BMSK Lobbying
artifact
A single lobbying firm openly bragged about polishing the image of the world's dictators for pay — and its first client was Donald Trump.
Who they are
BMSK — the lobbying firm Black, Manafort, Stone & Kelly, founded in 1980.
What they do
The engine treats it as the blueprint for turning foreign authoritarian influence into a business inside U.S. politics.
How it works
Its first client was Trump, and it pioneered rehabilitating the reputations of foreign dictators, with the firm boasting, 'We lined up most of the dictators in the world.'
Why it matters
It set the template for monetizing foreign strongmen's influence within American power — normalizing the paid laundering of authoritarian reputations.
The engine's record — word for word
Black, Manafort, Stone & Kelly (1980). First client: Trump. Pioneered transnational dictator rehabilitation. "We lined up most of the dictators in the world." Blueprint for monetizing foreign authoritarian influence within US capital.
Follow the trail
Walk this on the live map →