NewsCenter.ro, the publication that first revealed the existence of lobbying activities involving Jason Miller and the Romanian Presidential Administration in the United States on energy and international affairs, has received the first official response from Cotroceni Palace regarding the matter. The document confirms that the consulting and lobbying activities will not be carried out exclusively by Jason Miller, one of U.S. President Donald Trump’s best-known advisers, but also by other experts.
The lobbying contract, worth $565,000 per month over a six-month period, has become one of the most discussed topics in Romanian foreign policy after the relevant documents were published in the U.S. federal registry administered by the Department of Justice.
One week before the official confirmation of the contract’s existence, NewsCenter.ro sent questions to the Presidential Administration regarding the involvement of the lobbying company and Jason Miller in promoting Romania’s interests in the United States. In addition, NewsCenter.ro revealed that Jason Miller’s visit to Romania in mid-May was related to lobbying activities on energy and international policy issues.
The official response from Cotroceni, however, brings an important new piece of information: Jason Miller is not the only person who will provide the services contracted by the Romanian state.
Full response from the Presidential Administration
In the document sent to NewsCenter.ro, the Presidential Administration states:
“The procurement procedure was initiated following an assessment of opportunity and necessity based on a decision of the Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT) and in accordance with the provisions of Article 1, Article 54(c), and Article 102(c) of Emergency Ordinance No. 114/2011 regarding the award of certain public procurement contracts in the fields of defense and security, as subsequently amended and supplemented, through a negotiated procedure without prior publication of a contract notice, by appropriately applying the relevant legal framework.”
However, Cotroceni refuses to provide details regarding the content of the contract:
“Consequently, we inform you that the details requested are contained in the documentation prepared for the implementation of the commitment between the parties and constitute classified information under the law, being exempt from public access in accordance with Article 12(1)(a) of Law No. 544/2001 on free access to information of public interest.”
The most important part of the response appears in the final paragraph:
“Regarding the experts who will carry out consulting activities under the signed commitment, they will be presented after the completion of the services provided.”
The contracted company appears to be only the financial intermediary
The documents published in the United States also suggest another important aspect. The company with which the Presidential Administration signed the agreement does not appear to be the entity that will directly perform all lobbying and consulting activities.
Based on the information available so far, the contracted firm appears to function primarily as a contractual and financial vehicle through which the consultants involved in the project are compensated.
In practice, the company receives the payments made by the Romanian side and subsequently distributes the funds to the individuals and companies that actually provide lobbying, strategic communications, and government relations services.
This practice is common in the U.S. lobbying industry, where specialized firms often work with extended teams of consultants, former government officials, communications experts, and government-relations specialists.
A contract worth nearly $3.4 million
The total value of the agreement is substantial.
At a monthly fee of $565,000 over six months, the contract exceeds $3.39 million in total value.
The Presidential Administration stated that the agreement was justified by an assessment conducted pursuant to a decision of the Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT), a fact explicitly confirmed in its response to NewsCenter.ro.
Cotroceni also stated that the procedure was carried out under legislation governing defense and security procurement and that detailed information regarding the contract is classified.
