Democratic lawmakers are accusing the Trump administration of engaging in a “pay for play” scheme in Bosnia and Herzegovina, alleging that the lifting of sanctions on Serb separatist leader Milorad Dodik was directly tied to granting a major energy contract to a company with ties to President Trump’s inner circle.
The controversy centers on the Southern Interconnection Gas Pipeline, a project valued at approximately $1.7 billion that would connect Bosnia to Croatia’s gas network, reducing the nation’s dependence on Russian energy. AAFS Infrastructure & Energy, a U.S. firm incorporated last year and co-founded by Jesse Binnall, Trump’s former personal attorney, and Joseph Flynn, brother of former national security adviser General Michael Flynn, is positioned to lead the development.
According to a congressional report released last month by House Democrats titled “Pay for Play in the Balkans,” the administration utilized diplomatic influence and connections with controversial figures to facilitate the concession. The report highlights Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) filings showing that Michael Flynn worked as a paid lobbyist for Republika Srpska in October 2025, the same month sanctions against Dodik were removed. Flynn was reportedly compensated $100,000 by RRB Strategies, a lobbying firm run by Rod Blagojevich, the former Illinois governor pardoned by Trump in 2025.
CBS News reviewed FARA documents indicating Flynn provided strategic advice, research, and introductions to the Republika Srpska government. The White House has declined to comment on the pipeline deal but defended the decision to lift sanctions. An administration official described the move as a pragmatic foreign policy choice aimed at preventing instability in the Balkans.
A State Department letter included in the Democratic report stated that removing the sanctions encouraged Bosnian Serb separatists to roll back legislation that threatened the country’s governance. However, experts like political scientist Jasmin Mujanović have questioned these justifications, noting that the contested anti-Dayton laws had already been struck down prior to the sanctions being lifted.
Dodik, whose party recently won one of Bosnia’s three presidency seats, publicly credited Trump’s election victory for his political survival, while also thanking Russian President Vladimir Putin for his support. U.S. officials, including Chargé d’Affaires John Ginkel, met with AAFS leadership and Bosnian ministers in early 2026, shortly after the firm was incorporated. Despite the growing scrutiny, AAFS did not respond to requests for comment regarding the allegations.
It’s ironic that Dodik thanks Putin while Trump’s team is making backroom deals. The Balkans aren’t playing chess here.
Pragmatic foreign policy or just pay-to-play? The timing between the sanction relief and the contract award is too convenient.
I’m surprised no one in the administration asked about FARA compliance before finalizing this pipeline deal. Seems like an oversight.
Wait, so the guy who lobbied for Republika Srpska is now brokering gas deals? The lines are very blurred here.
This connection between lifting sanctions and handing over a billion-dollar contract is deeply concerning. Accountability matters.