Ballard Partners, the firm headed by Brian Ballard, Donald Trump’s “longtime lobbyist” (as described by Politico) has been hired by Government of Turkey per the publication’s Marc Caputo. The Erdoğan government in Turkey has completely changed the direction of that country, turning the secular pro-western republic of Atatürk into an authoritarian theocracy in alliance with Saudi Arabia and other radical religious states. Turkey now cracks down on press freedom and continues to be a violator of human rights (this does in fairness predate Erdoğan’s tenure).
UPDATE: FOOTAGE OF THE ANTI-ERDOGAN PROTESTS FROM VOA:
Despite everything, Erdoğan appears however to be a favorite of Donald Trump who congratulated the Turkish virtual-dictator on his electoral victory last month when he was able to secure additional constitutional powers. Michael Flynn, the disgraced former National Security Adviser for Trump earned reportedly earned over $500,000 in money lobbying for interests tied to Erdoğan. Robert Wexler, a former Democratic Congressman from Palm Beach County who once had close ties to Ballard’s sister Mary McCarty when she was a Palm Beach Commissioner and chair of the local Republican Party will serve according to Caputo as the principal on the account. McCarty eventually resigned from office in disgrace and served jail time.
Per Politico:
TURKEY TAPS LONGTIME TRUMP LOBBYIST: Brian Ballard, President Donald Trump’s longtime lobbyist, just inked a high-profile contract of $1.5 million with Turkey, adding to Ballard Partners’ trifecta of international clients, including the Dominican Republic and the Socialist Party of Albania. Former Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.) will represent the firm’s highest profile foreign client, reports POLITICO’s Marc Caputo. Previously, PI reported Wexler is new to lobbying and is still serving as president of the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace.
Last week on a state visit to Washington, Erdoğan’s bodyguards beat up protesters – an unprecedented act on foreign soil and an action that could be interpreted as a violation of American sovereignty but yet now Turkey is complaining about the US handling of the situation. President Trump has already proven a lapdog for Erdoğan, so it is entirely possible the US will apologize for this “incident.”
As we have reported in the past, Ballard Partners has cultivated ties with the Florida Democratic Party and the Managing Partner of the Tampa office for the firm was on the FDP payroll in Q1 2017. Now the firm has opted to represent Erdoğan’s oppressive regime which creates a very uncomfortable look.
The Florida Squeeze 
One time “progressive” sells out.
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Makes me wonder if he really ever was one of us…
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Are you surprised?
Maybe your sinister thought that Dems call out Trump/Russia and not Trump/Turkey isn’t identity or racial based at all but related to this!
I know defeats your tired narrative about identity. Sorry.
As for Wexler he was never a real progressive. He’ll fit right in joining the Trump-Putin-Erdogan trio.
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Seems like the primary funder of S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace is the Clinton Foundation — just seems odd that with that connection, Wexler would risk his political capital repping a dictator.
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Maybe more here honestly. I have wondered aloud why Democrats aren’t in the least bit bothered by Trump’s tangible ties to Erdogan while are obsessive about alleged ties to Putin which at least in terms of hard evidence is tangible at this moment in time. I did make the leap as the poster above states about identity politics being the driver – but perhaps it is something more nefarious … I’m not sure what the ties of the Clinton Foundation to Erdogan are (if any) but perhaps they are deeper than I imagined and that explains this move and unwillingness of Dems to focus on the Trump/Flynn/Erdogan connection?
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Do your research the clintons never liked wexler
Obama on the otherhand
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@Kartik Krishnaiyer: I suggest you reread Brook HInes’ comment. No connection whatsoever expressed between Clinton Foundation and Erdogan. Sheesh…
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It’s worth exploring further though… For some reason Democrats don’t see Erdogan as something worth hanging on Trump and Flynn…I really want to know the reason.
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Seems that someone charged with being the president of a Clinton Foundation entity would be very careful of conflicts of interests. One of two things could be true: Wexler could be risking damage to CF ties, or repping Erdogan doesn’t present the conflict of interest one imagines. If it’s the prior, I’d expect to read about Wexler being asked to quietly walk away from the Ballard gig—or, at the very least, for the CF to issue a disclaimer vis-a-vis the distinguished peace operative working with the Turkish dictator.
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In first viewing I thought this video was staged. The photographer manages a heroic single tracking shot through the chaos using Osmo gear.
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[…] names of those who have signed this letter about former Congressman Robert Wexler’s new lobbying relationship with the Turkish Government headed by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have been withheld in order to protect the anonymity of those who […]
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[…] BALLARD PARTNERS AND ROBERT WEXLER TO REPRESENT TURKEY’S ERDOGAN GOVERNMENT (UPDATED) […]
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