TD Washington D.C., USA – In a dramatic turn of events, United States President Donald Trump has appointed Dr. Karl Von Batten, the CEO of the lobbying firm Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., as a Commissioner on a White House presidential commission.
The appointment comes amidst a high-stakes controversy involving allegations against Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Von Batten, a Nigerian-born lobbyist, was retained by former Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar on a $1.2 million annual contract in March 2026.
He has been at the center of a campaign to draw attention to U.S. court records concerning Tinubu.
His firm confirmed the appointment on Thursday, with Von Batten expressing gratitude to “President Trump (The Chief)” for the honor.
Von Batten Alleges $3 Million Bribe Offer
In a related and explosive development, Von Batten-Montague-York has alleged that its founder received unsolicited offers of $3 million.
He also received an invitation to a confidential meeting in London “from a highly placed individual whom we have been informed is connected to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu”.
The firm claimed these offers were an attempt to persuade Von Batten to end his campaign concerning Tinubu’s alleged heroin-trafficking records.
According to the firm, Dr. Von Batten refused the offers, immediately preserved copies of the exchanges,
He has now provided the communications to the United States Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for review.
The firm also alleged that a smear campaign against its founder began shortly after he rejected the offer.
Von Batten and The Underlying Case
The controversy stems from an ongoing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) case before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The case was brought by Aaron Greenspan, who is seeking the release of FBI and DEA records concerning investigations linked to a Chicago drug-trafficking case from the early 1990s.
President Tinubu, who has joined the case as an intervenor, is seeking to keep certain records withheld, citing privacy protections under U.S. law.
Von Batten’s firm has been vocal in the matter, recently claiming that an FBI court filing “has Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on tape connected to heroin-trafficking crimes”.
The firm stated that the FBI is invoking FOIA exemptions to protect the identities of individuals targeted for interception and information obtained from wiretaps.
Presidency and Opposition React
The Nigerian Presidency has dismissed the claims by Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., clarifying that the FOIA case is a civil records-disclosure dispute, not a criminal proceeding against President Tinubu.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, noted that a 2003 FBI records check found no criminal arrest records for Tinubu.
Responding, Atiku Abubakar’s camp challenged the Presidency to explain a $460,000 forfeiture involving Tinubu in the United States, rather than attacking the lobbyist.
Meanwhile, some Nigerian lawmakers have warned that exporting the country’s political battles to foreign institutions could damage Nigeria’s reputation and affect its citizens abroad .
