A lobbying firm with close ties to senior figures in Donald Trump’s administration has signed a $2 million deal to represent Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar and his self-styled Libyan Arab Armed Forces, according to reporting by The Washington Post .
Ballard Partners will provide "government relations and strategic advisory services" to Haftar and his son, Saddam Haftar , a senior military figure widely seen as his heir, according to lobbying disclosure documents cited by the newspaper.
Haftar, who controls large parts of eastern Libya and is aligned with a rival administration in Benghazi, has long been accused by human rights groups of overseeing abuses including torture, arbitrary detention and killings.
He also led a major military offensive against the UN-recognised government in Tripoli in 2019, in a campaign that drew international condemnation and deepened Libya’s conflict.
Hanan Salah, associate director in the Middle East and North Africa division at Human Rights Watch, told WaPo the group had documented violations by forces under his command, particularly in detention centres run by the Libyan Arab Armed Forces.
Human Rights Watch has reported that "people who disagree with the Haftar clan have been unlawfully killed, arbitrarily detained, tortured, ill-treated and forcibly displaced" by Haftar and forces affiliated with him.
Salah also warned that increasing engagement between Western officials and Haftar’s camp was concerning.
"Instead of ensuring that these people are held accountable first for any violations that may have been committed, we’re seeing that they’re being brought in and that they’re being sort of presented as … the future political elite of this country," she said.
The deal comes as Ballard Partners has emerged as one of the most influential lobbying firms in Washington during Trump’s second presidency, with ties to senior officials including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Haftar, a former CIA asset who spent years in exile in the US, has sought to consolidate his power in Libya since the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi, including by placing family members in key military positions in what analysts describe as an effort to entrench dynastic control.
His son Saddam was appointed to a senior role last year and has since taken part in meetings with US officials, including Trump adviser Massad Boulos and the US embassy’s chargé d’affaires in Libya.
The lobbying agreement comes against the backdrop of a complicated relationship between Haftar and Washington, particularly during Trump’s first term in office.
While US policy had long supported Libya’s internationally recognised government in Tripoli, Trump appeared to signal a shift in April 2019 when he spoke by phone with Haftar and "recognized" Haftar’s significant role in fighting terrorism and securing Libya’s oil resources, according to a White House statement at the time.
Later that year, however, US officials urged Haftar to halt his offensive, warning that a prolonged military campaign would destabilise Libya further.
Legal cases accusing Haftar of abuses have been brought in US courts, though several have been dismissed and at least one remains ongoing.
The lobbying disclosures state that Ballard Partners may engage with the US executive branch on behalf of Haftar’s forces, including monitoring policy developments and advising on the US political landscape.
The agreement underscores the continued influence of well-connected lobbying firms in Washington, despite Trump’s repeated pledges to "drain the swamp" and curb the role of special interests in US politics.
Libya remains divided between rival administrations, with Haftar’s forces controlling much of the east, while the internationally recognised government is based in Tripoli.