US lobby firm secures $2m contract to whitewash image of Libya’s Haftar

US lobby firm secures $2m contract to whitewash image of Libya’s Haftar Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 03/23/2026 - 10:03 Ballard Partners has close ties to the Trump administration, which is is reportedly working on a power-sharing deal in Libya bypassing elections Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar attends a conference for the country's development and reconstruction, in Libya's southern city of Sebha, on 5 September 2024 (AFP) Off A US lobbying firm closely connected to the Trump administration has been handed a $2m contract to represent Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar, who faces multiple allegations of human rights abuses. Lobbying disclosure agreements reported by the Washington Post revealed that Ballard Partners, which is staffed by former Trump administration officials, has agreed to advance the interests of Libyan military commanders, including Haftar and his son Sadddam, deputy commander of his self-styled Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF). Haftar and his security forces face allegations of human rights abuses, which are reportedly perpetrated in the detention centres they run.