白宫幕僚长苏西·怀尔斯的女儿出现在一张照片中，照片拍摄地点是波斯尼亚和黑塞哥维那境内的一个自治地区——塞族共和国，该地区由一个亲俄政党掌权。
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles’s daughter showed up in a photo from Republika Srpska, a small self-governing territory in Bosnia and Herzegovina led by a pro-Russian political party.
据CBS新闻报道，康蒂内塔尔战略咨询公司的合伙人凯蒂·怀尔斯在社交媒体上分享了多张照片，照片中她手持步枪，身旁是塞族共和国的内务部长热利科·布迪米尔。凯蒂在配文中写道：“主要是工作，也有些有趣的消遣。”
Katie Wiles, a partner at Continental Strategy, shared photos on social media, appearing to show her holding a rifle while standing next to Željko Budimir, the interior minister of Republika Srpska, according to CBS News. Wiles wrote, “mostly work + some serious fun,” in the post’s caption.
这些照片由阿尔巴尼亚裔美国活动家埃维·科卡拉里转发，据称拍摄于8月中旬，当时凯蒂正代表康蒂内塔尔战略咨询公司的另一位客户出访当地。
The images were shared by Albanian American activist Evi Kokalari and reportedly taken in mid-August during a business trip for another client of Continental Strategy.
据CBS新闻援引该公司发言人的话称：“8月中旬，凯蒂·怀尔斯随一家美国企业访问了该国，逗留了两天。这家企业受邀请对该地区开展可行性研究。怀尔斯为这家美国企业提供战略传播方面的支持，至今已有两年多时间。怀尔斯从未就塞族共和国相关事宜与美国政府官员进行过沟通。”据CBS新闻报道，布迪米尔是亲俄政客、前塞族共和国总统米洛拉德·多迪克的亲密盟友。
“Katie Wiles visited the country in mid-August for two days with a U.S.-based company who was invited to do a feasibility study in the region,” a spokesperson said, according to CBS News. “Wiles provides strategic communications support to this US company and has done so for over two years. Wiles has not spoken with any United States Government official regarding Srpska.”Budimir is a close ally of pro-Russian politician and former Republika Srpska president Milorad Dodik, per CBS News.
此前，《纽约时报》周二报道称，负责特朗普中期选举宣传工作的克里斯·拉西维塔与詹姆斯·布莱尔两人据称获得了数十万美元报酬，用于为塞族共和国的选举事务提供咨询。
This comes after The New York Times reported Tuesday that Chris LaCivita and James Blair, two heads leading Trump’s midterm advertising campaign, were reportedly paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to advise on voting issues in Republicka Srpska.
虽然《纽约时报》指出布莱尔与拉西维塔的报酬是由政府而非执政党支付，但报道称实际上为政府与政党效力并无区别。
While The New York Times noted Blair and LaCivita were paid by the government and not the political party behind the government, it wrote that for all intents and purposes work for the government and the party are the same thing.
在塞族共和国周日举行选举前，这笔款项是通过一家位于华盛顿的公司发放的。
They were paid through a Washington-based firm ahead of the country’s elections Sunday.
多迪克的另一位盟友泽利卡·茨维亚诺维奇获得了超过55%的选票，成功连任代表塞族共和国的波斯尼亚和黑塞哥维那三方主席团成员。
Another one of Dodik’s allies, Zeljka Cvijanovic, took more than 55 percent of votes to be elected to her second term on Bosnia’s tripartite presidency, representing Republika Srpska.
多迪克所属政党推举的塞族共和国总统候选人萨沃·米尼奇也大获全胜。
Dodik’s party’s candidate for Republika Srpska’s own president, Savo Minic, also won decisively.
“我完全不知道他们还为谁效力，但经过深思熟虑后我会询问他们。如果存在利益冲突，我会立即解除与他们的合作关系，”特朗普总统在Truth Social上就布莱尔和拉西维塔一事写道。
“I do not have any idea who else they work for but will, on reflection, ask them and, if there’s a conflict, I will terminate them, immediately,” President Trump wrote on Truth Social about Blair and LaCivita.
包括北卡罗来纳州共和党参议员汤姆·蒂利斯在内的共和党议员们已经对这些传闻中的关联关系表示谴责，并要求对相关指控展开进一步调查。
GOP lawmakers — including Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) — have already condemned the reported ties and demanded further investigation into the allegations.