U.S. President Donald Trump has distanced himself from the activities of two of his political advisers, Chris LaCivita and James Blair, who reportedly provided consulting services in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, ahead of the elections.
Trump said LaCivita and Blair are not part of his permanent staff but are external consultants, and warned that he could fire them if a conflict of interest is found, Reuters reported.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the two advisers are allowed to have other clients, just like other political consultants in Washington.
“Chris LaCivita and James Blair are outside consultants. They do not work for me, other than as outside consultants,” Trump wrote.
However, the U.S. president said he was not aware of whom the two advisers work for outside their engagement with him and that he would seek clarification.
“I will ask them, and if there is a conflict of interest, I will fire them immediately,” Trump said.
His reaction came after reports that LaCivita and Blair had traveled to Republika Srpska ahead of the elections and provided political consulting to authorities there.
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According to reports citing sources familiar with the arrangement, the two advisers were each paid hundreds of thousands of dollars through a Washington-based law firm hired by the government of Republika Srpska.
LaCivita is also a familiar name in Albanian politics. He served as a political adviser to Democratic Party of Albania leader Sali Berisha and the Albanian opposition camp, as part of a U.S. team of consultants that worked on Berisha’s political strategy during the 2015 elections.
The Associated Press has mentioned LaCivita among prominent figures from Donald Trump’s campaigns who became involved in efforts to assist Berisha in Albania.
