By Likmeta (BIRN)-
Payments for lobbying in the United States on behalf of Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj and his brother, Arbër Veliaj, reached around $550,000 by the end of September 2026. The US law firm Kasowitz LLP stated that it had received $120,000 from Arbër Veliaj in five payments between April 16 and September 9. These were added to around $430,000 paid by the end of March.
In the disclosure filed on October 22 with the US Department of Justice, Kasowitz said it had informed senators, members of the House of Representatives and their staffs about the pre-trial detention of the Tirana mayor and issues related to the conduct of legal proceedings against him, as well as information “about the financing and training by the USA of the Special Structure against Corruption and Organized Crime of Albania (SPAK)”.
Among the lawmakers contacted were also members of the Albania caucus in both chambers of Congress.
Veliaj was arrested on February 10, 2025, one day after the Special Court imposed on him the security measure of “imprisonment”. SPAK accuses the mayor and his wife, Ajola Xoxa, of using a network of companies and non-profit organizations to benefit from public funds and from payments by businessmen with contracts with the Municipality of Tirana. Veliaj rejects the charges and has challenged the legality of the investigation and detention procedures. In September, the Supreme Court upheld the arrest measure.
The law firm reported communications with the offices of Senators Cory Booker, Jeanne Shaheen and Chris Van Hollen, as well as a virtual meeting with the office of Senator John Cornyn on September 18. The register also includes an email sent to the US Embassy in Tirana on May 4 and a communication with the State Department on September 24.
BIRN reported in June that Arbër Veliaj had paid around $220,000, mainly in August and September 2025. From October 2025 to March 2026, he also paid $209,945 in eight instalments. During this six-month period, Kasowitz contacted the staff of at least 15 senators and around 19 offices of House members.
In February, the law firm requested a meeting with OPDAT, the US Department of Justice office that has supported justice reform in Albania. In a response to BIRN in June, Kasowitz said it had approached this office because of its role in establishing and supporting SPAK. The firm said the lobbying aimed to protect Veliaj’s rights and that it considered the use of pre-trial detention in his case to be politically motivated./BIRN