Most online media carry an article that originally appeared in Politico, reporting that Brian Ballard, a top fundraiser for President Donald Trump, personally lobbied Trump in April on behalf of the government of Kosovo. Ballard briefly talked with Trump about relations with Kosovo and mentioned a request Kosovo’s ambassador had made for Trump to meet with the country’s president, Hashim Thaci, according to a Justice Department filing. “This was a very brief part of a short conversation, but disclosure requirements require us to report this brief encounter,” Ballard said in an interview. The meeting took place on April 20, while Trump was spending the week at Mar-a-Lago. Johnny DeStefano, a top aide to Trump, and Keith Kellogg, a retired lieutenant general who’s now Vice President Mike Pence’s national security adviser, were also present. Lobbyists who represent foreign governments or political parties are required by law to disclose whom they’re lobbying, unlike those who represent domestic interests. While members of Congress and administration officials regularly show up in such reports, it’s uncommon for a president to appear in one. But Ballard, who opened a Washington office after Trump’s election, has built a reputation as one of only a handful of lobbyists with a personal relationship with the president.
Ballard lobbied Trump on Kosovo (Politico)
- Published: 6 years ago on 07/06/2018
- By: OSCPA F
- Last Modified: June 7, 2018 @ 10:30 am
- Filed Under: Articles from Kosovo media
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