White House For Sale: How Trump Profited From Kosovo And Albania 

Happy Sunday and a Merry Christmas to all those partaking in the festive celebrations today!

Welcome to the inaugural edition of The Balkan Voice Newsletter, your premier insider’s guide to US policy concerning the Western Balkans.

In today’s lead story, we highlight a report compiled by the House Oversight Committee. This comprehensive document discloses the concerted efforts made by Kosovo and Albania to secure access to the then-President Trump.

INSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE FOR SALE REPORT

The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, led by Representative Jamie Raskin, unveiled a report titled “White House for Sale: How Princes, Prime Ministers, and Premiers Paid Off President Trump” this week.

The released document details how, during his presidency, Donald Trump accepted over $7.8 million in payments from foreign states and their leaders, with specific instances involving Kosovo and Albania highlighted.

“By elevating his personal financial interests and the policy priorities of corrupt foreign powers over the American public interest, former President Trump violated both the clear commands of the Constitution and the careful precedent set and observed by every previous Commander-in-Chief,” stated Rep. Jamie Raskin. 

The report emphasizes that, as per Article I, Section 9, Clause 8 of the Constitution, the President is expressly prohibited from receiving any form of monetary payments or gifts from foreign governments and monarchs without the explicit consent of Congress.

Raskin stated that this report “sets forth the records showing foreign government money—and all the spoils from royals we can find—pouring into hotels and buildings that the President continued to own during his presidency, all in direct violation of the Constitutional prohibition.” 

The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability report delves into instances where Prime Ministers and government officials from Albania and Kosovo spent money at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC. Additionally, it sheds light on the involvement of DC lobbyist Ballard in advocating for Kosovo and Albania.

ALBANIA

Records provided by Mazars to the House Oversight and Accountability Committee reveal that during Trump’s presidency, the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, and his advisors, along with an Albanian government minister, incurred expenditures of approximately $6,000 at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC.

The report discloses that Albanian political parties sought influence in Washington through K Street, enlisting lobbyists with close ties to then-President Trump. Two parties, reportedly funded their lobbying through obscure shell companies linked to Russian interests.

LSI, the third largest party in Albania, funded its lobbying through a Cypriot-shell company with ties to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska. Deripaska would later pay McGonigal to illegally assist him in an effort to get US sanctions lifted.

Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, enlisted the services of Trump fundraiser and lobbyist Brian Ballard at a monthly rate of $20,000. 

Brian Ballard, recognized for his close personal ties with Trump, actively lobbied on behalf of various entities, including the governments of Azerbaijan, the Dominican Republic, Kosovo, Qatar, and Turkey. 

Rama’s political adversary, Lulzim  Basha, enlisted Nicholas Muzin, a former aide to Senator Ted Cruz who also provided counsel to the Trump campaign.

For foreign politicians on the lower rungs of Washington’s diplomatic ladder, even a chance meeting with the American president can be a significant optics victory. The New York Times did an investigative story in October 2020 detailing how foreign governments tried to get access to then President Trump.

“The fact that they could get a meeting, have a handshake and take a picture that gets distributed far and wide back home — that is gold to them,” said Alan Madison, who has represented foreign governments and political parties in Washington. “They’ll almost do anything to achieve that.”

HIGH-PROFILE GUESTS AT TRUMP HOTEL

Prime Minister Edi Rama chose the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC for his accommodation during his March 2017 visit, resulting in expenses totaling $3,474 over a two-night stay.

Rama and his aides shared the same floor as Neza during this period.

On separate occasion, Rama’s advisor Dorjan Duçka, booked four rooms for two nights at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. on January 18 and January 19, 2018, incurring a total cost of $1,503.

Mazars records further indicate that Damian Gjiknuri, who served as the Minister of Infrastructure and Energy for Albania at that time, stayed at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC from June 24 through June 26, 2018. The expenses during this stay amounted to $1,025.

BRIAN BALLARD LOBBIED TRUMP ON BEHALF OF KOSOVO

The report exposes Kosovo’s attempts to leverage US support to enhance its international standing, particularly in seeking recognition for independence from Serbia.

According to the Mazars records, various officials from Kosovo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including the then-Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Behgjet Pacolli, stayed at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC, in July 2018, incurring expenditures close to $5,000. 

The House Oversight Committee, investigating the Social media posts reported  that additional Kosovo officials revisited the property later in the Trump Administration. However, Mazars did not provide any documents to the Committee pertaining to this subsequent visit.

Brian Ballar, according to a filing with the DOJ pursuant to FARA, commenced representing Kosovo on December 22, 2017.

In April 2018, Ballard “ personally lobbied” President Trump on behalf of Kosovo, according to a Politico report. During a brief conversation on April 20 at Mar-a-Lago, Ballard discussed Kosovo’s relations and conveyed a request from Kosovo’s ambassador for Trump to meet with the country’s president, Hashim Thaci.

The meeting involved Johnny DeStefano, a top aide to Trump, and Keith Kellogg, a retired lieutenant general, Vice President Mike Pence’s national security adviser.

“White House for Sale” reports that the government of Kosovo strategically leveraged UN General Assembly meetings in 2017 and 2019 to engage with world leaders and advance its campaign for increased international recognition. During the General Assembly sessions in both years, then-President Thaçi took the opportunity to meet with then-President Trump.

Also listed in the Oversight Committee document is that according to Media reports Behgjet Pacolli, who held the position of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Kosovo at that time, was part of the Kosovo delegation participating in the U.N. meetings in both 2017 and 2019.

KOSOVO’S SPENDING SPREE

Regarding expenses at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC, records provided by Mazars to the Committee indicate that Kosovo’s then-Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Pacolli, along with two other officials, including Jetlir Zyberaj, an advisor to Pacolli, stayed at the hotel on July 25 and July 26, 2018. 

Accompanying  Pacolli were two officials, including Jetlir Zyberaj, an advisor to Mr. Pacolli, both of whom seem to have had extended their stay at the hotel beyond Mr. Pacolli’s departure.

The report concludes that the combined cost for all the rooms booked by the Kosovo’s officials at the hotel was $4,950.

GET THE LATEST FROM THE PAVLOVIC TODAY

GOOD MORNING DC