The report is published/ Rama, Fuga and Gjiknuri spent thousands of dollars in Trump's hotel

2024-01-04 21:54:00, Aktualitet CNA

The report is published/ Rama, Fuga and Gjiknuri spent thousands of dollars in

According to a report by the Oversight and Accountability Committee in the US House of Representatives, the Albanian government tried to influence Trump by spending money at his hotel in Washington DC

The report states that the prime minister of Albania, Edi Rama, his advisers, as well as the minister, Gjiknuri, spent approximately $6,000 at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC.

Specifically, Dorjan Ducka, in the period January 18-19, 2018, spent $1,503 at Trump's hotel; Edi Rama spent 1,158 dollars in the period March 3-4, 2018; Endri Fuga spent 1,158 dollars in the period March 3-4, 2018; Keisi Seferi in the period 3-4 March 2018 spent 1,158 dollars and Damian Gjiknuri in the period 24-26 June spent 1,025 dollars.

The report is published/ Rama, Fuga and Gjiknuri spent thousands of dollars in

The report also states that the three main Albanian parties hired US-based lobbyists with close ties to then-President Trump.

The report also talks about the connections between the Albanian businessman, the former head of the FBI and the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.

The FBI's counterintelligence chief and Agron Neza, a New Jersey businessman who previously worked for an Albanian intelligence agency, are said to have met.

It is reported that McGonigal had previously traveled to Albania to meet with Rama several times and, by the time of the March 4 meeting, McGonigal had received $225,000 from Neza.

In late February, less than a week before the McGonigal-Rama meeting, the FBI formally opened an investigation into an American lobbyist, believed to be Muzin, for McGonigal's work on Rama's behalf. He has reportedly since pleaded guilty to one count of illegally concealing from the FBI his business activities in Albania.

Rewards paid by Albania to Trump-owned businesses (presented in the report)

Prime Minister Rama chose to stay at Trump's hotel during his visit in March 2017. During two nights, Rama and his aides spent $3,474 at the hotel. They stayed on the same floor as Neza. There is no indication in the records that McGonigal stayed at Trump's hotel during this period in March 2017.

Separately, Dorjan Ducka, an adviser to Rama, booked four rooms for two nights at Trump's hotel on January 18 and 19, 2018, at a cost of $1,503.

The records further show that Albania's then Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, Damian Gjiknuri, stayed at the Trump Hotel from June 24 to 26, 2018, spending $1,025./ CNA