1991 and his J.D. from the University of Iowa in 1995.

Once a primary target of federal antitrust scrutiny, Microsoft's profile has given way in recent years as lawmakers and regulators have increasingly concerned themselves with Web and mobile-focused firms such as Google and Facebook over privacy and security concerns.

The Redmond, Wash.-based firm filed an antitrust claim against Google earlier this year with the European Commission alleging the search giant abused its dominance of the search market in Europe.