Taiwan pays $900,000 for ally Guatemala to lobby Washington

MIAMI (AP) — Guatemala has hired for $900,000 a major supporter of former President Donald Trump to seek influence with U.S. officials in an unusual lobbying contract paid for by its ally Taiwan, foreign lobby records show.

Ballard Partners registered as a foreign agent with the U.S. Justice Department on Jan. 13, according to filings made public over the weekend. The contract, dated Jan. 12, was signed by Alfonso Quinonez, Guatemala’s ambassador to the U.S., and Brian Ballard, president of the namesake lobbying firm and a longtime Trump ally.

It’s not clear how hiring Ballard, who years before Trump ran for the White House worked for him as a lobbyist in Florida, will be able to help Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei draw closer to the Democratic administration of President Joe Biden, which has repeatedly expressed concerns about corruption in the Central American nation.

On Sunday, the U.S. State Department blasted Giammattei’s government for seeking to lift the immunity from prosecution of a judge who has won high honors in Washington for exposing bribery in Guatemala.

“This action against an internationally recognized independent judge weakens a vital pillar of Guatemala’s democracy and judicial system,” spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

In its registration, Ballard only said it would provide “strategic consulting and advocacy services” related to Guatemala’s interactions with the U.S. government and U.S. officials.

Justin Sayfie, a partner in Ballard’s Washington office, declined to comment further. But he said the request for Taiwan to assume responsibility for payment was not the firm’s idea.

“It’s unusual for one government to be paying the fees for lobbying for another government,” said Robert Kelner, an attorney specializing in compliance with foreign lobbying laws for Covington & Burling. “It’s not illegal. But it does raise a question of whether the government that pays also needs to be listed by the lobbying firm as a foreign principal.”

Guatemala in a statement thanked Taiwan for “the support that allows us to strengthen our positioning in the U.S.” It said the one year contract with Ballard, for which it is paying $75,000 a month, will focus on strategic communication, investor outreach and promoting tourism.

Guatemala is one of only 13 mostly small, developing countries that still have full diplomatic relations with Taiwan, which split from mainland Communist-run China amid civil war in 1949.

Responding to questions from The Associated Press, Taiwanese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Joanne Ou on Tuesday said the arrangement followed the principle of “mutual assistance and mutual benefit to promote pragmatic diplomacy,” based on the needs of governments friendly to Taiwan.

Ou said the assistance complied with U.S. law and was endorsed by both Guatemala’s government and its political opposition.

“In the future, the two countries will continue to promote various programs…