So, the SNSD (whose head, Milorad Dodik has been sanctioned by the US) appears to have bought the services of one Jason Osborne & Michael Rubin, GOP-affiliated consultants ahead of the Bosnian elxns. That seems a lil' dodgy, no @GOP? atvbl.com/vijesti/republ…
Osborne has an active profile page of the official GOP website. And, again, Dodik himself has been sanctioned by the Treasury Dept. while his govt has signed official agreements w both RUS & South Ossetia. He is the Kremlin's main regional proxy. gop.com/leaders/execut…
It's unclear whether Osborne and Rubin have been hired to assist the SNSD campaign as a whole or the PM's campaign specifically. Even if it is just her campaign, this is the kind of regime these American consultants are hoping to legitimate. dw.com/en/corruption-…
Regardless, the local regime press is spinning this as "Trump's people" are helping the SNSD and Dodik win the October elxns. That's likely overstating the case but it should worry Americans that GOP consultants are working w govts such as this: theguardian.com/world/2018/jan…
Important to note that this is the second, high-profile Trump-orbit visit to the Balkans in recent months. Recall Corey Lewandowski's appearance in Belgrade a few weeks ago. Serb nationalists are hopeful that they finally have a kindred spirit in WH. motherjones.com/politics/2018/…
I'll keep chasing this over the coming days but the facts as they appear now: GOP-linked consultants advising campaign of party headed by leader sanctioned by US Treasury Department, known to be a close associate of the Putin regime, an extreme nationalist & genocide denier.
