Ballard Partners, the lobbying firm that was paid $140 thousands by the Socialist Party of Albania (PS) contacted US Ambassador Donald Lu when Albania had reached the bottom of its politic crisis. Syri.net has obtained the full document that proves that the PS’ lobbyists have exchanged emails and phone calls not only with US Congressmen but also with Ambassador Lu.

According to the document, PS’ lobbyists have contacted Lu on May 17, 2017, only three days before the agreement Rama-Basha was reached. The contact aimed, according to the document, negotiations among the political parties in Albania for the coming elections the Judiciary Reform.

The document reveals that exactly one week before the lobbying firm contacted Lu, i.e. on May 11, PS made a payment of $20 thousand. The second contact of Ballard Partners and Ambassador Lu took place on June 26 and its topic was related to the US-Albanian relations.

There were a few tensions between the opposition and the US Ambassador during the politic crisis. At that time, the US Embassy was strongly criticizing the opposition for its refusal to enter the elections with the government’s conditions.

In the end of April, Lu and Head of EU Delegation Romana Vlahutin had a meeting with several opposition parties which was interpreted as an invitation to enter the elections even without the participation of the Democratic Party (PD). Meanwhile, PD had accused the government of buying the international community’s position with the corruption money.

The contract that “bought” the meeting with Trump

The lobbying agreement between PS and Ballard Partners reveals some “strange” coincidences. The main lobbyist Ballard Partners used for the PS account was Congressman Matt Gaetz (R). Ballard and Gaetz exchanged several calls and emails and also had at least four meetings.

But only one day before the $20 thousand payment Gaetz and some other Congressmen visited Albania, where they met the country’s highest officials.

Meanwhile, only two weeks after the payment, on May 25, 2017, Premier Edi Rama managed to meet for the first time with President Donald Trump, at NATO’s summit in Brussels. Even though there was no footage from the meeting, it was confirmed by Gaetz himself.

Also, only three days before the meeting with Trump, Ballard Partners contacted White House Scheduling and Advance Director George Gigicos in a meeting where presumably the meeting of Trump and Rama was decided.