Firm on Republika Srpska’s $35,000-a-month lobbying contract helped arrange Trump advisers’ Bosnia trip

According to multiple sources cited by Semafor, the trip followed an initial approach to LaCivita by Alex Garcia, a former adviser to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.

One source said LaCivita and Blair spent 48 hours in Republika Srpska, Bosnia’s predominantly Serb entity, consulting on voting equipment before the election.

The visit was first reported by The New York Times and prompted criticism within the Republican Party about the advisers’ priorities weeks before US midterm elections.

Lobbying and White House access

A contract filed under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act, or FARA, provides for a $35,000 monthly fee for Continental Strategy’s services.

The documentation says the firm would organise meetings and discussions and build relationships with key figures in the US executive and legislative branches. The contract establishes the lobbying fee; it does not establish how much LaCivita or Blair received for their visit.

Citing additional Justice Department filings, Semafor reported that Garcia had helped arrange meetings with White House officials Walker Barrett, Jarrod Agen and Richard Walters.

A White House official told the outlet that Garcia also arranged a recent meeting between Zeljka Cvijanovic, the Serb member of Bosnia’s three-member Presidency, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.

The same official said Garcia was in Republika Srpska around the time of LaCivita and Blair’s visit.

Company response

Several people cited by Semafor said the advisers’ work focused on election integrity rather than political strategy, linking it to the introduction of new ballots and Smartmatic voting equipment.

Asked whether Continental helped organise the trip, a company spokesperson did not explicitly confirm or deny the claim.

The spokesperson said Garcia was its only employee in Republika Srpska on election day and the only employee lobbying the US government on the entity’s behalf.

Trump’s response

Trump publicly expressed displeasure over the trip on Wednesday. Two sources told Semafor that he was less harsh in private.

Two sources also said Trump and Blair spoke by telephone after the reports appeared, with one describing the conversation as good.

Continental separately said Katie Wiles, Susie Wiles’s daughter who also works at the firm, visited Republika Srpska in August to help a US company complete a feasibility study.