Semafor reports that a Washington-based law and lobbying firm with ties to President Trump’s network helped organize a trip for two of his political advisers to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The firm, Scoop Continental, arranged meetings between former Trump campaign adviser Alex Garcia and White House officials like Susie Wiles, as well as local Serbian officials in Republika Srpska. This came after the Justice Department revealed that Republika Srpska agreed to pay $35,000 monthly to Scoop Continental for organizing meetings with key stakeholders there.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Continental, a Washington-based law and lobbying firm closely tied to former President Donald Trump’s network, helped organize a recent trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina by two of his political advisers. Republika Srpska, a region in Bosnia with leaders friendly toward Russia, agreed to pay $35,000 monthly to Continental for arranging meetings and discussions with key U.S. stakeholders. Former Trump campaign adviser Alex Garcia facilitated these interactions, setting up meetings between the Serbian officials and White House figures such as Walker Bennett, Jarrod Agen, and Richard Walters. Additionally, Garcia helped arrange a meeting between Trump’s chief of staff Susie Wiles and a Serbian official from Republika Srpska. Since Trump took office in 2017, Republika Srpska has spent at least $9 million on lobbying efforts aimed at aligning with the U.S. administration, despite congressional pressure for sanctions against Serbian politicians.
Written for “Trump Ties In Balkans Travel” on 2026-10-08,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.35, but every quote it verified points right, so the score is not published.
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Leaning score withheld for article 66739: score contradicts its own evidence · logged 2026-10-08
The Scoop
Continental, a Washington-based law and lobbying firm with close ties to President Donald Trump’s network, helped arrange a recent trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina by two Trump political advisers
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Continental → base → advisers
, three people familiar with the trip told Semafor.
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people → tell → Semafor
Republika Srpska, whose Russia-friendly Serbian leaders have sought to align themselves with Trump, agreed earlier this year to pay $35,000 monthly to Continental, which would organize “meetings and discussions and establish relationships with key stakeholders in the executive and legislative branches,” according to a Justice Department filing.
uncertain
which → seek → filing
Since then, former Trump campaign adviser Alex Garcia has helped arrange meetings with White House officials like Walker Bennet, Jarrod Agen and Richard Walters, according to another DOJ filing.
uncertain
Garcia → arrange → filing
A White House official told Semafor that Garcia, who was in Republika Srpska around the same time as LaCivita and Blair, also set up a recent meeting between Trump chief of staff Susie Wiles and a Serbian official from the region.
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who → tell → region
The Balkan trip occurred after Garcia initially reached out to LaCivita, multiple people familiar with the situation said.
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people → occur → situation
LaCivita and Blair were there for 48 hours, one source said, to consult on voting equipment ahead of elections on Sunday.
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source → say → Sunday
Trump on Wednesday signaled his displeasure with LaCivita and Blair’s trip, which was first reported by The New York Times, amid some intraparty criticism that his advisers aren’t as focused as possible on the midterms.
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advisers → signal → midterms
But Trump wasn’t particularly harsh about the trip in private, two people familiar with the situation said.
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people → say → situation
“If I’m the president … traveling the country every day and campaigning … I’m rightfully annoyed, right?” one of the people said.
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one → ’m → people
“With that being said, do I think James missed a second of work?
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James → say → work
Two sources said that Trump and Blair had a call following the news, with one calling it “a good conversation.”
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one → say → it
And while the duo has faced criticism from some corners of the Republican party, others close to Trump are openly defending them.
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others → face → them
LaCivita and Blair’s trip focused on election integrity rather than political strategy, multiple people said; this year marked Republika Srpska’s first election using new ballots and Smartmatic voting equipment.
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year → focus → ballots
Asked for comment on whether Continental helped organize LaCivita and Blair’s trip, a spokesperson for the firm said only that Garcia was its only employee in Republika Srpska on Oct. 4 as well as its only employee to lobby the US government on its behalf.
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Garcia → ask → behalf
The spokesperson added that Wiles’ daughter Katie, who also works at Continental, traveled to Republika Srpska in August for a separate reason: helping a US-based company complete “a feasibility study.”
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company → add → study
Know More
Republika Srpska voters on Sunday decided to keep former President Milorad Dodik’s nationalist party in power.
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voters → know → power
The US last year lifted sanctions on Dodik, who was banned from holding office after violating his country’s peace deal.
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who → lift → deal
The Balkans isn’t the only place Continental is looking to cash in on the administration’s agenda abroad: The firm reportedly took on at least a dozen clients in Venezuela after the US captured its former leader earlier this year.
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US → look → leader
Republika Srpska, for its part, has signed lobbying contracts worth at least $9 million since Trump was inaugurated in an effort to curry favor with the administration (though it’s never signed one with Ballard Partners, Susie Wiles’ former firm).
So far, it seems to be working: Officials have yet to impose recently enacted sanctions on Serbian politicians despite Congress’ urging.
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Officials → sign → urging
House Democrats already have a plan, reported first by Semafor, to oversee the administration’s Balkans policy if they win a majority next month.
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they → have → majority
Notable
- LaCivita has also advised another Continental client looking to ingratiate himself with Trump: Albania’s Sali Berisha.
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LaCivita → advise → Trump
- Trump this term has embraced a number of foreign governments who have moved to politically align themselves with the conservative or MAGA movement, as CBS and Reuters reported.
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CBS → embrace → movement
The Aporia
