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Trump-connected lobbyist drops Turkish bank after indictment

Halkbank had hired Brian Ballard’s firm in 2017.
Customers use automated teller machines at a branch of Halkbank as a tram drives by in Istanbul August 15, 2014. Turkey's state-run lender Halkbank said on Friday it has offer to buy a 76.76 percent stake in Serbian lender Cacanska Banka for an undisclosed sum. Halkbank offered no further details on the potential acquisition in a statement to the Istanbul stock exchange. REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY - Tags: BUSINESS) - GM1EA8F1N2P01

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Calibri; color: #0d0d0d; -webkit-text-stroke: #0d0d0d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px 'Times New Roman'; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} p.p3 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 15.0px 'Times New Roman'; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} span.s2 {text-decoration: underline ; font-kerning: none; color: #0463c1; -webkit-text-stroke: 0px #0463c1} span.s3 {text-decoration: underline ; font-kerning: none; color: #2865a8; -webkit-text-stroke: 0px #2865a8} The main lobbying firm for Halkbank told Al-Monitor today that it was no longer representing the Turkish state-owned bank after federal prosecutors indicted it on Tuesday.

“For some months now, we have been arguing that in its consideration of this case, it was important for the US government to taken into account the fact that Turkey is a close NATO ally and the bank is especially important to the country’s financial system and economy,” said James Rubin, a partner at Ballard Partners who represented Halkbank along with former Donald Trump Florida lobbyist Brian Ballard. “Since the matter is now in the judicial channels, we felt it was the right moment to bring our representation to a close.”

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