Ruling party MP accuses opposition of paying Americans to attack Georgia

In Georgia, the opposition is accused of spending large sums on lobbying efforts in the United States, raising questions about the real motives behind critical statements made from Washington.

According to Caliber.Az, citing Georgian media, Levan Makhashvili, a deputy from the ruling Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia party, claimed that the opposition’s rhetoric is financially motivated rather than based on genuine political concerns.

Makhashvili pointed to newly released information showing that the former ruling party, the United National Movement, had paid the American lobbying firm Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP $360,000. The data comes from a document published by the US Department of Justice.

“Over time, society is becoming more aware of the real reasons why some people are speaking out loudly from America. In fact, we have once again seen that behind these protests and critical statements are not sincere facts, but money and commissioned political activity — specific critical statements are made for certain sums of money,” Makhashvili said.

The lobbying agreement was signed on July 7, 2025. Under the contract, the firm is tasked with supporting the diplomatic activities of the United National Movement in the United States, strengthening ties with American officials, and promoting free and fair elections in Georgia.

“The previous elections were marred by violations and disputes, and our firm will develop a strategy for interacting with government structures aimed at promoting democracy and transparency in the upcoming elections,” the document states.

The details of the opposition’s lobbying activities became public thanks to the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) in the United States, which has an equivalent mechanism in Georgia.

By Tamilla Hasanova