Blagojevich Lands Lobbying Gig with ‘Bosnian Bear’ Politician Linked to Putin

Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, who was pardoned by President Donald Trump in February, has taken on a new role representing the interests of Milorad Dodik, the politician famously dubbed the "Bosnian Bear." Dodik, known for his imposing physique and controversial ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, leads the Republic of Srpska, a Serb-majority area in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Blagojevich's firm, RRB Strategies LLC, has officially registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act to provide communications and public affairs support for the Republic of Srpska. This move aligns Blagojevich with a region entrenched in ethnic tensions and Dodik’s push for the territory’s independence from Bosnia and Herzegovina to ultimately join Serbia.

In a bold social media post on Wednesday, Blagojevich announced that Interpol had rejected a request from Bosnia's unelected High Representative to arrest Dodik. Dodik, who recently traveled to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and attend an anti-Semitism conference, has been at the center of political controversies and legal battles. Earlier this year, he was sentenced to a year in prison for defying Bosnia's Constitutional Court but fled to Moscow shortly thereafter.

Blagojevich has also accused left-wing courts and officials of targeting populist conservative leaders globally, citing figures like Donald Trump, France's Marine Le Pen, and Dodik in his argument. According to him, these leaders face attempts to jail them and bar them from holding office—a narrative that arguably plays well in certain political circles.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has criticized Dodik, calling his actions a threat to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s stability and security. Rubio emphasized the importance of constructive dialogue among political leaders in the region and urged international partners to resist destabilizing behavior.

It was reported that Trump once considered appointing Blagojevich as the U.S. ambassador to Serbia before settling on former Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich. This lobbying role might be the closest Blagojevich gets to diplomacy for now, though working with a politician nicknamed after a bear certainly adds an element of drama to his post-pardon career.