Politics

Trump Operatives Advised Bosnian Serb Leader Ahead of Parliamentary Vote

By Armin Aljovic

A New York Times report revealed that James Blair and Chris LaCivita, two key political operatives for former U.S. President Donald Trump, were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to advise Milorad Dodik, the pro‑Russian leader of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Serb entity, ahead of the country’s parliamentary elections on Sunday. Blair, who currently runs Trump’s main fundraising organization, MAGA Inc, and LaCivita, a senior adviser to Trump, have not commented on the visit.

Dodik, the former president of Republika Srpska, met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on September 29, just five days before the elections. In November, Bosnia’s highest court upheld a ban that prevented Dodik from formally running in the October 4 elections after a Sarajevo court convicted him of refusing to comply with decisions issued by the international envoy overseeing the country’s peace deal. The former president was sentenced in February to one year in prison for defying Christian Schmidt, the German diplomat responsible for safeguarding the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement. He was also banned from holding political office for six years and stripped of his post as president.

Despite the ban, Dodik campaigned for the election. His nationalist SNSD party won more than 55 percent of the vote in regional elections, maintaining its strong grip on power in the Serb‑dominated entity of Republika Srpska. Dodik has long advocated the secession of the entity and its eventual unification with neighbouring Serbia, a position that has raised fears of renewed conflict in the region.

The New York Times report said Blair and LaCivita were hired through a Washington law firm retained by the government of Republika Srpska. Each received hundreds of thousands of dollars. Documents filed with the U.S. Department of Justice show that Republika Srpska has paid more than $4 million since the beginning of 2025 to lobbyists and political operatives linked to Trump for lobbying activities. The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina ruled on September 25 that Republika Srpska’s lobbying acts were not in accordance with the constitution because their objectives were contrary to the constitution, decisions of the Constitutional Court or the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The revelation has sparked criticism within the Republican Party, especially because Blair and LaCivita were in Republika Srpska at a time when Trump’s political operation was focused on the final stretch of its campaign for the midterm congressional elections in the United States. Steve Bannon, Trump’s former chief strategist, called the two “grifters” and demanded a detailed review of the money they had received.

Trump initially said he was unaware of Blair and LaCivita’s other engagements and would investigate for a conflict of interest, but later softened his remarks, stating that as consultants they are allowed to have multiple clients.

Why Dodik hired Trump’s operatives remains unclear. Aleksandar Trifunović, editor of Buka magazine in Banja Luka, said Dodik’s goal was proximity to Trump through his people, rather than a concrete change in rhetoric. Trifunović noted the pragmatic nature of the U.S. lobbying system, where more money can bring more support, and highlighted the tension of having ties to both Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Dodik’s ties to Trump’s political circle have broader context. Miljan Kovac, a political commentator from Nevesinje, said that the lifting of U.S. sanctions against Dodik last October was a pragmatic move aimed at easing tensions in Bosnia and Herzegovina. After declaring victory for his SNSD party on election night, Dodik said, “If it had not been for Trump’s magnificent victory, we would probably be political corpses today. But thanks to the new environment, we are now political winners.”