TD A Washington, D.C.-based Republican-aligned lobbying and policy advisory firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., has released a screenshot of what it describes as part of a private WhatsApp conversation in which an unnamed individual allegedly offered its founder, Dr. Karl Von Batten, a deal worth at least $3 million.
The firm claims the individual who made the approach is connected to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and is a member of Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The allegation has emerged amid an ongoing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit brought by American transparency activist Aaron Greenspan over US government records relating to Tinubu.
The firm said it released the screenshot after Greenspan referenced the alleged $3 million offer, Von Batten-Montague-York and the firm’s amicus filings in a new document filed in the US federal court.
‘A Serious Deal Worth at Least $3 Million’
The screenshot released by the firm shows a WhatsApp exchange in which the sender tells Von Batten that the matter is too serious to discuss with anyone else and is worth “at least $3 Million.”
The sender proposes an in-person meeting in London and offers to arrange a business-class ticket if Von Batten is in the United States.
The message also states that the sender cannot currently enter the US because of an application and says the matter should not be discussed over the telephone.
The sender concludes by referring to a personal relationship with Von Batten and urging him to listen and decide what to do.
“It is a serious deal worth at least $3 Million. It’s also not something we can discuss on phone either.”
The sender further wrote that they were willing to travel to London for the proposed meeting.
The screenshot does not identify the sender, as the name and WhatsApp profile photograph have been redacted.
See a copy of the screenshot below:
Firm Says Full Communications Were Preserved
Von Batten-Montague-York said the screenshot represents only a small portion of a much larger conversation.
The firm said it has preserved the complete communications and provided the unredacted material to the US Department of Justice for review.
It said the identity of the person who allegedly made the approach would be disclosed only to US law-enforcement authorities.
According to the firm, the limited release was intended to demonstrate that communication concerning the alleged $3 million proposal was actually received, while protecting the identity of the person involved from public disclosure.
The firm has not publicly established, independently of its own account, that the alleged sender is connected to Tinubu or the APC.
Alleged Offer Emerges Amid Tinubu FOIA Case
The development comes as the legal battle over access to US government records concerning Tinubu continues in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
The case, Greenspan v. Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys et al., is proceeding under Case No. 1:23-cv-01816-BAH. Greenspan’s FOIA requests seek records held by US agencies, including the FBI and DEA, relating to Tinubu.
Von Batten-Montague-York recently announced that its Motion for Leave to File Brief Amicus Curiae and a Supplemental Notice of Evidentiary Exhibits had been accepted and entered on the federal court docket.
An amicus curiae, or “friend of the court,” filing allows a non-party to present information or arguments that it believes may assist the court in deciding an issue.
The firm’s intervention has focused, among other things, on President Tinubu’s asserted privacy interests in relation to the records and public statements made by Nigerian government officials about the case.
Firm Links Offer to Campaign Over Tinubu Records
In its statement accompanying the newly released screenshot, Von Batten-Montague-York said the alleged offer was connected to its campaign seeking disclosure of US records concerning Tinubu.
The firm previously alleged that Dr. Von Batten received unsolicited offers totalling $3 million and an invitation to a confidential meeting in London from an individual it had been informed was connected to the Nigerian President. It said the offer was rejected.
The firm subsequently said it would provide the communications to the US Department of Justice and FBI for review.
However, the allegation has not been independently verified, and no public evidence reviewed for this report establishes that the alleged offer originated from President Tinubu, the Presidency or the APC.
A fact-check by FactCheckAfrica similarly concluded that the available evidence does not independently establish that the Tinubu administration made the alleged offer; the claim originates from Von Batten-Montague-York.
Presidency Has Rejected Criminal-Case Characterisation
The controversy is unfolding against the backdrop of competing narratives about the underlying US litigation.
The Nigerian Presidency has stressed that the Greenspan lawsuit is a civil FOIA dispute over access to government records, not a criminal prosecution of President Tinubu, and has said that the litigation does not constitute a finding of criminal wrongdoing against him.
The Presidency has also criticised Von Batten-Montague-York’s public campaign over the records, while the firm has disputed the government’s characterisation of the underlying issues.
The court proceedings therefore remain focused on access to, disclosure of and applicable legal protections for government records rather than on a criminal conviction of Tinubu.
Identity of Alleged Intermediary Remains Secret
Von Batten-Montague-York said it deliberately redacted the alleged intermediary’s name and profile photograph from the screenshot.
The firm said it would provide the person’s identity only to US law-enforcement authorities.
The released WhatsApp exchange therefore establishes, at most, that the firm possesses a communication containing an apparent proposal for a multimillion-dollar deal. It does not, by itself, establish who sent the message, who authorised the alleged offer, or whether the proposal was connected to Tinubu or the APC.
Those questions could become significant if US authorities independently investigate the firm’s allegation.
For now, the alleged $3 million offer remains an unproven allegation, while the FOIA litigation over Tinubu-related FBI and DEA records continues before the US District Court for the District of Columbia.
