FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
"Beyond the May 11 elections, a main goal is undoubtedly the removal of Sali Berisha and his family from the list of undesirable persons in the US."
A contract worth $6 million between Sali Berisha's Democratic Party and the Florida-based lobbying company, "Continental Strategy", continues to attract attention and be followed by numerous reactions inside and outside Albania.
It is precisely the value of the contract that seems to have attracted attention, as it is not only the largest that a political party or group in Albania has paid in the 34 years of pluralism, but it is also the largest that the lobbying company has benefited from, referring to official documents filed with FARA, since its establishment.
Referring to the contract signed by Flamur Noka on behalf of the 'Greater Albania Alliance' coalition, the Democrats will pay $250,000 per month, but with the right to terminate it at any time, meaning it is not guaranteed to remain in force for two years.
Continental employs a roster of lobbyists with ties to Trumpworld, including Katie Wiles, whose mother is White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. According to the Democratic Party of Albania, Continental’s work is being paid for by the “Make Albania Great Again Foundation” — an organization recently founded by a New Jersey contractor and registered at a suburban residential address.
Continental Strategy has deep ties to Trump administration figures, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has the power to remove Berisha from the blacklist.
In addition to Katie Wiles — whom the firm promoted to director of its Washington, D.C. and Jacksonville lobbying offices shortly after Trump named her mother as his chief of staff — Continental is hiring Alberto Martinez, a former Senate chief of staff for Rubio. The firm’s founder, Carlos Trujillo, is a former Florida congressman whom Trump tapped as ambassador to the Organization of Latin American States during his first term.
DP officials have avoided public comments regarding this contract, while maintaining the thesis that the money is being paid by patriotic Albanians in the US, as a sign of support for the DP and Sali Berisha.
Fred Abrahams, a very good expert on Albania, despite sometimes appearing as a friend of Edi Rama and sometimes his critic, has commented on this lobbying contract in posts on social networks.
"Beyond the May 11 elections, a key goal is undoubtedly the removal of Sali Berisha and his family from the list of persons undesirable in the US. With connections to Susie Wiles, Rubio and others, this lobbying company can do this," Abrahams writes in one of the posts on X.
Meanwhile, in another post, Abrahams writes that the race for Trump in Tirana has heated up, while the DP employs the lobbying firm Continental Strategies—with roots in Florida and connections to the inner circle. 6 million dollars paid over 2 years, the party says, by Albanian-Americans through a foundation called “Make Albania Great Again.”
The Tirana Trump race has heated up as the DP hires lobbying firm Continental Strategies—with Florida roots and inner circle ties. $6 million over 2 years paid for, the party says, by Albanian-Americans through a "Make Albania Great Again" foundation. https://t.co/noxXDLdu4J pic.twitter.com/snjliMgRvs
— Fred Abrahams (@fredabrahams) April 28, 2025
The State Department in 2021 declared Berisha on the 'non grata' list, along with his wife, son and daughter, under an "anti-kleptocracy" law that allows the Department to bar entry into the United States of officials and immediate family members suspected of corruption.
Announcing the appointment in 2021, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Berisha—who served as Albania's prime minister in the 1990s and from 2005 to 2013—has been "engaged in corrupt acts, such as embezzlement of public funds and interference in public processes, including using his power for his own personal gain and to enrich his political allies and family members at the expense of the Albanian public's trust in their government institutions and public officials." /Pamphlet/
Lini një Përgjigje