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In the post-coup era, political survival used to mean finding refuge in a dusty villa in Equatorial Guinea or slipping into Dubai with diamonds sewn into your suitcase. But times have changed. Today, the real sanctuary lies in Washington — wrapped in a lobbying contract, flanked by MAGA operatives, and sealed with a photo op of you shaking hands with a retired Congressman-cum-spy chief.
Just ask Sali Berisha and Fatmir Mediu — both dogged by scandals — who are vying for office this weekend in what some critics see as a campaign for both power and protection.”
And from West Africa to the Horn, you can practically hear the rustle of draft contracts being drawn up, as ex-generals, indicted ministers, and off-brand presidents-for-life realize: If the Albanians can do it, why not us?
Trumpism for Export
Berisha, a former prime minister sanctioned by the U.S. for “significant corruption,” and Mediu, a former defense minister tainted by scandal, have teamed up in a high-stakes electoral comeback. Their secret weapon? The scorched-earth political consultants of Trump world — Paul Manafort and Chris LaCivita — whose fingerprints are all over this scheme.
Mediu, who was defense minister during the 2008 Gërdec explosion, a tragedy that killed 26 people and sparked national outrage over safety failures and accountability, is not just a disgraced official. He’s also an amateur Americanophile. In the years since the explosion — which partly inspired the 2016 Hollywood film War Dogs — he’s spent hundreds of days on U.S. soil, schmoozing members of Congress, cultivating ties with Texas Republicans, and posing with figures like newly appointed CIA chief John Ratcliffe, hoping proximity to American power would overwrite the disaster that defined him.
It’s not subtle. It’s strategy.
Fatmir Mediu and John Ratcliffe
Two Contracts, One Crooked Play
In March 2025, a nonprofit was hastily registered in New Jersey by Nuredin Saci, a 72-year-old retired Albanian-American electrician from Tropoja with no visible financial assets. Within days, this ghost foundation became the vehicle for a $6 million lobbying contract signed between Albania’s Democratic Party and a firm called Continental Strategy — a company tied to Katie Wiles, the daughter of Trump’s 2024 campaign co-manager (alongside LaCivita) and now chief of staff Susie Wiles, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s Senate chief of staff Alberto Martinez.
But that public deal is just the visible half. Behind the scenes, a second, undisclosed contract — between Berisha and Mediu and LaCivita and his associates — reportedly exists, which LaCivita maintains pertains solely to domestic campaign consulting and thus does not require FARA registration. However, Albanian media have speculated that the arrangement may involve broader activities and potentially larger sums.
It’s not just about swaying public opinion. It’s about seeking insulation — legal, diplomatic, and political — through strategic alignment with U.S. power brokers.
How to Trigger the State Department (and Fox News)
The timeline of this operation reads like a scripted influence campaign:
- March 27: A nonprofit foundation is registered in New Jersey.
- March 30: MAGA-affiliated operatives offer funding to Continental Strategy.
- April 4: Democratic Party Secretary General Flamur Noka signs the $6 million deal.
- April 16: Fox News publishes a sensational article about “Soros-backed socialists” in Europe.
- April 17: 19fortyfive.com publishes an impassioned article by an AEI senior fellow toeing a similar line.
- April 17: The articles were emailed directly to Dan Holler, deputy chief of staff at the U.S. State Department, by lobbyists for the Democratic Party.
- May 7: A U.S. official, speaking to Axios, echoes the same language — almost word for word.
By then, Continental Strategy had formally registered as a foreign agent, but the real objective had already been achieved: shift the narrative, get the State Department talking your language, and turn a sanctioned ex-prime minister into a misunderstood ally.
It is worth noting that that the Albanian authorities have opened an investigation regarding the lobbying contract signed by the Democratic Party.
Given that the contract lists a 72-year-old retired Albanian-American electrician in New Jersey with no known significant assets as its financial guarantor, Albanian authorities have opened an investigation. Whether this triggers a U.S. inquiry remains to be seen.
It’s Fox-to-Foggy-Bottom lobbying — an American innovation now available for export.
Phil Griffin: From Fixer to Folklore
No MAGA operation is complete without a designated “America guy,” and in this case, that dubious honor goes to Phil Griffin, a longtime Manafort foot soldier with a knack for awkward stagecraft.
Dispatched to Albania to lend credibility to Berisha’s campaign, Griffin has instead become a meme-worthy figure in Tirana. His speeches — delivered in halting English and stilted tone — have been described by onlookers as “robotic,” “uncomfortable,” and “borderline surreal.” At one rally, he declared Berisha a “freedom fighter” and promised that “America stands with you,” causing more confusion than applause.
If this is what democracy looks like under MAGA management, Albanians might prefer a silent ballot box.
But don’t be fooled: Griffin is no fool. His role isn’t to charm voters — it’s to generate optics, create artificial legitimacy, and embed the campaign with that sweet, sweet smell of American endorsement.
Why Warlords Are Watching
Let’s not kid ourselves. The real audience isn’t just in Albania. It’s in Juba, Ouagadougou, Monrovia, and Maputo. Every ambitious strongman, every indicted former president, every resource billionaire with blood in his ledger is paying attention.
Because this is the new blueprint.
No longer must they flee, disband, or beg for amnesty. Now they can:
- Set up a fake foundation in Delaware or New Jersey.
- Hire the same consultants who helped elect Donald Trump.
- Find a low-profile intermediary to front the paperwork — and absorb any heat if questions arise
- Get on Fox News.
- Whisper into the ears of low-level U.S. officials.
- Pose for a selfie with someone who once walked through Langley.
- And voilà: you’re no longer under scrutiny — you’re rebranded as a conservative reformer.
What used to take millions in oil contracts, French arms dealers, and Swiss bank accounts now just needs one American lobbying firm and a few MAGA emails.
It’s cheaper, faster, and dangerously more effective.
A Dangerous Export
What’s unfolding in Albania may be less a local scandal than a potential template for global political reinvention. It’s the weaponization of American political dysfunction as a global service.
This is no longer about elections. It’s about escape velocity — from justice, from accountability, from the rule of law. And with $6 million, a shadowy foundation, and the right MAGA contacts, that escape is looking frighteningly achievable.
So next time a press release lands in Washington hailing a “reform-minded leader from Africa” or a “pro-democracy voice in exile,” double check the fine print. Chances are, Chris LaCivita, Paul Manafort, and Phil Griffin have already landed, set up shop, and started writing talking points.
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