Chris LaCivita for the New York Times: I will not lobby for Berisha's wife, I am only for the campaign

Donald Trump's campaign architect, Chris LaCivita, has given an interview to the New York Times, following his engagement in Albania with the Democratic Party. Donald Trump's strategist is now advising Sali Berisha, the leader of the Democratic Party. US President Donald Trump's campaign consultant, Chris LaCivita, appeared this month at a press conference in Albania alongside former Prime Minister Sali Berisha, the New York Times writes, noting that he was declared non grata by the previous US administration for corruption.

Asked by the newspaper, Chris LaCivita stated that he will not be involved in “lobbying the Trump administration on behalf of Sali Berisha on the issue of his non-wife.” He clarified that he will be in Albania for the May 11 election campaign where he will assist the Democratic Party and its leader, Sali Berisha.

“I don’t lobby,” LaCivita told The New York Times. “I campaign, and that’s what I’m doing — it’s very simple,” he added.

However, LaCivita considers the accusations against Berisha by the previous Joe Biden administration to be politically motivated.

LaCivita is a powerful name in Republican political strategy, but he has clearly made it clear that he will not mediate in favor of Berisha with the Trump administration in the White House.

Full New York Times article

Chris LaCivita, a Republican strategist who helped run President Trump's campaign, is advising a conservative opposition party in Albania led by a politician who has faced corruption charges from the State Department and prosecutors in his own country.

Mr. LaCivita, who became an advisor to a pro-Trump nonprofit group after the U.S. presidential election in November, is among a handful of Trump advisers who have pursued political consulting work around the world for politicians who consider themselves populists or critics of immigration, following the Trump model.

Mr. LaCivita is working for the Democratic Party of Albania ahead of the country’s parliamentary elections in May, when it will try to defeat the ruling left-wing Socialist Party. In text messages to The New York Times, Mr. LaCivita characterized his work as an extension of his assistance to Mr. Trump.

"I'm exporting MAGA - Make Albania Great Again," he wrote.

The leader of the Democratic Party of Albania is Sali Berisha, a former president and prime minister who is facing corruption charges in Albania in connection with a property deal.

The Biden administration imposed sanctions on Mr. Berisha in 2021 for “significant corruption,” according to a statement by former Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, who accused him of misusing public funds and using his power to enrich his allies and family.

Mr. LaCivita argued that the charges against Mr. Berisha were politically motivated and stressed that the Albanian politician's case is similar to that of Donald Trump.

“It’s a natural collaboration – defeating a socialist who is a pawn and puppet of the Soros family,” Mr. LaCivita said, evoking Mr. Berisha’s unfounded claims that Democratic philanthropist George Soros was behind the sanctions.

Mr. Berisha has indicated that he intends to ask the Trump administration to reconsider the State Department's sanctions.

Mr. Berisha has used Mr. LaCivita's engagement with his party to create a connection with Mr. Trump, although the American president has not signaled support for any preferred party in the parliamentary elections.

Mr. Berisha has also sought to distinguish himself from the ruling party by vowing that if the opposition wins, it will not renew Albania's agreement to accept migrants from Italy.

It's not the first time that presidential campaign strategists have outsourced their services.

There is often high demand for consultants with ties to the new US president from foreign politicians seeking to portray themselves as Washington's favored candidates, which can be an advantage in many parts of the world.

But Mr. LaCivita, who appeared with Mr. Berisha at a news conference in Albania this month, said he would not address the Trump administration on behalf of Mr. Berisha or his party.

“I don’t lobby,” Mr. LaCivita said. “I campaign and that’s what I’m doing — very directly.”

After Mr. Trump was elected in November, Mr. LaCivita became involved in a number of ventures. He accepted a position on the board of advisors of the government relations firm Michael Best Strategies, which lobbies for corporate clients including T-Mobile and cryptocurrency company Ripple Labs, although he did not register as a lobbyist there.

Mr. LaCivita also joined the global advisory body of cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase. And he teamed up with other Trump-linked consultants, including Paul Manafort, who served as Mr. Trump’s 2016 campaign chairman, to provide political consulting services to far-right politicians around the world.

Mr. LaCivita did not say whether other consultants were involved in the work in Albania, and several of them did not respond to requests for comment.

He also did not say whether he had signed for any other foreign clients, but admitted that he had traveled extensively.